Where to ice skate 2015

[Saffron]

I'd love to take my 5 yo for ice skating lessons that we could do together on the weekends. Somerset House offers a 3x course. Any good? Anywhere else you'd recommend? (She's never been ice skating, and I haven't been in ~30 years!) xx

[Cora]

Think yo can do it at Streatham

[antantant]

My 3 year old did the ice skating lessons at Streatham for a few weeks after trying it once with me on holiday and loving it.

It was great, and it was on the weekends, but it's kids only - parents are not allowed on the ice during the lesson.

Turns out he was a bit too young to follow all the instructions so we're going to try again next year.

[redjam]

Antantant, that's not correct (or at least it wasn't a few months ago): there are adult-and-child lessons at Streatham at the weekends - I did it for several months earlier this year with my daughters. It was great fun and a real leveller when the beginner adults are mixed in with the kids. Needless to say, the kids picked it up loads quicker. You have to pay via direct debit with a month upfront, which is a bit of a pain, and the beginner classes are horrifically early on a Sunday morning, but we really enjoyed it and I can now skate backwards! (Lifetime ambition achieved.)

There are also child-only lessons and separate adult ones for those who don't wish to be humiliated by a bunch of whizzkid seven-year-olds.

[antantant]

Fair enough - we did skater tots from 2.5 to 3 and parents were definitely not allowed on the ice (I tried!). Must be different rules as the kids get older.

[redjam]

Ah, that could be the case - my youngest was seven at the time.

[Saffron]

Thanks for the heads-up. I noticed Somerset House also has mixed parent/child classes, and non-mixed. We definitely want to go to something together, so I'll be careful when I book. Still haven't decided which rink. I think Somerset hours might be better.

Has anyone been to Canary Warf ice rink? xx

[redjam]

Somerset House is lovely and classy and picturesque but - obvious point alert - it's outside, which means that if there's the slightest rain the ice is ridiculously slippy (and it's a bit miserable to skate in the rain). Plus it's quite small.

Streatham is low on glamour and the public sessions are full of terrifying teens who whizz past you at 90 miles an hour and make you fear for your life (they're sickeningly cool; I'm just jealous). But the instructors are good for the lessons and because it's a big rink you get a lot of space to try out your moves.

Not been to Canary Wharf but I think it's meant to be bigger than Somerset House?

[Nickyrosesk8girl]

Hi,

I'm one of the coaches at Streatham. You can do a joint lesson and some of the sessions can be much quieter.

If you want some further information, please text/call me on 07981274149.

Nicky x