We go to lot of parks and do outdoor activities, which is fantastic, but sometimes it is nice to do something different especially for those hot, rainy and cold days. One day it hit me that I have not been roller skating since high school. I thought about how much fun it was and what great exercise it is, too. With that, I decided to take my 4-year-old daughter and one of her little friends roller skating.

We went to Castle Skateland in Loveland (980 Loveland Madeira Road, Loveland, OH 45140). The outside of the building looks like a castle and even has a drawbridge. A knight greets you upon entering. Once we were through the main door, my daughter was stunned by all of the flashing lights and the disco ball. The music was unfamiliar to her, but that was not the case for me!

We rented skates and even though there are skate trainers for younger kids to practice, we opted not to use one. My daughter was definitely wobbly on her feet, but it was great for her to practice and learn how to balance. We spent a little bit of time on the wood floor but mostly practiced on the carpet. She was having fun and even “fake fell.”  I sneaked in a few laps and remembered how much fun it is to skate.

The skating was fun but my daughter also had her eyes on the snack bar. There were foods like LaRosas’s pizza and buttery popcorn. She had never played skee-ball before or some of the other games, but she was curious. She was very interested in the prizes, too.

Castle Skateland is a place for all ages and skill levels!

Hours and admission (does not include skate rental prices):

Wednesday (Open Skating – Blasts! From the Past, 70s, 80s and 90s music) 6:30 – 8:30 p.m, admission $3

Friday (Family Night – Top 40 Music) 7 -10 p.m., admission $6 or $30 for family-of-four deal

Saturday (Afternoon Skate – Top 40 Music) 1 – 3:30 p.m., admission $5 (Evening Open Skate – Top 100 Music) 7 – 11 p.m., admission $8 (skate trainers not available during this time)

Sunday (Funday Skating – Top 40 Music) 1:30 – 4 p.m., admission $5

The venue is also available for private parties and birthdays on various days. Check out www.castleskateland.com for more information.