With skateparks closed, 12-year-old Arron was thrilled to get the chance to get some speed up on Rollplay’s electric scooter, the Wave Catcher

Written by TNP Ambassador Arron’s mum Naomi 

For a boy who lives at the skatepark most of the time, not being able to get up much speed scooting on the pavement has been frustrating. So when Arron got the chance to put Rollplay’s electric scooter Wave Catcher to the test, he was keen to get moving, as Mum Naomi explains. 

‘’I was hoping the scooter wouldn’t take too long to get up and running, or be fiddly to put together. We were pleasantly surprised. We only had to attach the handlebars, screw on the brake pedal and attach the wires inside the battery case. Arron did most of it himself, I only helped with the brake pedal as it was a little fiddly. We charged it up overnight and it was ready to go. 

‘’I was also impressed by how solid the scooter is. Arron is at the top of the recommended age range, so I feared that it wouldn’t stand up to his size and weight (actually it is suitable for up to 143lbs, so he is well within that limit) but it is very sturdy. Arron is used to flinging his scooter around doing jumps and tricks at the skate park, and it stood up very well – obviously he didn’t do the tricks he would do on a stunt scooter – but he did manage to do some bunny hops – probably not manufacturer recommended!  

‘’It gets up quite a decent speed (10mph), and I think it would be great for getting kids to school – or anywhere - when you’re in a hurry. And because it has three wheels, it’s great for children who are not so confident on a scooter. I know a couple of children with dyspraxia, for instance, who have always found it hard to get on with a scooter. This would be a great compromise – they still get to go on a scooter, and they get to speed off as well! 

‘’Another useful feature of the scooter is that it stands up on its own. Two-wheeled scooters can be a bit of as pain – they get thrown on the floor, or you have to try to lean them against a wall or fence to get them to stand up. 

‘’The ‘wave’ motion is wonderful – you can lean and the scooter deck leans with you, like a skateboard – Arron was able to weave from side to side. Great fun! The circular nature of the handlebars also means you don’t have to hold on with two hands like you do on a scooter, so it adds to the interest, and also should help to improve balance. 

‘’The scooter is suitable for ages eight and up. It has two speed settings so you can start them off on the slower setting until they find their feet. After the first long charge, it is also quick to get the scooter recharge. You get about an hour’s riding out of each charge, which is pretty decent. 

‘’It’s been great fun for Arron and has added some variety into our daily dog walk around the village.’’