Mountain Boarding with Kids

You may not have thought of doing mountain boarding as a family activity, but you should try it as it is excellent fun.

Mountain Boarding, or Grass Boarding as it is known, looks like riding down a hill on extra-large skateboards.

The boards are more like snowboards than skateboards and come with foot straps.

We gave Mountain Boarding a go at The Edge in Shropshire and can report that it is excellent fun, and if you are stuck for things to do with the kids, then we recommend you give it a try.

Is It Safe

Well, any activity carries some risk, but Mountain Boarding is much safer than it looks, as the boards are quite stable.

• Make sure you pick an activity centre that teaches kids. Kids' boards may be smaller and lighter.
• Safety gear should be provided. We were asked to wear walking boots and were provided with knee, elbow, and wrist protectors and helmets.
• The instructor should teach you the basics of standing correctly on the board and getting on it correctly.
• You should be taught how to stop (essentially doing a J-turn across the hill). You will not be tearing down the hillside without knowing how to do this.
• Age restrictions will apply, and you may need to be at least 8 or 10 to do this (depending on the activity centre you choose).

We spent a few hours on this activity.

Having started as complete novices, we could slalom down the hill. It was excellent fun. In fact, by the end of it, my face was aching from grinning too much!