Three wheels until they don't need three wheels.

The first one, and the only one here for a child who cannot walk far yet. Three wheels, no pedals, and a steering limiter, so the front wheel does not turn sharply.

42 multicolour LED lights in the frame, which are the entire point as far as a toddler is concerned. They time out on their own after five minutes.

Smooth 6" polypropylene wheels, quiet and non-marking, so it works on the lounge floor as well as the footpath.

Two scooters in one, which matters more than it sounds at this age. Some two and three year olds want to sit. Some want to stand. Most want both, on different days, and the padded seat lifts straight off when they are done with it.

Three wheels are far more stable than two, and tilt-to-turn steering means they lean rather than steer. Multicoloured LEDs in both front wheels and the deck come on when it moves.

The classic first scooter, and the only one here that arrives with a helmet in the box.

Lean to steer: they lean the bar in the direction they want the wheels to roll, rather than twisting it like a two-wheel scooter. A low, wide deck means they can reach the ground easily and have somewhere solid to stand.

Ready in under a minute. One step of assembly.

Same idea as the Zipper, and it lasts years longer. Not a figure of speech: the Zipper carries 20kg and the Zinger carries 50kg. And where the Zipper's bar is a fixed height, the Zinger's adjusts from 50cm to 70cm from the foot plate, so it grows in both directions.

Lean to steer, the same as the Zipper: lean the bar the way you want the wheels to roll, no twisting. Smooth rolling light-up 120mm wheels, and a twist lock that holds the bars in place rather than a friction collar, so the bar cannot slip down mid ride. Madd Gear spent a year on this one before releasing it.

A drift cart with no motor, which is the whole trick. They shuffle their feet to go, and pull the hand-operated drift bar to break the back end loose. Nothing to charge, nothing to run flat, no noise.

It is the only thing on this page with no real ceiling. From 4 years old, up to 68kg, so an older sibling, a teenager or a light adult can ride the same cart. The frame adjusts for length without tools, which is what makes that possible.

Two 360 degree casters on the back are what let it spin. A sling seat, a pivoting foot bar, and a flag in the box so you can see them coming.

The step up, and the one that needs actual balance. Two wheels rather than three, a folding frame and a height-adjustable bar that grows with them.

It carries 100kg, but that is about how strong it is, not who it suits. The Rush 125 is a general cruiser for roughly 5 to 7 year olds: for getting around the neighbourhood, not for jumps or tricks. It is not a skatepark scooter.

125mm motion-activated light-up wheels on ABEC-5 bearings, a carbon steel frame and an easy-lock folding system, so it goes in the boot or under a desk.