Building your own backyard skating rink

Posted 1/9/14

For those of us with snow piled all around us, winter can be a time to stay in the house and wait for spring, but it doesn’t have to be. Why not use all the snow to have fun, and one of the best …

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Building your own backyard skating rink

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For those of us with snow piled all around us, winter can be a time to stay in the house and wait for spring, but it doesn’t have to be. Why not use all the snow to have fun, and one of the best ways to do that is to build a skating rink. It can be in your backyard or even in your driveway.

What To Do With The Kids has simplified this task so that you and your kids can put down the smart phones and get outside for some exercise, fresh air and fun.

Find a flat area close enough that your garden hose can reach. Stomp on the snow in that area to pack it down. Have the kids run around on it. Once packed, knock off the high points and fill in the holes with a shovel so that it’s somewhat flat. Sprinkle a light layer of water on it and let it freeze. This may take just a few hours or overnight depending on the temperature. Repeat with another light sprinkle until the entire surface has a thin layer of ice. Air pockets can be removed by stepping on them to crack so that your next layer of water fills it in. You want at least 2 inches of ice before the kids start skating and make sure there is nothing sticking out of the surface such as rocks or branches.

The secret to great ice is to water late at night and often, but not too thick so that it has time to freeze between layers. Snow acts as an insulator so it’s important to keep it shoveled off. You can even use the snow you shovel off to make yourself seating on the side.

There are more tips and tricks available at www.whattodowiththekids.com, including how to make a hockey rink and how to turn your backyard into an almost NHL style venue.

What To Do With The Kids is the website that adults go to when they want to know what to do with their kids. It features games, crafts, party ideas, downloads, special reports, product reviews, a directory of kid and family-friendly places to go and a market place where you’ll find great products and services that you just won’t find in the big box stores.

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