- HubPages»
- Education and Science»
- History & Archaeology»
- History of the Modern Era»
- Twentieth Century History
Family Fun Days ~ Outdoor Activities for Kids ~ Winter Ice Skating
Outdoor Fun
Back when I was a child some of my best winter time memories came from spending time ice skating as one of our family fun days. I am certain that my parents were interested in finding good and healthy outdoor activities for kids but it was equally fun for them.
My fraternal grandmother lived on Okauchee Lake in Wisconsin in the home in which my father was born.
Every summer we had a great time swimming in the lake. When the ice became thick enough in the winter that is when a special kind of fun began.
First my parents would have to shovel and clear a space of snow on the frozen ice to create our ice skating rink. As we kids, my two younger brothers and I got old enough we would help them clear the ice.
This was such an exciting time for our entire family!
Adjustable Ice Skates
Back in those days of the mid to late 1950s the the ice skates were different from the ones commonly worn today. They did not come all in one unit.
We were bundled up in our layers of clothes with snowsuits over the top and our pant legs were stuffed into the tops of our boots. Onto the bottom of our boots would be clamped the ice skates.
We kids would be helped with the proper fitting of the ice skates to the boots and then the fun would begin. All of this took some time to accomplish!
The photo below shows an earlier version of how ice skates appeared in the early days.
My Dad did most of the clearing of the ice and since he had grown up living on a lake and was naturally very athletic he would be the first person on ice skates.
Good thing we had many layers of clothes on! As I recall as we kids wobbled onto the ice we spent as much time on our rear ends as up on our skates especially in the beginning of each winter ice skating season.
Fun Days
We were always so excited when we knew that we were going to get to go ice skating!
My mother was never a great ice skater like my dad was. She used to tell me stories of their growing up near Washington Park in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and doing some ice skating on the frozen lake in the winter.
Her brother who had a paper route purchased his own good ice skates with his money and he exhibited an ease of skating that my mother and her sister did not share. My mother even remembered the longer tips on his racing skates.
One sister skated with her ankles bowed outward riding on the edges of the skates that way and the other sister (my mother or aunt) skated just the opposite way with the ankles bowed inward. They must have been quite a sight!
When my mother was still alive and talking by telephone to her sister they had a good laugh about those days. Needless to say when it came to teaching the three of us kids how to ice skate my dad took over!
Learning How to Ice Skate
I really don't know the specific teaching methods that my dad used in teaching us how to ice skate. There are ice skating schools in existence for those interested in learning proper techniques.
My dad undoubtedly learned by trial and error with perhaps some older family members teaching him? I really don't know those particulars since his dad died when my father was only 7 years of age and I never saw my grandmother ice skate. Nonetheless he was an expert in my eyes!
Besides skating going forward he impressed us by doing fancy loops and also skating backwards which is something we kids never learned as our ice skating days ended in 1960 when our family moved to Texas.
I still remember the thrill of being let go and actually being able to not only stay up on those ice skates but actually learning how to propel ourselves forward. Memories like those tend to stay with one just like successfully riding a two wheeled bicycle for the first time solo.
Oh yes there were plenty of falls on the ice but much accompanying laughter also. Had we stayed in Wisconsin longer, perhaps we would have learned to do a bit more on ice skates like my dad. Today if I tried (and which at my age I have no intent) I would probably end up in intensive care. Haha!
Ice Skating Rinks
Ice skating rinks can now be found in many places outdoors seasonally. Rockefeller Center ice skating comes to mind and much Christmas ice skating is done during this time of year in New York.
Houston's Discovery Green has an outdoor rink for ice skating fun this time of year. Obviously the ice is created at some expense by the park department as our temperatures are not cold enough for the ice to form naturally.
Houston's Galleria which is an indoor mall has had an ice skating rink that was quite the attraction when it was new. It continues to be frequented all times of the year for kids and adults alike and visitors can look down upon the ice rink from the 2 upper levels of the mall with specialty stores and restaurants surrounding the ice rink.
Naturally there are many other ice rinks in other places.
People in colder climates can even have ice rinks in their backyards nowadays with products that can be purchased to create those environments. Don't live on a lake? No problem!
Memories
Ice skating was definitely one of the fun things to do in Wisconsin where I grew up as a child.
But whether one lives in a cold climate or a warmer one where lakes and rivers do not normally freeze in the winter, with the prevalence of seasonal outdoor ice skating rinks as well as indoor ones, ice skating continues to be something in which to engage your kids and entire family for that matter in fun filled activities that will create memories of your own.
Besides having fun, it is great exercise!
Place where I grew up as a child. Notice all the lakes?
Did you ever ice skate?
© 2010 Peggy Woods
Comments are welcomed!
I love to watch people who can ice skate well because they look so free as they glide. I never learned how to ice skate and can imagine what I missed.
This is the sort of thing I like to read about in July or August. ;) Should be cold enough soon for people to be skating if it isn't already. My sister tells me every week how chilly it's getting in northern Wisconsin. Something fun to look forward to when the days are cold and dreary with thick clouds.
Sharing again. Merry Christmas again!
Lovely Hub and I like that you remember the memories so vividly.
