Learning how to skateboard takes time. Most parents only have a couple crucial hours of daylight each day to spend with their kids – especially on school days.
Parents also have a ton of questions when figuring out the safest, most fun, and most productive ways to skate – like how to skateboard after school?
Here are some of the most common questions parents ask our skate instructors when it comes to learning how to skateboard after school.
- Where should I take my kid skating after school?
- Are skateboards school friendly?
- What time is best to skate after school?
- Can I find other kids who are skating after school?
- What if my kid is in highschool?
- Should my kid skate alone after school?
Keep reading and we’ll get you rolling in the right direction… literally.
Where should I take my Kid Skating After School?
This might seem like an obvious answer to some parents but we promise that would change if they knew the reality of a skatepark ecosystem.
Imagine you’re a high school kid or a grown adult just getting off of work –where are you going?
You’re headed as fast as you can to the skatepark. That means from 3pm-5pm-7pm (and even dusk and beyond) the skatepark will be packed with experienced skaters posing a hazard to your young child.
Remember parents, a skatepark is not a daycare where you can drop your kids off and walk away. Many grown adults and older kids are at the skatepark every day and treat it like a gym and training ground. You certainly still can take your kid to a skatepark but we advise you make sure the hours are beginner friendly and not super crowded.
We also urge you to consider hiring a skateboard instructor to make sure they’re as safe as possible.In addition to learning proper skatepark etiquette, it helps them become members of the local skatepark community.
Otherwise, we encourage you to take your child to a local park with a lot of flat cement surfaces to master the foundations of skateboarding.
In some rare instances, some after school programs will allow skateboards after school, like bikes and scooters–which brings us to our next point.
Should I Take My Skateboard to School?
Unless you’re living in a skateboard-friendly town like San Diego, most school districts do not allow skateboards, let alone the act of riding a skateboard, on campus.
However, most high schools will allow skaters to chain up their skateboards like bikes in skate racks but due to the skateboard being much more fragile than a bike, this often leads to damaged skateboards.
Some teachers will allow you to keep their skateboards in the classroom and some schools will allow you to carry yours around. It’s best to check with your school’s code of conduct policy because just like in all aspects of skateboarding, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Just don’t be surprised when the answer is no.
Things are changing however, as more and more adults and teachers recognize the profound benefits of skateboarding.
What Time is Best to Skate After School?
This is an important question, especially after learning what we know about skateparks.
We would suggest if you are going to be skating at a skatepark after school, it’s best to do it before 5pm, when the older crowd get’s off work.
Right after school, the high school kids make an exodus to the local skatepark to wait for their parents.
Friday’s are the most packed skatepark days. Beginner skaters should keep this in mind.
Generally, skating with your child while the sun is out is best for your kid’s safety. However, some skateparks will have lights.
Parents should be familiar with the local skatepark scene before making a habit of what time is best to skate after school.
If you’re not skateboarding at a skatepark, it’s generally always safer to skate in the daytime for any pedestrians or vehicle traffic (even in your own driveway).
Can I find other kids who are skating after school?
There are always going to be kids skating after school but the question is are they kids the same age as your kid? This can be a hard question to gauge since skateboarding is not like traditional sports, with a sign up day, and teams being delegated by age.
Indeed this has always been one of the driving forces behind skateboard schools, to connect young skaters and their parents with kids their age to book skate lessons together and make new close friends in the process.
But if you’re wondering if there are other kids skating in your neighborhood or local skatepark, we highly encourage you to share some of our material to gauge their interest. For the majority of young kids who start skating, skateboarding is introduced to them by someone they love. Just because your child is learning how to skateboard doesn’t mean they have to learn alone.
Even with all this being said, if you go to the skatepark consistently enough, you’ll surely run into other young skaters and their parents. If you do decide to book a lesson with a GOSKATE instructor, many times as one skater leaves another shows up for their lesson. Parents, kids, and instructors can come together and perhaps set up a skate date for their kids.
What if my kid is in highschool?
If your kid is in highschool, there’s a good chance they are already skateboarding after school. Maybe you high school student child find a new productive outdoor activity to make some new friends.
As a high school student, there’s a good chance your child can bring their skateboard to school with them. This gives them a viable transportation to and from school and with skateparks usually being located near a high school, a great incubator for community and friendship.
Just like traditional sports or performance art, skaters will often look back on their high school years as their best skate years.
Should my kid skate alone after school?
If your child is a responsible high school student, you might let your child skate after school. Otherwise we never advise that your child should skate alone at any time, especially at a skatepark after school.
As we touched on earlier, a skate park is not a daycare. There are real challenges and rewards to being at a skatepark. There’s a ton of positive influences and creative, physical and mental outlets for people who enjoy skateparks but just like any part of town, leaving your kid alone is never a full proof idea.
If you are unable to physically commit to taking your kid to the skatepark after school and sitting there and watching their every move intently, we advise you to book a one-on-one lesson with one of our GOSKATE instructors. This is the safest, most fun, most productive way your child can skate after school and never be alone.
To learn more about how to book a skate instructor near you, we invite you to check out our homepage and give us a call or click today. No matter your child’s skate goals, we have decades of skate heritage to make sure they’re experiencing a fun, safe, and inclusive day after school at the skatepark.
