Outdoor Ice Skating at The Rink at West Broad Village

Richmond Mom

The weather is starting to get colder and the last remaining traces of autumn are fading away. Christmas decorations are starting to pop-up all around us and you can’t help but to get into the holiday spirit. We couldn’t think of a more iconic holiday activity than to be outdoors and ice skating as a family. Luckily for us, The Rink at West Broad Village just opened on November 10th. So, we hauled our family over to The Rink for some outdoor family fun!

Let me preface by saying that our family has very little experience ice skating. Actually, our kids have never ice skated before and were a little concerned about what the afternoon had in store for them. Luckily, their fears went away when they realized that The Rink offered Skate Aids. So what are Skate Aids? Skate Aids are like plastic walkers for the ice. They are stable and extremely easy to use for all ages. Even though our youngest is generally the cautious one, he was eager to get on the ice with the Skate Aids.

So our adventure began. Our entire family made it on the ice and it was clear that we were not experienced skaters. We proceeded to slowly make our way around the rink. When I mean slowly, I mean I was concerned the rink might close before we would make it around once. I’m probably exaggerating but I’m not sure if I’m that far off! Our family stayed close together for survival and our relationships were tested that day. When someone was about to fall, we questioned whether or not we would risk our stability to help them. We had our share of falls but also a good amount of laughter. We took several breaks throughout the afternoon and each time our kids pushed us to get back on the ice.

There is something about being outdoors and ice skating. Our visit became even more special as darkness started to creep in and the lights started to shine bright. Our tanks were running empty as we reached the early evening hours, but we had to get some time in on the ice at night.

So we survived! We had a few bruises and some sore bottoms but we made some great family memories. By the end of our visit, we were tired and hungry but treasured the time on the ice together as a family. We had already started talking about coming back again soon.

One important thing to note this year is that The Rink at West Broad Village has a heated lounge tent as well as a food stall right next to the rink. So if you need a break in a nice warm area and perhaps a quick bite to eat, you don’t have to go anywhere. Great additions for families!