It can be hard to keep up a healthy family routine during the chillier months. Ice skating is a fun hobby with the added benefit of being great cardio exercise, improving balance and building up muscle. It also makes for a creative winter birthday spot, as many rinks offer birthday rentals, and plenty of local ice-skating rinks are beginner-friendly. Rent a pair of skates and an get an exhilarating winter rush!
Blue Cross RiverRink
101 S. Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia | 11 a.m. to 9:15 p.m. daily
Blue Cross RiverRink in Philadelphia offers winter ice skating and summer roller skating at an outdoor rink located next to a riverside walkway. The Winterfest tradition at Blue Cross RiverRink entered its 29th season Nov. 25. This year’s festival has comforting warming cabins, physically-distanced fire pits, games, food and drink, the festival’s signature holiday tree and an NHL-sized rink.
Tickets start at $5, skate rental with admission $17
delawareriverwaterfront.com
Springfield Ice Skating Rink
400 W. Sproul Road, Springfield | 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily
The Springfield Ice Skating Rink offers lessons for beginners and advanced skaters in private and group sessions. Public skating hours are 8-9:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2-3:30 p.m. Sundays. The rink is also home to beginner and intermediate hockey games from September to April, meeting one to two times each week. Players can join the Learn to Skate/Play Hockey Clinic, which has Bronze, Silver, Gold and Senior divisions. SHL is also a no-checking league, to minimize the risk of injury to your child.
Tickets are $8, skate rental $2
springfieldicerink.com/?view=shl
Wissahickon Skating Club
550 W. Willow Grove Ave., Philadelphia | Public Ice Skating 8:30-10:30 p.m. Fridays, 12:45-2:15 p.m. Saturdays
This Philadelphia rink features public skating, hockey and figure skating lessons, clinics and camps. It offers both figure and hockey skates with expert fitting. The club, which was founded in 1998, boasts notable hockey alumnus and New York Rangers Stanley Cup Champion Goaltender Mike Richter, who represented the U.S. in the Olympics.
Tickets are $7-$9, skate rentals $3
wissskating.com
Patriot Ice Center
101 John F. Campbell Drive, Newark, Del. | 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 12:30-2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays with evening hours 8-9:30 p.m. Fridays and 7:30-9:30 p.m. Saturdays
Children can learn to skate and learn to play hockey at the Patriot Ice Center in Newark, Del. The rink also offers freestyle hours posted on the rink’s online schedule at patrioticecenter.com. Or, if you’re just looking to catch a game before signing up for lessons, league schedules are also available online.
Tickets are $8 to $12, skate rental $3
patrioticecenter.com/registration
Pennsauken Skate Zone
6725 River Road, Pennsauken, N.J. | noon to 10 p.m. daily
This indoor ice rink in Pennsauken Township, in New Jersey, offers skating lessons, hockey clinics, camps and leagues. The coaches at Skate Zone will help your child figure out which level suits them best and from there they’ll learn from certified instructors and enjoy the opportunity to make friends with other young skaters. Classes are offered for groups ages 3-5, 6-13 and 14+.
Admission and skate rental $16
pennsaukenskatezone.com
