Children's Skating Party
Tips of Making the Most of Your Skating Birthday Expenditure
This series of articles will teach you the best way to implement this type of party, including working with your local ice rink, securing equipment and planning the party
Most activity-based parties are an effective way of engaging a large number of party guests, ensuring that each of them has a fun time, and keeping the guests and the “party mess” out of your own home! Ice skating parties held at your local ice rink hold a particularly fond place in the hearts of many moms, as they remember their own childhoods. This type of party is a sure thing, and should be encouraged for even the most faint-hearted party planners. Follow these in-depth instructions to ensure your skating party is maximized.
Location
Without a doubt, hosting the party at an ice rink is your best option. Most rinks offer daily Public Skate sessions, where the rink is open to individuals and groups, and the rink will usually provide qualified Skate Guards to patrol the on-ice activities. Public Skate fees range from $2 per person to nearly five times that amount, based on the rink, the age of the skater and the day/time of the session. Remember to add an additional $1 to $4 per person for skate rental, if your guests don’t own their own equipment. Helmets are strongly encouraged for most skaters. Bicycle, skateboard, ski, and hockey helmets all are appropriate to protect the kids (and adults). Do not permit the guests to bring hockey sticks and pucks to a Public Skate Session. Most rinks won’t allow their use during Public Skate.
Another option for hosting a skating party at your local rink is to actually rent out the entire ice surface for your group. Rinks will rent the ice sheets at hourly rates, and depending on your location, the size of the surface rented (studio rink, NHL sized, Olympic sized) and the desired day and time, the rental rate will vary from $150/hour to $350/hour. The benefits for this type of ice fee, is that you will have a better quality of experience. There will be fewer total people on the ice, you don’t have to worry about your kids interacting with non-invited kids, teens or adults, and since you temporarily “own” the ice, you can permit your guests to bring hockey sticks, pucks, beach balls, etc.
If cost becomes an issue, consider asking the guests to bring $2 to cover their ice fee and to be responsible for getting their own equipment. Experience has shown that most parents are not resistant to pitching in a small fee, since the value of the event far outweighs the minimal cost.
This series will be continued.
