St Dominic's Winter Wonderland

St Dominic's students enjoy their time on the 'ice'.

St Dominic’s students were treated to a winter wonderland last month when Ice Skate Tour set up their mobile ice rink in the school hall. The children from the after-school programme were transfixed as they watched, sparking plenty of questions – particularly about what it’s made of - which is not ice! The majority concluded wax – again incorrect. It’s actually made of a type of plastic.

Thursday morning began with lessons for the littlies and proceeded throughout the day and Friday with 40-minute sessions for each class. They were taught the basics of skating, balance, as well as health and safety.

The majority of children started off holding onto a chair, and by the end of the session were skating independently.

 “We’ve seen children petrified of going on and once they get their ‘wobbles’ sorted it’s hard to get them off the rink!” says rink owner Lisa Brogden. “It’s heart-warming to see the children actively learning the life lesson: ‘when you fall, you get up; you fall again, you get up.’”

The rinks are also wheelchair-friendly, as the wheels are not affected by the artificial surface, creating a wonderful experience for those who are wheelchair-bound.

As a fundraiser for the St Dominic’s, on Friday night the rink was turned into a mini disco with activities and food stalls outside the hall, and on Saturday morning it was again open to the public, where many repeat visitors turned up for some more fun.
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Ice Skate Tour has been operating since 2014. It’s 100% mobile and available any time of the year. Contact Lisa at lisa@iceskatetour.co.nz to find out more.