Planning a skate outing

[4711]

I am super excited, what can I say:

Long at last the girl scout troop I am leading is making plans to o ice skating, as a year end winter treat. For those of you who are not familiar with my home state: Winter is a passing fad around here, and ice rinks a re few and far between.

We are still in the process of picking a location (all 2 hours away, so it is a TRIP for us)

Jog my memory please, what do I need to tell the girls they need to bring/wear?

So far I have long sleeves (layers)
of course something they can move in (this might be important to point out with current fashion trends)
Hat, gloves.

What about socks? Thick kinds or regular tennis socks?

I will hopefully remember about lacing them up (and hopefully the people at the rental desk know how to)

My co leader was shocked to hear that ice time runs around 200+ dollars an hour!  I had to explain to her that that would make that hour ours and hours alone to skate on....

I am super excited, what can I say! (It might be on Monday, since school will be out!)

[Loops]

Wow, exciting!

Most places I've been too in recent years have skates that clip shut (kind of like roller blades or ski boots).  So you might be fine with lacing.  As for socks....dunno what to say.  I have my kids skate in cotton tights like what you'd get from HandM or Target, nothing special.  They haven't complained yet.  I'd avoid anything too thick (like wool) though.

You're right on layers.  I'm going to assume they don't have ski gear....  That is ideal, but barring that, leggings, with tights underneath? or yoga pants?  I would avoid jeans.  They just absorb water and could be very uncomfortable after a fall.  I wouldn't go crazy here though, yes they need to be able to move, but they're not going to be doing anything serious. 

It all depends on how cold the rink is and how fast (hard) the ice is.  If it's good freestyle ice or even warm in there, then falls could be a little wet.  So I would advise bringing a change of clothes too.

I would also say gloves are mandatory.  At our rink, the little kids aren't allowed to do lessons without them (but there's a stash in the office), obviously they can't police publics like that.  But if they fall, gloves offer some protection for the hands.  It's more of that than a "being warm" issue.  I don't know what the rink's policies will be like where you're going.

I hope you have a great time!!!!!

[AgnesNitt]

Helmets?

[Neverdull44]

Safety equipment.  At least, a bicycle or other helmet to protect their heads.  If they have knee pads, that would be good too.  Bony knees hitting the ice hurts. Really, the whole roller blading outfit wouldn't be bad (knee, wrist, elbow, and head gear).

Gloves.   The ice actually burns skin due to the tiny crystals.   Gloves protect the skin.

Wear long pants.  Jeans are ok, but get soaking wet if the ice is wet.    Synthetic pants (like stretchy leggings) are the best.   

Avoid loose clothing & long skirts.   Both are a hazard for getting the blade trapped and causing a nasty fall.

A long sleeved shirt and a sweater/jacket that can be taken off if they get too hot.

Long, thin socks.   The socks should be high enough to go over the top of the boot.  This prevents the boot top from rubbing on the leg.   Tights do the trick real well, as does trouser socks.  If they don't have either, then long athletic socks.

[lutefisk]

Do the Girl Scouts have a merit badge for skating?  The boys do:

http://www.meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/Skating 

If so, perhaps the more interested girls could work on some of the off-ice requirements before the trip and at least some on-ice requirements during the outing.

[4711]

Good point about a change of clothes.

Taking all the suggestions down (including the protective gear).

Unfortunately the requirements for the girls aren't as all inclusive as the ones for the boys...I think they can earn a fun patch though.

[alejeather]

About how old are the girls going?

[sarahspins]

Do the Girl Scouts have a merit badge for skating?

They do, but it's only a "fun" badge and not really like the boy scout skating badge at all, it isn't an achievement (and the boy scout badge is actually fairly difficult to earn if I recall correctly - some of the skills are not that easy).  I think it's up to individual groups if they choose to include the skating badge as part of the group's skating activity or not... if it were me, I would, just because kids like getting badges.

We often have GS groups at my rink and they often request a group lesson (similar to what we offer for birthday parties, which is aimed at first-time skaters or those with very limited experience - the goal is just to make sure their skates are laced up correctly, making them aware of some safety concerns, and getting them moving better so they can have more fun on the ice).  For the most part, girl scouts going skating is usually more of a social activity - and my personal observation is that most of those girls are often involved in dance and other sports and take to skating fairly easily, usually much better than the general public does   You might ask about doing a group lesson when you book your group skating wherever you end up going, I know at my rink the cost is not much more compared to the cost of just skating.

Also, I don't think a "full" change of clothes is necessary, but I would suggest an extra pair of pants they can wear afterwards if they want to change - some kids end up a bit soggier than others depending on how much time they spend on the ice falling, and if you are looking at a 2 hour drive home that could be fairly miserable without dry pants.

Long socks are really more important than anything else - we have kids show up all the time in ankle or no-show socks and they are just too short, and those kids almost always end up with blisters from the tops of the skates rubbing on their bare skin.  Gloves are helpful, as are long sleeves or jackets, but neither is really a deal-breaker - if you are moving, you'll stay warm... it's usually parents sitting by the boards who get cold.

[twinskaters]

That sounds so fun! We had a GS skate day last spring, but it was a service unit event and I think about 200 people attended. Not all skated but the ice was more crowded than the most crowded public session. And we got a discount rate that included rentals we didn't need, and was 3 dollars more than we usually pay for public!

[nicklaszlo]

Get a coach?

Also,
http://xan-boni.blogspot.com/2011/12/skating-party-etiquette.html

[Query]

It depends on whether it is outdoors. Then you need to be prepared for a much wider range of conditions, like wind, snow, rain and sleet. Girl scouts should already understand some of that, but make sure they remember.

Regardless, many parents don't understand that ice rinks are cold!

I personally would make safety equipment other than gloves, long socks, long pants and a coat with long sleeves, "recommended" rather than required, because it is expensive. Most beginners don't use them, and have no problem. Though that might depend on age.

For beginners, the socks don't really need to be thin. That's to give people fine control. If anything, with rental boots, because of the (admittedly small) possibility of picking up a foot disease, and the frequent bad fits, I might go for something thicker.

I don't think show people the basics at a separate off-ice practice session first, as far as learning how to tie shoes tight (assuming they don't have the clip-ons, which I think most don't), marching, then marching with your toes apart, are out of line. You'd be surprised how many people benefit from those simple instructions. But I agree that a coach could be very useful too.