How to teach a six-year-old to ice skate?
My 5 year old and I went ice skating two weeks ago (my second time, his first). The rink had several metal bar things that the kids could use instead of chairs (they looked kind of like walkers, but with rails on the bottom instead of feet). They were in short supply, though, as it was a school party and there were lots of kids there who’d never skated before. Eventually, however, we did pretty well with me just holding his hand and skating side by side. Be aware that her feet will probably hurt a lot the first few times. (Kid Lucinda mentioned this a few times. Mine hurt a lot as well.
I agree with bluefrog – a chair is the time-honoured and indispensable skating aid. This is not only because it will help her to stand, but also because pushing the chair helps teach the correct method of striding. As many kids learn to skate, they essentially walk on top of the ice with tiny ‘tap-tap-tap’ steps. If she has to push a chair, she will naturally discover that she has to turn her ankles a bit and ‘dig in’ in order to move it. (I realize that my description makes it sound onerous, but it really shouldn’t be.) Finally, keep the first few outings short, and top off with some steaming hot chocolate. Have fun!
