Why is Ice Skating Great for Kids?

If you’re a parent with young kids, you’ll know that they love being adventurous and spontaneous in all kinds of activities. That makes ice skating an amazing activity for them to do. When they step on the slippery surface for the first time and breathe in the cold air, you can be sure that their faces will light up immediately!

Ice skating is not only for the experience but also for the benefits and opportunities it offers for kids. Let’s delve a little deeper as to why ice skating is so great for kids.

Ice Skating is a Healthy Activity

It might look effortless, but skating gets you tired far more quickly than you might imagine. Remember, you’re skating with both legs sliding past each other for a long period of time. Your core needs to remain tight so you remain balanced. As a result, your core and legs will strengthen and become more steady. 

Not only that, but ice skating also improves kids’ balance and coordination. This is excellent for your children’s health and can help reduce back and posture problems in future. In an age where kids are sitting down on their devices for the majority of the day, this can be a lifesaver.

It introduces them to the concept of failure

Falling is common in skating and nothing to be afraid of. Keeping your balance is virtually impossible 100% of the time and even professional ice skaters fall every now and then. When kids fall to their knees or bottom (with their protective gear), they experience failure and get even more determined to do better the next time.

It teaches them that failing isn’t the be all and end all. You can get up and try again. Ice skating teaches them the wonderful life lesson to keep moving forward, persevere, and never give up.

Competitiveness starts to seep in

Failing isn’t nice, but it makes you push harder than ever. When your kids ice skate next to their friends, they might have friendly competitions about who can do the coolest trick, or who can get to the other side of the ice rink faster. Competition is always fun and it’ll keep your kids motivated and hungry to achieve more in all avenues of life.

It can boost their self-esteem

Simply stepping onto the ice rink is a sign that your child is confident in themselves and that they can do anything they put their mind to. It’s not easy to get onto slippery ice and put yourself out there - so if kids can ice skate, they’ll be way more confident in themselves and their self-esteem will shoot up. Skating is also a great way to bond and make friends with other ice skaters. You can have a laugh over somebody falling over, or cheer when somebody pulls off a cool trick. It really is a wonderful experience for every child and will improve their self-esteem, social skills and confidence a ton.

Photo by Pavel Danilyuk