SeleneByMarialyn

One of the items on our summer bucket list was a trip to the skating rink. I honestly thought it would be a one-off activity, but both my daughter and I completely fell in love with it.

For me, skating  was nostalgic. I remember being about fourteen and traveling to New Jersey with my grandma and experiencing the roller rink for the first time. 

I bought these absolutely ridiculous polyester bell-bottom pants covered in enormous blue polka dots. Don’t ask me. I thought I looked so cute in those hot pants. Looking back, I am completely mortified. Seriously, someone should have intervened.

Thankfully, my fashion sense has matured…mostly. 

Our local skating rink offers a Tot Time for children ages six and under, and it has quickly become one of our favorite weekly activities. Parents are allowed to wear shoes on the skating floor while kids skate, ride scooters, pedal trikes, or even cruise around in a stroller.

It also has a small bounce area and designated climbing structure for kids who aren’t quite sold on skating yet—or who simply need a break.

Because let’s be honest…

Skating is a workout.

And thank goodness for those extras because Sebastian isn’t quite as enamored with skating as Phoenix and I are. He’s happy to skate for a bit, but spends most of his time bouncing and climbing.

If you have little ones, I’d definitely encourage you to check with your local skating rink to see if they offer a similar program. It has been a surprisingly fun way to spend quality time together and get a little workout in. 

Another resource I recently discovered is the Kids Skate Free program.

If you visit kidsskatefree.com, you can enter your state and see every participating rink in your area. The program is geared toward children under 12, although each rink has its own rules and restrictions. For example, our local rink doesn’t allow the passes to be redeemed during Tot Time.

Even with limitations, it’s a fantastic resource, and hopefully your family can take advantage of it too. Plus a rink can be life saver on bad weather days. 

Since I didn’t have much confidence in us—I was reluctant to invest in our own skates.

But after watching my girl go from a wobbly mess to a full-on dancing diva, I knew it was time for both of us to get an upgrade.

I’m still holding out hope that Sebastian will eventually join us on our skating escapades. I’ve even considered bribing him with a fancy new pair of skates.

Does that make me a bad mom?

Nah.

I’ll let you know if it works… but don’t hold your breath.

With every trip to the rink and every lap around the floor, we gain a little more confidence. So much so that I’ve been bold enough to consider signing Phoenix and I up for an artistic skating program.

Before you picture sequins and fierce competitions, let me stop you right there.

I have absolutely zero interest in competing.

But learning how to dance on skates?

That sounds ridiculously cool and right up my alley.

We’ll see if I can work up the courage to actually sign up. If I do, you can bet I’ll be sharing every awkward, embarrassing, and hopefully entertaining step of the journey.

It’s funny how something as simple as a checkmark on our summer bucket list could evolve into a hobby we genuinely love.

So make a list, friends. Do the things. Be brave. And, most importantly…

Have fun.

‘Til next time.