Top Skating Tricks Every Kid Wants to Learn 

Whether it’s from viral TikTok clips from early 2019 or YouTube skate edits that you see, kids today are diving confidently into skateboarding culture with an extra boost and double energy. The big part of this appeal is learning cool tricks they can show off to their skating mates. According to a 2023 report from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, skateboarding participation among young adults ages 6–17 rose by nearly 12% in just one year, which was largely due to social media trends and the Olympic debut of skateboarding in 2021.

From primary school playgrounds to local parks and driveways, kids aren’t just cruising anymore, they’re experiencing different tricks like kickflips, ollies, and drop-ins they’ve seen from other popular skaters like Rayssa Leal and Sky Brown, who both became youth icons before they turned 15. The thrill of landing seamlessly with the perfect tricks isn’t just about skateboarding—it’s about confidence, self-worth, and expression.

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The Ollie

It is the foundation of nearly every other cool skating trick; the ollie is a jump where the board sticks to your feet. It’s the first trick kids try practicing once they believe they have overcome the beginning and are now ready to “level up” as skaters.

How to Do the Ollie

Use your back foot to snap the tail of the board down while dragging your front foot up the board to level it out mid-air.

Safety Tip

Ollies often lead to falls while learning them at first. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), wrist and ankle injuries are most common during early attempts at this trick. Therefore, always practice on flat ground first—and wear full protective gear like helmets, kneecaps, and elbow caps. 

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Kickflip

The kickflip is a step up from the ollie. In this maneuver, the board flips 360° under your feet. You can watch its tutorial in popular YouTube compilations. This technique of skateboarding is often used in trick challenges on Instagram Reels.

How to Do a Kickflip

After doing an ollie, flick your front foot off the side of the board to make it spin.

Safety tip

This trick adds unpredictability—meaning more chances for the board to land in the wrong direction or state. A study in The Journal of Sports Science & Medicine showed that kickflip learning attempts increase the likelihood of foot bruises and sprains without knee and ankle protection.

If you’re looking for a safe, secure, and attractive helmet for your kids, then Headzup is the right place. We have the best kids helmets for cycling and skateboarding. For beginners who want to learn new skating tricks, a helmet is a must, and with kid-friendly helmets from Headzup, you have nothing to worry about. 

Shuvit (or Shove-it)

A board spin trick where the skateboard rotates 180° beneath the rider. It looks flashy but is surprisingly beginner-friendly. During early 2020 there was a trend on TikTok with the hashtag #Shuvit, which has millions of views.

How to Do a Shove-it

Use your back foot to scoop the tail of the board around while your front foot hovers.

Safety tip

This trick involves footwork precision. Practicing in smooth, low-traffic areas while wearing knee and elbow pads helps reduce scrapes.

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Wheelie on a Skateboard

Balancing on the back two wheels of the board while rolling is popularly known as a wheelie. It’s a challenge of control and endurance—popular in “longest manual” social media dares.

How to Do a Wheelie

To do a wheelie, shift weight to your back foot slowly while keeping your balance steady.

Safety tip:

Falls from manuals often result in backward tumbles. Helmets drastically reduce the risk of head injury. In fact, the CDC reports that helmets can reduce the risk of serious brain injury by up to 85%.

Dropping In 

Dropping in is one of the most defining and intimidating milestones for any park skateboarder. It’s the act of positioning your board on the edge of a ramp or bowl, front foot poised and ready, before committing your weight forward and rolling down into the curved surface. It sounds simple, but psychologically, it’s a huge leap. 

How to Do a Drop-in

Place the tail of the board on the coping, lean forward, and commit with full weight over the front foot.

Safety tip

Dropping in is one of the riskiest beginner actions. According to research in Sports Health, skatepark injuries are significantly reduced when skaters wear certified helmets and learn the drop-in under adult supervision.

Must have protective gear before skateboarding.

• A Helmet: A CPSC-certified skateboard helmet is a non-negotiable gear to have while doing any skating tricks.

Note: A helmet isn’t just for “little kids.” According to a 2019 Paediatrics study, over 70% of hospitalised skateboarding-related head injuries involved riders not wearing helmets.

• Knee & Elbow Pads: Essential for falls during early skating tricks learning.
  
  
• Wrist Guards: These are a proven tool to reduce fractures in immature skaters
  
  
• Proper Shoes: Flat-soled skate shoes improve grip and prevent ankle rolls.

At last, whether it’s mastering that first ollie or landing swiftly to your first kickflip, every skating trick starts with curiosity and wishes. These are more than just moves—they’re milestones in a young skater’s journey. With patience, persistence, and plenty of practice, every kid can turn “I wish” into “I did.”