Sharp silver blades slide across slick ice, whoosh, the skater picks up speed as they glide around the rink. Whether that skater is gracefully twirling and flying through the air doing lutzes and performing axels, or passing a puck to the next player and assisting in a goal, ice skating is a wonderful sport — winter and beyond. Plus, January is national ice skating month, and the 2018 Winter Olympics begin in February, so now is the perfect time to get your family into some skates and onto the ice. Luckily, there are plenty of local opportunities for children (and adults!) to try out ice-skating and hockey, both recreationally and competitively.
Open Skate & Ice Skating Birthday Parties
Keep it icy cool and check out one of these indoor or outdoor ice skating rinks for public skate and hockey sessions. Looking for a fun, unique way to celebrate a birthday? Many rinks offer ice-skating birthday party packages. Dates and times are subject to change; please call to confirm availability.
Goggins Ice Center at Miami University
Indoor Rink
610 S. Oak St., Oxford
513-529-9800
miamioh.edu/hdrbs/goggin/community-youth/public-skating/index.html
Public Skate
Ice skaters 5 years and younger are required to wear a helmet (a bike helmet is fine).
Fridays 7:30 – 9 p.m., Saturdays 4 – 7 p.m., and Sundays 3 – 5 p.m.
Admission: $9, $7.75 high school and younger, $5.75 Miami University student with ID
Skate Rental: $3.25
Skate Aid Rental: $2
Birthday Party Package
For $150, parties include admission and skate rental for ten youth skaters and two adult skaters. Also included: two skate aides, ten licensed Goggin water bottles, and locker room rental. Make your party extra special by adding on an ice skating character appearance!
Northland Ice Center
10400 Reading Road, Evendale
513-563-0001
Public Skate
Mon – Fri, 1 – 3 p.m.
Sat – Sun, 2 – 4 p.m.
Admission: $9 Adults (13+), $7 children
Skate Rental: Free
Skate Trainers: Free (with $25 refundable security deposit)
Public DJ Skates
Club Northland plays hit songs as ice skaters enjoy lights, lasers, and fog!
Fri – Sat, 8 – 10 p.m.
Admission: $10 Adults (13+), $8 children
Skate Rental: Free
Skate Trainers: Free (with $25 refundable security deposit)
Open Hockey
Weekdays, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Admission: $10 all ages
Birthday Party Packages
First Choice Package: $11 per person, eight person minimum includes two hours of skate time during a public skate session, plus use of one of the private party rooms before and after skating. Skate rental is included. Cake or pizza can be chosen in this package.
Deluxe package: $12.50 per person, eight person minimum includes the same benefits of the first choice package, but you get both pizza and cake with the deluxe package.
Northern Kentucky Ice Center
2638 Anderson Road, Crescent Springs
859-344-1981
Public Skate
Fri 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., Sat – Sun 1 – 3 p.m.
Admission: $6 ($5 ages10 and younger)
Skate Rental: $2
Public Hockey
Weekday hours available, call for availability.
Fri 7:30 – 9:30 p.m., Sat – Sun 1 – 3 p.m.
Admission: $6
Skate Rental: $2
Birthday Party Packages
Silver Medal Package: $130 includes admission and skate rental for ten people, use of party room for two hours, and paper products (bring your own cake).
Gold Medal Package: $160 includes all benefits of the silver medal package, plus pizza and soda for ten people.
O’Keefe’s Ice Rink at Fountain Square
513-381-0782
https://myfountainsquare.com/features-of-the-square/fsq-ice-rink/
Open until February 15, 2018
Mon – Thu 12 – 5 p.m.; Fri – Sun 12 – 9 p.m.
Admission: $6
Skate Rental: $4
Sports Plus
513-769-1010
Open Skate
Jan. 1: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., 2 – 6 p.m., and 6 – 10 p.m.
Jan. 2: 12 – 3:30 p.m. and 6 – 10 p.m.
Jan. 3: 12 – 3 p.m., 3 – 6 p.m., and 6 – 10 p.m.
Jan. 6: 2 – 4 p.m. and 8 – 10 p.m.
Jan. 20: 2 – 4 p.m. and 7 – 9 p.m.
Jan. 27: 2 – 4 p.m. and 8:30 – 10:30 p.m.
Admission: $10 all ages ($9 online discount)
Skate Rental: Free
Open Hockey
Jan. 1: 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., 1 – 4 p.m., 4 – 7 p.m., and 7 – 10 p.m.
