I bought my son this skateboard when he was 2 1/2. I'm now shopping for a regular skateboard for him. He has used this toy for a year and a half now. It has survived some pretty tough play and a few bumps by the cars. My son loves this toy and it's usually the first driveway toy he goes for. He also uses this year round, which says a lot for New England. I highly recommend getting this board for a child who wants to do what the big kids do, but dosn't quite have the ability. This board taught my son how to balance and now he is ready for a regular board. I also would like to add that the mechanism for raising and lowering the handle is pretty simple and easy, but it really has to be done by an adult.