At Kids Best Ride, our mission is to help others make the best choice when choosing a ride for their kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews. With an abundance of choices out there, we aim to make the process of choosing a kids' ride straightforward and painless. We thoroughly research each item we recommend so that you don't have to, with each category of ride distilled into a concise buying guide - see our buying guides here.

There are a few things to consider when buying a kids ride. How old are they? Are they used to other rides/balancing? What ride do they want? What are their peers riding? When it comes to age, we recommend most kids start out on a balance bike when they are toddlers. From there they can move to a children's three-wheel scooter from the ages of 2 years to 5 years. From the age of 5 kids will start to be guided by their peers, and gravitate towards what is on trend within their school or friend group. Your child may want to stay with a scooter, but instead move to a two wheeled scooter, which will allow them to master more tricks than the three-wheeled scooter. Other kids may be ready for a bicycle, skateboard or roller skates, or perhaps one of each! We recommend kids stay with these 'pedal-powered' rides until at least the age of 10. Electric powered rides are becoming more and more commonplace, and once they get a bit older, many kids are attracted to the novelty and higher speeds these rides offer. However, with greater speeds come greater risks, so you want to ensure your child has excellent balance and some safety gear before moving on to an electric hoverboard or self-balancing scooter. Each child is unique, so what one child is ready for, another may not be quite there yet.

For many of us a three wheel trike may have been our first introduction to the world of wheeled rides as young kids. However these days, research shows that balance bikes are a better starting point to help nurture your child's balance and development of motor skills. A balance bike is a two wheeled bike with a height adjustable seat, which allows little kids to touch the ground with their feet. These bikes require kids to use their core and arms to help keep the bike balanced - this skill is key in developing balance for when they move on to other rides as they grow and gain more confidence. View our full kids balance bike buyer's guide here. Our favorite all rounder balance bike for toddlers below.

Many kids quickly master a balance bike when they are quite young and might be ready to move on to something a little more advanced, to really give them a taste of freedom. 3 wheel scooters, also known as 'lean-to-steer' scooters are another kids ride which parents may not be familiar with from their own childhood. These scooters are designed with two front wheels and one rear wheel, which provides little kids with maximum stability. The lean to steer mechanism aids younger rides to learn how to shift their bodyweight to manoeuvre the scooter, a skill which can then be applied to skateboarding, snowboarding and more. View our full children's 3 wheel scooter buying guide here. For a quick pick you can't go wrong with the mini micro below.

Skateboards are an excellent choice for kids once they have developed those vital balance and motor skills required to control a wheeled ride. Skateboards are a big step and we don't recommend kids ride a skateboard earlier than 5 years. From this age onwards, they may begin to learn to skate under supervision and of course with appropriate protective gear. See our skateboard size chart to find out what size skateboard will suit your child best. View our full buyer's guide to choosing a kids skateboard here. Otherwise if you're out of time you can't go wrong with our best all rounder pick below.

Roller skates are another blast from the past that have stood the test of time, remaining popular with kids and adults for decades now. Give any child a pair of skates and they are bound to have hours of fun cruising the pavement (and house if you let them!). Kids can safely learn to skate from age 5, provided they are under adult supervision and have the required safety gear. View our full buyer's guide to choosing roller skates for boys and girls here. For those in a hurry, checkout out our favourite all rounder roller skates for kids below.

For a fun foray into the world of electric rides, we recommend starting with a a hoverboard, or 'self-balancing scooter'. These futuristic battery powered rides are a fun way for kids to test their balance, as well as get from A to B with ease. While they may look intimidating to those who haven't ridden one before, it only takes most kids a few tries before they get the hang of it and can use a hoverboard with ease. View our full buyer's guide to hoverboards for kids here. Our best value hoverboard for kids and teenagers below.

There you have it - our round up of the best rides for kids of all ages!