I grew up in Michigan where it pretty much is cold and snows from Halloween until Cinco de Mayo. My childhood home had a pond in the backyard, which my dad would shovel when it froze over. I spent every weekend, most weeknights, and my January birthday on ice skates. Now that I am older I spend less time outdoors, but I will always bundle up to lace up some skates.
I was excited to read that Summit Park in Blue Ash was opening up a rink for a few months! My kids enjoy going to Summit Park to play on the playground. They call it their “ninja training” playground! I enjoy the dining available at the park. My current favorite is Senate! The Mexico City Hot Dog and Truffle Fries make my tummy happy!
My husband and I were off work over the holiday season, so we decided to take our kids ice-skating during the week. After checking the rinks hours online, we discovered the rink opened at 12 pm. That gave us plenty of time to eat lunch at Senate first!
After devouring our dogs and fries, we bundled back up and walked over to the rink to rent our skates. Admission to the rink is five dollars, which includes the skate rental. Our son got single blade skates, but our daughter asked for double blades, which was exactly what she needed. They also have PVC skate trainers that you can borrow on a first come first serve basis. Both of my kids started using a trainer to help them get around the rink, but eventually my son returned his and attempted to skate on his own. My daughter stuck with the skate trainer and really enjoyed it when my husband and I would push the trainer as she held onto it. The girl loves to go fast!
Eventually our legs and feet began to tire, so we scoped out the snack cart and then grabbed some chairs and rested near a fire pit. My kids regained their energy much faster than my husband and I did (I wish I had an ounce of their energy!) and asked to return our skates and head over to the playground. They played at the playground for over an hour!
We parked in one spot and walked to lunch, ice skating, and then to the playground. As a mom, I am always checking to see where the bathrooms are located and Summit Park had plenty that were easily accessible. On our drive home, BOTH of my kids fell asleep! They never nap…it was a holiday miracle. We made great memories and we will definitely be visiting Summit Park again this winter for lunch, ice-skating, and the playground!
Check the website for rink hours as they change depending on the date and restaurant hours.