Continuation of this series shares party ideas for after the kids leave the ice.
The first article in this series introduced the notion of hosting a skating party for kids or teens and also talked about the different options for ice time at your local rink. This article will discuss the party portion (not the skating portion) of an ice skating party.
Whether you decide to host your ice skating party during Public Skate or you plan to rent out the entire surface for the party, you should plan on having the kids skate for 50 to 60 minutes. This is enough time to explore the ice, get comfortable with moving across the ice, engage in some on-ice games with the other guests, and not get bored with the venue. However, once you've got a rinkful of kids skating and having a great time, sometimes the most difficult thing to do is to pull them from the ice surface to celebrate the birthday.
An easy way around this transition is to provide the guests with the information up front. When the skaters arrive, let them know that they will have a certain length of time to skate – usually about 60 minutes is a good amount of time – and then the off-ice party will begin. Help the transition to occur smoothly by giving the guests a 15-minute warning and a five-minute warning.
Ideally, the on-ice portion of the party would occur prior to the birthday celebration part, and this article will be written under that assumption. So once the kids have left the ice, returned any rental equipment, changed into their street shoes, and had a quick bathroom break, fifteen minutes will have elapsed.
Most rinks provide a party room for groups such as yours, and while the kids are on the ice, you will have an opportunity to decorate the room, set up the tables for cake, and so on. Try to complete the set up while the kids are skating, so that you’re able to handle any early departures from the ice! In order to accomplish this, you’ll need to have at least one additional adult to be on the ice with the guests while you’re setting up.
When the kids arrive in the party room, keep this portion of the event to 30 minutes or less. Provide a quiet activity at each placesetting, such as a themed crossword puzzle, coloring page, or autograph book. Provide colored markers or colored pencils for the kids to use (no crayons – too messy!), and let them interact with one another and share “fish stories” from their time on the ice, while the rest of the group filters in.
Finally, finish the celebration with a fun, theme-decorated birthday cake. Work with your local baker to create something memorable for the top of the cake, or bring a skating related photograph or graphic to have converted into an edible image for the decorations!
This series will be continued.
