A wheely fun new sport for children is due to launch in Hounslow and Westminster this weekend.
Zebra Skate will begin inline skating lessons for children aged five to 11 at Chiswick Community Sports Hall on Saturday (May 2), and at the Queen Mother Sports Centre, in Victoria, on Sunday (May 3).
It is the UK's first children specific teaching programme aligned with Key Stage skills in the national curriculum.
Earn Your Stripes aims to get children rolling from waddling duck level to pouncing tiger level, collecting their stickers along the way, with some jumping kangaroos and graceful foxes covered in between.
Each child will be provided with skates, a helmet and wrist, knee and elbow protection to master different skating techniques.
The pilot sessions in London proved very popular and the company are currently looking at more venues to run regular roller sports classes from, as well as after school programmes.
To add to the fun, Zebra Skate have introduced team games such as Rollersoccer, indoor football on skates, which is rapidly growing in the UK.
A spokesman for Zebra Skates said: "As well as making skating fun and accessible Zebra Skate have implemented team games and, for older children, exercises that require application of strategical thinking.
"This not only offers a solid foundation in skating technique but opens the ‘Earn Your Stripes” programme to potential Key Stage Skills and “I can” targets set out by the Department of Education potentially making after school programmes progress to during school sessions."
Group inline skating can get children socialising, and with obesity levels high it can help burn calories, tone muscles and improve cardio fitness.
Cross related sports such as skiing, water-skiing and ice-skating all use a similar skill set to inline skating.