Happy Times. :-)
I don't know how it is down there in Houston, but up here in North Texas it has been so hot every day for several weeks with no relief in sight. A nice snowstorm would be so welcome right about now. Decided to read about ice skating and winter activities and look at the snowman just because it would be so nice to have a couple of wintery days like that for a change from the relentless heat.
Pinned this hub to my 'Fun & Interesting' board and will share again with my followers.
What great memories you have!
I loved ice skating, but there wasn't much place for it where I lived. No lakes nearby, or streams. We flooded an area on the east side of our garage and that had to do. One end was smooth, but the rest was lumpy. They eventually built a rink in the ball field at our elementary school and that was fun.
Voted up and interesting and will share!
Growing up in a tropical country and then moving to Southern California, I never had a chance to try some of these winter activities. Probably wouldn't have been any good at ice skating anyway -- I can't even get up on a pair of roller skates. Voting this Up and Interesting.
My place will always be hot like summer and there is no chance of snowfall and no chance for ice skating.. So it's totally a new way of experience for me to read about the skating..great one..
You are singing my song! I love to ice skate...learned when I was very young on racing skates someone ditched in a trashcan. I saved them and they fit, well, mostly fit! Later, I got involved with ice hockey and improved my skating skills dramatically..either that or get used to kissing the boards when checked! LOL Thanks for bringing back some of the memories of my youth.
Wonderful hub and all up. I voted yes on the ice skating, but that was 20 yrs ago and I don't think you could classify it as skating. Although I did spend a lot of time on the ice. lol Loved the videos 81 and 4 and Snoopy. Thanks for the memories and laughs
I always like the ice skating.But I am not perfect in ice skating.I like the outdoors games but the ice skating is very amazing and funny.So thank you for this hub.Thanks a lot provide the informative and useful tricks.
Always loved ice skating - but I've never been so good at it. Great hub, peggy... and I enjoyed watching the videos as well. Voted it up! :-)
A great hub with nice videos and photos. I would love to learn the art of ice skating. Thanks for sharing the hubpage on family-fun days outdoor activities for kids.
I wish I knew how to ice skate, it seems like so much fun:)
Peggy just a reminder of this story at the Galleria today :)
This brings back so many great memories. I loved to ice skate when I was a kid, but we skated on a pond near our home. I think I will take my grandkids to a rink and see if I can still get up on skates.
Love ice-skating! With a winter birthday (4 days b/f Christmas), we often went to an ice-skating rink to celebrate. One thing I've never done that I always have wanted to do is to skate on a frozen pond! Rated up- beautiful!
you brought back all my childhood memories of skating on ice of frozen lakes. Somehad skate and some had none. Nobody cared and we had nothing but and pure fun.
Great hub on ice skating, thank you so much for sharing it. I never became a good ice skater, but I think my boys may have better luck at it! Fun hub!
I still get to watch my son skate regularly, just not in person :-( How I miss the days when he was five and I got to go with him.............. might just have to learn to venture out on my own! Thanks for this! Kaie
Peggy! You've got monkeys, an 81 year old lady, and a four year old wonderful wonder skating. I'm so out of my league! I'm at a loss for words! Monkeys can ice-skate! Micky can't!
Funny how different things are - for us ice-skating is an indoor activity - there is no naturally-occurring ice here that could be skated on! And of course certainly not in December which is our summer.
My mother spent some time in England and learnt to skate outdoors there. The very thought of my father on skates, though, is just laughable! I'm sure he never in his life put on a pair, as I haven't!
I love watching figure-skating though. The grace and speed are enthralling.
Thanks for this interesting Hub.
Love and peace
Tony
I never try ice skating before. Good information. I thought every activity related with ice always dun and interesting, right. Thanks for share with us. I also liked the pictures. Good work, Peggy. I vote this Up.
Blessing and hugs,
i never could master the art of ice skating, but I was able to roller skate quite good, intresting hub and very well put together. God Bless
This hub was an absolute joy to read and watch and I rated it up across the board! Between my own fond childhood memories of skating as a child with my family (I was like your Mom and aunt, not very good, but loved it), and skating with my son and husband at Rockefeller Center and Bear Mountain State Park, and watching these fun and amazing videos of Charlie Brown characters, chimps, 4 year olds and 81 year olds skating, I had a wonderful time here on this hub.
Thanks so much for starting my day in such a joyful, uplifting way.
up and beautiful. I don't believe parents got much involved in kids stuff in our day. In Minneapolis most parks flooded an area where for ice skating. We had a park about six blocks away I tried to like it but I have always had a circulation problem so my hands and feet get cold very fast.I've never seen clamp on ice skates like you describe but we did have clamp on roller skates. We roller skated on the sidewalks but the wheels wore out rather fast.
I have only iceskated a few times and it does seem fun but not easy - you tell some great skating stories Peggy :)
You are right Peggy, this certainly does bring back memories! It's been a long time since I've been on the ice, but you've inspired me to get back to it!
Ice skating is a very fun and healthful activity.I once tried indoor ice skating but I found it hard to learn. It needs an instructor to play ice skating correctly if we don't want to sprain our ankle. You're lucky to have your dad to teach you this sport.
I love ice skating but i am so bad at it but still i love it. It's very fun. Its true that ice skating is one of the best outdoor activities for kids. Great hub.
58