In a season when staying inside sounds cozier than heading outdoors for playtime, ice skating saves the day. As long as you have access to a safely frozen pond, lake, or local rink, you and your kids can get exercise and have tons of fun. Instead of simply gliding around on the ice, however, consider some fun outdoor games.
Whether your little ones are trying ice skating for beginners or have more strength, balance, and experience, there are plenty of fun things to do with a pair of Nattork ice skates.
Red Light, Green Light
This classic racing game doesn’t need a lot of speed to be tons of fun. Choose someone to be the watcher at the other end of a distance. They say ‘green light’ while turned away, and all the skaters try to get to them as quickly as possible. When they turn to face the skaters, they say ‘red light’ and everyone has to stop. This is an ideal game for kids with a bit more maneuverability who are less likely to fall over. Also, it works better when all the skaters are at similar ability levels.
Freeze Skate
Bundle up in warm outdoor clothing so you don’t actually freeze on the pond or at the rink. Then start a game of Freeze Skate, which helps kids practice their starting and stopping skills while having loads of fun.
Use music like in musical chairs or have one of the non-skating adults call out random times to start and stop. You can also turn it into a game of freeze tag where the person playing ‘It’ touches someone else and they have to freeze for a certain amount of time before skating again.
Charades on Ice
For those who don’t care too much about speed or fancy maneuvers while ice skating, charades might be the perfect game. It can help with balance as the players act out certain words or concepts they get on slips of paper. Everyone else can have a rest while they attempt to guess the clue. Try two-player charades for group fun. Consider letting them skate in the shape of the starting letter to help others solve the puzzle, too.
Ice Skate Obstacle Course
Another fun outdoor game on ice involves setting up obstacles for kids to skate around, move, or even climb over on their way to the end point. Change the obstacles for different skill levels. Great options include lightweight chairs to push on the ice, cones to skate around, or shorter objects to jump or step over. You can even lay out a rope or length of hose to create a zigzag course or circle to navigate. Use your imagination and let the kids design challenges for each other within reason.
Of course, you can ‘run’ many different types of races as ice skating games depending on the ability level of the children involved. No matter what, remember your Nattork protective gear and enough layers to keep everyone warm. That way, everyone will avoid injuries more easily and have plenty of fun in the fresh outdoor air.
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