Winter can be long and cold, but it also can be beautiful and breathtaking. What is more beautiful that a fresh snowfall, with a beautiful sunny day as the back drop? This winter has been a bit unusual, with a fair amount of cold weather and not a lot of snow. Once the ice hits the appropriate thickness, without a lot of snow to clear, you can be looking at days or weeks of good skating conditions. This makes it the perfect time to host an outdoor skating party. 🙂
We are fortunate to live on a lake, which allows us to swim in the summer, and skate in the winter. It’s pretty magical. Most winters we get skating on the lake…but some years the ice is only good for a week or so. This year we have a had a lot of good skating days…more than I can remember in recent years. A few weekends ago, we checked the forecast and threw out an open invitation for people to join us for an outdoor skate. With the sun shining, and everyone dressed for the chilly temperatures, we had an amazing afternoon.
Host an Outdoor Skating Party
Hosting an outdoor skating party is one of the easier events to host. If you have a portable fire pit, you can set that up for people to warm up by. Make a couple thermoses of hot chocolate, bring down some water, and put out some cookies and you’re all set! You can get more elaborate with food and drinks, but we wanted to keep it simple.
We typically will clear a spot for those that want to play hockey, and then also clear an oval around that for those who just want to have a skate. We usually have a good mix of hockey players and skaters and this set up works out perfectly.
The best part about an outdoor skating party is that it is good for all ages. Kids and teenagers join in and grab a stick or go for skate with their family and friends. These are the kinds of memories and events, they will be talking about in the years to come.
Even dogs love a good skating party! 😉
We spend a lot of time indoors during the winter months. If you’re dressed for it, being outside in the winter is invigorating and just so good for your spirits. You feel refreshed, rejuvenated and most likely will sleep good that night. Winter is what you make of it…why not make it fun! 🙂
Don’t live on a lake or have a pond in your backyard? You can still host an outdoor skating party….just bring the hot chocolate and cookies and ask everyone to meet at a local pond or lake. The MARC in Dayspring is a great place to skate outside, and I know some communities build and maintain their own outdoor rinks. From winter beach walks to some Forced Family Fun, there are lots of opportunities to get outside and make some memories. 🙂
*Special thanks to Chris Larocque who came to our skating party with his family, and took most of these amazing photos. Chris is the official photographer for the Liverpool Privateers. To see more of Chris’s photos and work, be sure to check out his Facebook page.
Have you done any outdoor skating this year? Ever hosted your own skating party, or maybe build an epic outdoor rink? Leave a comment and let us know!
