What Are the Benefits of Go Karting for Kids?

From racing games on gaming consoles to early exposure to car-focused media like Top Gear and Transformers, there’s a fair chance your child will be at least curious about cars and racing at some point in their lives. 

Whilst it’s not the most common hobby for children, we’re going to tell you why it should be! In this blog, we’ll go over the basics of go karting and the many benefits of it for you and your child. 

If you are completely new to the world of kids go karts, check out our beginner’s guide to go karting to learn everything you’ll need to know to get off to a flying start.

What is go karting?

So, before you take your child down to the local track, it makes sense for everyone to know what they’re in for.

Go karting or kart racing is a type of car racing that involves small, open-wheeled vehicles: go karts. Depending on the manufacturer, these can be powered by gas or electric engines and come in a variety of different sizes.

Of course, as a parent, you’re going to be wondering about your child’s safety. So why not check out our blog on go kart safety before you get started learning about the benefits.

Without going into too much depth in this article, you can check out our ultimate guide to go karting for kids for a complete overview of the sport.

The main benefits of go karting for kids

Physical fitness

While a hobby where someone is sitting down might not be immediately considered a physical activity, go karting can be a good way for your child to stay fit. Go karting is an action-packed hobby which raises the heart rate, provides a cardiovascular workout and can increase your child’s fitness levels.

Commitment to learning a new hobby

Learning any new hobby is an admirable task in itself; it takes dedication and practice. Your child is exposed to learning, problem-solving and adversity at an early age can be great, benefitting their cognitive function. 

What’s more, learning how to drive a kids’ go kart improves a person’s motor skills and hand-eye coordination over time; both of which will help set your child up to be a safer driver later in life.

Experiencing winning and losing

With any kind of competitive sport, you will experience the rough and the smooth. Some weeks your child may be on the top of the podium, and some weeks they might be at the bottom of the pack.

This isn’t a bad thing, though, as it’s important for a child to experience these things early on. Getting involved in go karting from a young age will help encourage healthy competition and emotional regulation in their day-to-day lives.

Pushing themselves out of their comfort zone

Nothing helps a child’s self-esteem more than getting out of their comfort zone and achieving something they didn’t know they could. Polishing their driving skills may well have a knock-on effect on the rest of their lives, you could see them thrive in other areas from this increase in confidence.

If it’s fear of injury that is holding your child back, tell them not to worry, modern safety gear and procedures make it so that go karting has very little risk to people taking part.

Making friends

Everyone knows that it can be difficult for children to make friends, especially younger kids. During go karting, your child will be introduced to a small community of people with the same interest as them and, over time, make friends.

Due to the technical, sometimes intense nature of go karting, it can be a great team-building experience for everyone involved as they learn together.

Bonding with family

Getting out of the house and taking part in something fun and exciting is a great way for family members to bond. In turn, you’ll have a happier home life! Get the family kitted up in the appropriate safety gear and hit the track.

Starting a potential career path

If you start something young enough, the sky is the limit for how far it can take you. After some years of practising and dedication to the sport, your child will be able to demonstrate fine motor skills, moving on to adult karts and competing at a career level. It’s worth noting that a lot of Formula 1 drivers start off driving go karts as children!

We understand it can be difficult to keep your child engaged in a hobby over a long period of time; that’s why we’ve made a blog post on how to get your kid into go karting.

Go-karts from Electric Ride On Cars

Now that you know the benefits of go karts to your child, why not take a look at our range? Here at Electric Ride On Cars, we have a great selection of options available to get your little one behind the wheel, supporting any age group and any level of experience along the way.

From our beginner karts like the Kids Huffy Green Machine 360 6v Electric Ride-on Spin Go Kart to something more advanced like our Kids Neo Outlaw Mud Monster 1000w 48v Powerful Electric GoKart/Buggy and everything in between, we’ve got you covered.

If you’re not sure about the right choice for your child, don’t worry, you can contact our team of experts, who are always willing to help you make the perfect choice.

FAQs

At what age should kids start go karting?

In the UK, the minimum age for go karting varies between different venues.

Usually, kids can start go karting from the age of around 4-6 years old. However, some venues may have a minimum age requirement of eight or even ten years old. Before you visit the track, it’s important to call in advance to ask about your child’s eligibility and avoid any disappointment.

Check out our full guide on what age kids can start go karting to find out more.

How tall do you have to be to fit in a go kart?

The minimum height for go karting in the UK can vary depending on the chosen venue and their regulations. While there is no national rule for height across all venues, most serious go karting facilities have a minimum height of around 1.2 metres (4 feet) as a guideline.

If you’re planning to try go karting at a venue like a fairground or amusement park (i.e. not a dedicated karting centre), you may find that there are differences regarding minimum height and age restrictions To avoid disappointment, it’s always worth checking online beforehand.