Dressing for ice skating...Any skating parents out there?

[Annetta]

Hi everyone! I signed up my 13 year old daughter for some ice skating lessons and the first one is tomorrow! I’m excited, but a little concerned that she’ll get cold while skating considering it’s warm out now so her body is used to summer temperatures, and because since it’s a beginners class she definitely won’t be working up a sweat on the ice. Now the few times I’ve been to ice rinks, it was freezing. So for tomorrow I’m thinking that my daughter should wear her regular winter clothes; snow pants, jacket, down parka, mittens, hat, scarf, hood. Now I want her to wear a helmet in case she falls, but her parka’s hood is really big and fur lined so her helmet won’t fit over it, so should she just wear it under the hood? I’m a bit worried about getting chilly myself while watching tomorrow, so I’ll also be breaking out all my winter gear.

[Ailaena]

I don’t know where you live and what your life is usually like, but I take my 3-yo ice skating in a pair of jeans, a light sweater or light jacket, and gloves for when he falls    I usually just wear jeans and a long-sleeve t-shirt or a light jacket and regret it because I get too hot.  

It’s not, like, winter freezing cold in there; but depending on where you live, 50 may be ridiculously cold?   When we first moved to Phoenix, people were wearing winter jackets.  And although I never got to the point where I wore a winter jacket there, I understood them a bit more by the time I moved. 

I say since you have no idea, bring all your junk and dress in layers so you can easily strip those heavy items off!

 

[Arctic Bunny]

I, too, feel like this is location-dependant..... In the middle of winter, in a non-heated rink, my kids would wear snow pants, jacket and mitts (and be too warm). I would lean toward layers.... leggings or tights with sweats or track pants on top, long sleeve shirt with a sweater or hoodie. Stretchy gloves. The helmet alone should be enough for her head.

[wathe]

Mine like snowpants, mitts or gloves,  and a light pullover.  Snowpants are good for beginners who will fall because they shed snow/ice and provide a little bit of padding.  Mitts or gloves to protect the hands from the ice and other peoples skate blades when falling.  We all wear helmets.  One likes to wear a buff underneath to keep his ears warm, the other nothing.   I think a parka would get too hot very quickly

[GoodGrief]

Snowpants will be way too much for a 13 year old in a figure skating lesson. Some rinks are chillier than others, but I'd suggest leggings or similar athletic pants, a warm athletic type jacket that allows movement, gloves, and perhaps a hat. She will want tights or a thin sock for under the skates. You could bring along the other items in case she really is too cold.

The little kids will have on the winter gear but they spend more time on the ice, falling and such.

[Tanaqui]

When I was a kid and did skating, we dressed in skating outfits. Everybody did. And if we got cold, we just shivered.

That might be a bit on the far end, but on the other hand, I have a hard time imaging how she can move adequately in a parka and snowpants. I'd go with tights under heavy leggings or light sweatpants, a sweater, and some gloves.

[BlsdMama]

My girls usually wear jeggings or thicker leggings, two layers for the top (like a long-sleeve tee and a hoodie), appropriate socks, gloves.  If she tends to get cold, add a hat.  When we started, they wore jackets, but it gets too hot! ❤️ 

[HomeAgain]

How proficient of a skater is she?

Skating classes here start with the kids all in snow pants or waterproof pants, a light jacket, helmet, and waterproof gloves.  By the time the kids skate well enough, most of the girls are in leggings and a sweater or warm up jacket over long sleeves, and most of the boys are wearing an Underarmour-style cold weather shirt and fleece pants.  Still wearing waterproof gloves.

Ds would do a 1 hour lesson and be sweating by the end, and this was during basic skating/figure skating where there were a lot of slow movements and taking turns.  If I'm watching him, I bundle up and bring a blanket (metal bleachers).  If I'm skating, I'm wearing jeans and a sweater over long sleeves.

Oh, and bring the helmet, but she may not wear it.  But some classes have a policy of new skaters wearing one.

Edited July 2, 2019 by HomeAgain

[Junie]

I used to babysit for a girl who took daily skating lessons.  No one wore a coat on the rink.  The girls wore thick leggings and sweaters.  Pretty much everyone wore layers.

[wintermom]

I was also going to mention a helmet. Super important for preventing concussions.  Clothing would be mitts/gloves, long-sleeve jacket/sweater, comfortable pants. 

