Age Appropriate Snow Sleds for Sledding

When my grandson told me he wanted a snow sled for Christmas, I thought this would be an easy gift to purchase. I was wrong. When I was a child, snow sleds were made of the basic wood slats which were bolted to an iron frame with iron runners or there was the wooden toboggan. Plastic had not yet been thought of as a material in which to use to make a snow sled. Sled buying is much more complicated than just going to Wal-Mart or Sears and picking one out. In today's world, size, material, and safety all play a part in purchasing a snow sled.

When you start shopping for a snow sled you need to first consider who will be using the sled. Snow sleds are now sold by an age group and weight of the person. There are sleds for toddlers, children, and adults and each one has different safety options.

A toddler's snow sled may come with cushioned seats, a safety strap, and a handle to use for pulling the sled. These may also range in size from small for infants to large for toddlers, and can be made of wood, plastic, or rubber, such as the tube sleds. Some of the toddler snow sleds will even have a steering device, such as a handle in the form of a wheel or the typical bar across the front.

Some snow sleds are designated for children under the age of 10. Most of these however are not meant for children under the age of four. These are similar to the toddler sleds, but are larger and do not have the safety features as the smaller sleds do with no safety straps or side rails. These can be the regular wooden sleds with iron runners, but most often children this age prefer the tube, airboard, or plastic or metal saucer type sleds.

Older children and adults will want the more sporty looking snow sleds. Snow sleds for age groups 10 and older are not only built for the weight of a person, but also the width of a person. The manufacturers of adult snow sleds boast the pin-point steering, suspension, light weight, and safety features of their products.

Another type of snow sled that is lots of fun is the kick sled. It looks like someone took the wooden slats off a snow sled and put a chair without legs in their place. Some sits in the chair and another person stands on the iron runners behind the chair and kicks the sled along, similar to a dog snow sled. These usually come with the hook-ups to hitch a dog team to them and work the best if used on snowmobile paths or on slight slopes.

Snow sleds can be made-to-order out of special types of wood and iron. They can be sealed with special chemicals and even have engravings done on them for a more personal touch. The cost of a snow sled depends on the manufacturer, if it's for a child or adult, the materials involved in making the sled, and any personalization you may want to have done.

Gone are the days when you could just hop on a snow sled at the top of the hill and away you went. Helmets, goggles, knee and elbow pads, air pumps, wax for the runners, extra straps, and other items may be needed to make the sledding experience safe and fun.

And let's not forget the most important accessories of all when it comes to sledding; that delightful cup of hot chocolate we sip when we come in from a fun afternoon of flying down the side of a hill with our friends.

Source: LL Bean