How to Teach Children to Skate

Children often want to learn to ice skate from an early age. They see their parents or older siblings doing it and want to give it a try. Skating can be a fun activity for kids, but they need to be properly trained in the basics; without them, they can injure themselves. Properly taught, though, children can learn how to skate safely and with fun.

Instructions

    • 1

      Decide at what age your child is ready to begin skating lessons with you. If he's too young (younger than three), he may not have enough muscle control in his lower body, especially in his legs. However, "readiness" varies from child to child. Judge according to his motor skills in other physical activities.

    • 2

      Purchase the correct equipment and teach your child how to use it. You can choose figure or hockey skates. Your child's foot should fit easily in her skate; she shouldn't be uncomfortable or in any pain. However, the skates should also fit snugly so her feet aren't sliding around. You also might want to have her wear a helmet with a face guard; the website Kaboose recommends them for beginners. Lastly, she should wear several layers of clothing, the puffier the better. They'll help her with flexibility and cushion her in a fall.

    • 3

      Teach your child to fall and how to get back up. Falling may seem terrifying to your child at first, but it'll help him learn that it's actually not so bad. Without this lesson, he'll be too paralyzed to even try to skate. However, don't teach him to fall on his tailbone or face; teach him to fall to one side so he doesn't hurt himself. To get back up, he can roll to his hands and knees and pull himself up by pulling both feet in between his legs and applying pressure to his toes.

    • 4

      Start with simple steps. Do simple marching moves. You can even start her with an ice walker if she isn't comfortable being on the ice. Practice balance by teaching her to keep her arms out. You also need to teach your child to stop so she can be safe on the ice and keep it safe for others. The easiest thing to do is to teach her to point her toes in and her heels out; tell her to visualize a slice of pizza to help her get the move right.