Ages 16 and older
$10 per player, per session
Summit Park Ice Rink
4335 Glendale Milford Road, Blue Ash
513-745-6259
summitparkblueash.com/residents/ice_rink/index.php
Jan. 2 – 4: 12 – 9 p.m.
Jan. 5: 12 – 10 p.m.
Jan. 7 – Feb. 19: 5 – 9 p.m. Thu, 5 – 10 p.m. Fri, 12 – 10 p.m. Sat, 12 – 5 p.m. Sun (closed Jan. 5 and Feb. 15)
Admission: $5, free ages 3 and younger
Skate Rental: Free
Lessons
Whether you are brand new to the ice, creating a choreographed ice routine, or working on your puck skills, practice makes perfect! Most local indoor ice skating rinks offer both group and individual lessons — be sure to inquire about lessons at any of the indoor rinks featured in this article. There is also a Learn to Play Hockey group with a ten-week session starting in January; and three local Learn to Skate programs with six-week sessions starting in January, and again in February. Finally, there is an opportunity to experience one free hour of skate lessons, courtesy of Cincinnati Skating School and 3CDC. Whichever route you choose, bundle up for the ice, and your lessons will be nice!
Learn to Play Hockey at Sports Plus
513-858-5072
swordshockey.com/Page.asp?n=74193&org=SWORDSHOCKEY.COM
Cincinnati Swords will have boys and girls ages 4-16 participating in 80 minutes of ice time on Sunday afternoons, with the goal of having them ready to participate in a game after two to four weeks of practice.
Learn to Skate at Northland Ice Center
513-759-4259
Lessons that focus on everything from basics, flying and combos, ice dancing, hockey, and more! Whether you are a true beginner, or honing in on a certain skill, there is a class for you. Private lessons are also available for all ages and abilities.
Learn to Skate at Goggins Ice Center
513-529-9800
miamioh.edu/hdrbs/goggin/figure-skating/learn-to-skate/index.html
Skaters will enjoy 45-minute classes, focusing on various basic ice-skating, or hockey skills. At the end of the session, skaters receive a certificate of completion! Cost for six-week session: $87, including skate rental, plus two free public skate passes for additional practice.
Learn to Skate at NKY Ice Center
859-344-1981
nkyicecenter.com/learn2skate/learn2skate.asp
Register your whole family for classes — there are classes for tiny tots all the way up to adults. Sessions consist of six weeks of hour-long classes. Each one-hour class is broken into a 30-minute lesson, followed by 30 minutes of practice. Private lessons are also available for all ages and abilities.
Free Skating Lessons
at O’Keefe’s Rink at Fountain Square
To celebrate national skating month, Cincinnati Skating School and 3CDC are offering beginners a free hour-long skating lesson at the Fountain Square ice rink!
Register online at skatingschool.skatecincinnati.org/events/free-lessons/ to participate in this US Figure Skating (USFS) Learn to Skate program. Admission is $6, skate rental is $4, and an ice skating lesson from a trained pro? Well, that is priceless!
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. Jan. 7, 14, 21 and 28
Figure Skating Organizations & Hockey Teams
Looking to explore figure skating competitively, or are you interested in joining a hockey team? Here is a list of local Figure Skating and hockey organizations for you to check out:
Cincinnati Skating School
Skatingschool.skatecincinnati.org
Northland Figure Skating Academy
northlandicecenter.com/blog/nsa
Northern Kentucky Skating Club (NKSC)
Northern Kentucky Youth Hockey Association (NKYHA)
Queen City Figure Skating Club
queencityfsc.com
Swords Hockey League
USA Hockey
Watching a hockey match is an exciting outing, and our Cincinnati Cyclones host many fun family events at U.S. Bank Arena. Check out these cool kid-friendly Cyclones games:
Fri, Jan 12 @7:30 p.m., Twister Plush Giveaway
Fri, Jan 26 @7:30 p.m., Kids Eat Free
Fri, Feb 9 @7:30 p.m., Marvel Superheroes Night
Sat, Feb 10 @7:30 p.m., Marvel Superheroes Night
Sun, Feb 18 @3 p.m., Paw Patrol Appearance
Fri, Mar 2 @ 7:30 p.m., Princess Night
Visit cycloneshockey.com for tickets!