The massive number of off-roading enthusiasts will be only too happy to tell you that a good all-terrain vehicle can give you days, weeks and even years of enjoyment. A world removed from ordinary mini motorbikes, with their four large wheels and spring loaded suspension, these bikes can be taken off the road and used there for hours of fun at a time, and provide a totally different experience from that given by a mini moto or any of the other newly popular miniaturised motor vehicles. With plenty of scope for practical usage (covering a large distance over unforgiving terrain in a short time), a mini ATV is very far from being just a toy.

The mini ATV is just as the name suggests. A scaled-down version of the bigger off-road vehicles which are favored by fans of Monster truck rallies, they have the same style of large, ridged tires that enables them to eat up all kinds of unfavorable surfaces (hence the name "all-terrain vehicle", of course. The similarity between these vehicles and their larger full-sized brothers makes them a worthwhile stopping point between the smaller mini moto ? or even a pedalled bicycle ? and the full-sized all terrain vehicle. For many reasons, not least issues of handling and the vast number of regulations they need to satisfy, these vehicles are rarely taken onto the public highway.

For a parent who already drives a full-sized ATV for work or pleasure, the mini ATV has its uses as a potential pathway for their child to follow in their footsteps. It is well known that kids tend to idolise their parents and seek to emulate them. By purchasing a mini ATV for your child, you can make this a reality while also helping them to learn important lessons of vehicle safety and minimising the dangers to which they can be exposed. If looking for a mini ATV for your child, though, it is important to be aware that purchasing a cheap version may save you money, it is potentially at the expense of your child's safety as these machines tend to break down and experience running difficulties. Instead of buying a cheap new machine, why not go instead for a used model from the higher end of the market? As we know from their main uses, ATVs and mini ATVs are hard-wearing vehicles, so a second-hand one is less likely to have problems than second-hand versions of other vehicles.

On balance, then, these are exciting, tough vehicles that will give a child an excellent grounding in the principles of motorised vehicles. Of course they are not without safety considerations, but as long as you apply the obvious monitoring to your child's use of the mini ATV, there should never be any real problems ? and by the time they get into a full sized vehicle they'll be ready for it.