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Fun challenges for those learning to skate?

Started by platyhiker, March 08, 2013, 12:38:37 PM

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platyhiker

Background:  my daughter is 8 years old, started skating last year, and is currently in USFSA Basic Skills class level 5.   (Learning back crossovers, hockey stops, side toe hop, and two foot to one foot spin)

My daughter asked me last week if I knew any new "games" that she could do on the ice (during a public skate).  Last year, I taught her the game/challenge of "How few swizzles can you use to get across the ice?"  It was fun for her to see if she could do better than her previous attempt, and it has the added benefit of getting her to practice doing stronger swizzles with a good glide between them.  (I got this idea from Xanboni's blog.)  Thinking quickly, I remembered a balance challenge that Agnes mentioned - glide on one foot with the free foot close to the skating foot, then bring the free foot to a point on the clock, and then back in close to the skating foot, then out to another point, etc. - try to see how many out-and-ins you can do, or how far you can glide.

Can anybody suggest other activities that she can do to "compete" with herself?  Or any other fun activity?  Thanks!

Skittl1321

See how far she can skate on one foot (either with some momentum built up -or- from a single push.

See how far she can skate without pick a foot up (once she gets good, this is no longer a challenge, but many beginners will have a limit.)

Skate as fast as she can, but stop on every line drawn across the ice.  Do this with all the stops she knows.

How many rocking horses can she do?  (Forward swizzle, back swizzle without a pause between)


Doe she have a friend? A lot will play "add one thing"- like playing Simon.  First does a swizzle, so the second does a swizzle and a hop, then the first person does swizzle, hop, spin; then second does swizzle, hop, spin, one foot glide. Etc.
Visit my skating blog: http://skittles-skates.blogspot.com/

fortune8

This is just my own silly invention - but my 5 y/o is working on similar skills and she, big sister, and friends love it. Rink monitor approves as well because it falls under the category of practice not games (the latter is against the rules on freestyle and practice ice).

"ADD ONs" (for 2 or more skaters):
Skater A does a skill (say forward crossovers); Skater B has to remember that and do it followed by a skill of their choice (say 1 foot glide); Skater C then has to perform forward crossovers then 1 foot glide then skill of his/her choice .... etc. Kind of a memory game. You only get to add on a move if you can remember the others in the right order first.

I don't personally like people being "out" but you could determine a winner that way then just start again.

platyhiker

Quote from: Skittl1321 on March 08, 2013, 12:43:19 PM
See how far she can skate without pick a foot up (once she gets good, this is no longer a challenge, but many beginners will have a limit.)

Heh.  Her favorite way to zip around the rink is via two foot slalom turns, so this one is not a challenge for her at this stage of her development.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Anybody got any suggestions for turning spin practice into a game?  Spins are currently her least favorite thing to practice.  (The opposite of a lot of girls, I realize!)  Interesting, back crossovers have become the current favorite (for explicit practice) as they are finally getting comfortable and smooth for her.  (Yay!)  And she loves doing side toe hops.  (Whee!)

davincisop

Quote from: platyhiker on March 10, 2013, 04:22:18 PM
Heh.  Her favorite way to zip around the rink is via two foot slalom turns, so this one is not a challenge for her at this stage of her development.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Anybody got any suggestions for turning spin practice into a game?  Spins are currently her least favorite thing to practice.  (The opposite of a lot of girls, I realize!)  Interesting, back crossovers have become the current favorite (for explicit practice) as they are finally getting comfortable and smooth for her.  (Yay!)  And she loves doing side toe hops.  (Whee!)

For spins, have her march in a circle with her arms out and then as she brings her arms in she stops her feet and continues spinning. We call them helicopters with the little ones. :) See who can helicopter longer.