[Pen]

 

    [bold:] For safety : She needs to be able to move well, to see well, to hear well—[/bold]

attached hoods IME can be dangerous because they don’t allow enough mobility and can impair visibility.  Scarves can also cause problems. A Canadian toque Or American beanie style hat that fits head, keeps  ears covered and warm and allows full range motion without possibility of flopping over eyes is much safer   

What you describe sounds way too hot, and also too bulky and too many bits and loose stuff to be safe or to be able to learn well.  For her that is.

Fine for you if you need that to watch comfortably.  As observer (winter skating) I usually wore a Parka and gloves. Sweater and long john layers and sometimes a hat under the parka hood.  Some parent observers did jumping jacks or walked or other exercises to keep warm. Some parents brought a blanket. 

Some depends on individual tendency to feel cold or not. My son wears jeans or a pair of stretchy dress black pants or a pair of adidas athletic pants, single layer on bottom, a short sleeve t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, light weight skating jacket, gloves, knitted hat when he started out at roughly same age — usually no hat after his first year. 

Skates: to be aware, many rental skates are far far far harder to skate on than personal well sharpened skates with good support.  They are also often less warm.

socks : thin wool would be nice for warmth without bulk.  Worst imo tend to be cotton if they get wet—they won’t dry or wick     A nylon or similar man made is in between

Leggings with a stretchy waterproof pant over could be good.  Or a water resistant polarttec type fleece.  I don’t know how bulky her snow pants are.  They may be ideal or may be hard to move in.      

When I took some lessons as an adult I used knee pads and shoved some foam padding  into my hip area between leggings underneath and polartec outer . later I bought a pair of padded skating tights.

 

Have her use layers on top  so she can shed if she’s too hot or add if too cold

 

and not to have scarf ends that could cause dangers either choking or tripping and falling

IME I would *Not* plan to have her wear the parka or a scarf.  *You* could have them in a bag in case she’s desperately cold.  

A hoodless jacket and separate knitted hat over the ears with the helmet should be fine.  Or ear warmers and helmet,  or snowboarding type helmet which is itself warm .  They now sell hats and headbands for skating which have some built in shock absorbers btw, if she sticks with it. 

Gloves absolutely yes. Even if she gets quite hot and goes down to short sleeves, wear gloves for hand protection.  

 She may work up more of a sweat than you think as day one often involves getting up and down practice (first off-ice: floor to standing and back again; later on ice) as practice in safe falling and getting back up. 

 

 

Edited July 2, 2019 by Pen

[Pen]

There’s usually two options for watching — 

1. right by ice where it’s colder. Regular winter gear probably enough- if in doubt bring a blanket to wrap up in, or some such.   Our rink isn’t open in summer. In open seasons  it was usually 30-50 deg  F near the ice—a little colder than outdoor temp usually due to the ice itself 

 And 2. Often there’s a lobby area where u can watch through a window and it’s warmer.  Possibly as warm as wherever the rink is- mall temperature or whatever. Regular outdoor winter gear may be too warm for that area, but if you dress in layers and have a bag to carry stuff in that should be easy to deal with. 

Some people bring thermoses  of hot drinks or some rinks sell such

[HollyDay]

dd skated for years.  She started off wearing jeans, but found they would get wet if she fell too much or slid on the ice.  She ended up wearing a pair of water resistant athletic pants.  They kept her warm and also resisted water so she didn't get wet (and cold from being wet).  The ones she preferred looked like pants...not tights or yoga pants.  She also wore a fitted jacket over a long sleeve shirt.  Once she started jumping, she wore more fitted pants.  She also always wore gloves.  Sometimes she started out with a scarf but many of her instructors discouraged scarves that could fall off and become a hazard. She always packed a bag in the summer so she could change after class.  Nothing like leaving a cold rink and walking out into 100 degrees!

In the begininng I sat by the rink.  The lessons were half hour to hour and I enjoyed being cold in July.  Our rink had family skate after lessons, so we dressed in jeans and hoodies so we could skate too.  My only complaint was the cold metal bleachers.  I would sit on a coat or bring a blanket or something.  Many moms brought those stadium pillow seat things. Once dd progressed to jump classes, those were longer and I'd go up to the observation area.  That is always temperature controlled, usually had a snack bar, and had seats and tables. 

 

 

 

[Pen]

http://crasche.com/blog. This sort of thing.  We don’t have them, but some kids do and they look helpful.