A beloved winter sport for those who are experienced or beginners: Ice Skating! It’s super fun but gets even more fun when enjoyed together with family. Have you ever tried ice skating? Even if you do not have access to an indoor or outdoor ice skating rink, or if children are not quite old enough, this is a great way to invite children to practice their ice skating skills at home.
Set up Time: 5 minutes
Directions
- Gather heavy-duty paper plates.
- Give children two plates each (one for each foot!).
- Demonstrate to the children how to stand on the paper plates – one foot on each plate. Then shuffle and glide around the room. Enjoy indoor Ice skating!
- For older children, you can also add a finish line on the floor with tape, and invite them to race on their “ice skates!”
Note: Children may fall as they get the hang of it. Just make sure to clear the area of any sharp or dangerous hazards.
Materials
- Heavy duty paper plates
- Masking tape (optional)
Learning Through Play
Physical: Gross Motor – This activity is a great way to get children moving indoors in the winter! When children challenge their balance in different ways it increases their self-confidence and general sense of balance and bodily awareness in everyday life.
Social-Emotional: Empowerment – Add some fun by playing ice skating inspired music. This could be classical music, disco music, or something like the freeze dance. Though simple, sometimes setting aside an intentional time to dance and enjoy life is a great remedy to combat winter blues (for children and adults!)
School Readiness: Spatial Learning – In this activity, tape is a fun, open-ended material that allows children to build spatial awareness. Perhaps children can add some points on the floor that they can loop around, so that they can spin in circles or a figure eight. Perhaps you can make tracks, a finish line, or other shapes that children to aim to reach on their ice skates.
See this activity in the Rayz Kidz app along with the other fun activities. Rayz Kidz is your trusted source for play-based activities featuring over 100 themes and 500+ hands-on activities and clear descriptions of the beautiful learning that is happening through play.
