Families For Life | Skateboarding
Skateboarding has been enjoying a bit of a quiet revival in Singapore. It might in part be fueled by the surprisingly large number of skate parks which have been built recently – there are at least 8 public skateparks in East, West, North and Central Singapore, many of which are located quite near public transport.
For older children such as tweens and teens, skateboarding is often seen as an older kid activity and it does have a certain fascinating “cool” factor about it. There is of course no reason why it should only be for older kids. Children as young as 3 can start learning this fun and engaging sport. Whilst it’s easy to start skating on a basic level, it’s an infinitely challenging sport because there are so many ways in which you can push yourself and so many new moves to learn and get better at. The appeal is similar to that of BMX biking, when the focus quickly shifts from straight riding to tricks and moves.
Public Skate Parks In Singapore
If you already know how to skate, there is no reason why you can’t and shouldn’t teach your kids this sport. Get the right protective gear, a good skateboard and skate shoes and pick a skate park near your home. Here are some public skate parks you might want to check out.
- Bedok Adventure Park
- Bishan Skate Park
- Bukit Batok B3 Skate Park
- Eunos Skate Park
- Fengshan Skate Park
- Jurong West Skate Park
- Queenstown Skate Park
- Somerset Skate Park
Skate Schools
If you don’t know how to skate, or if you despair of teaching your kids yourselves, take heart. There are plenty of skate schools out there with experienced coaches who can teach your kids the basics and beyond. Ask around at skate shops, ask friends who skate or go online and look for schools. Talk to the coaches and get a sense of what your child would enjoy.
If your child does better with a tailored and customised coaching approach, then getting private lessons of between 1 or 2 students to an instructor might work well. If your child enjoys group classes, then taking part in a skate school package where they get a chance to socialise and even participate in group games and events could be the perfect experience.
Apart from recommendations from friends, you can always find programs at established skate schools such as Skate Dragons, Poh Vida Skateboarding, Inlinex, and Skate With Us.