Winter Sports for Families

It’s hard to believe we’ll be trudging through the snow in a few short months. But look on the bright side: winter presents a terrific opportunity to introduce a new sport to your child! Check out these winter sports.

Skating
Accessibility explains the lure of skating.
“Skating can take place indoors or outdoors, which makes it convenient for people of all ages,” says Carolynn Jaworska, a professional CanSkate coach in Calgary.

When should kids start?
Kids can start taking lessons at age three, but Jaworska emphasizes that whenever a child develops an interest in skating is the right time to begin, so earlier or later is OK too.

Why skate?
Not only will skating help your kids’ balance and get them active, it’s also a great way to spend time with friends and family (and have a few laughs while you’re at it!) at minimal cost. It’s a good skill to have, whether or not they pursue it on a competitive level.

Time commitment
Most basic programs offer weekly lessons for eight to 10 weeks, with sessions lasting 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the child’s age. Lessons are based on a badge system with prerequisites needed to advance to the next level. After kids develop skating basics, they can branch out into skating programs that are specific to hockey (Power Skate) or figure skating (Star Skate). These tend to run for a longer season (up to 14 weeks) and, in the case of figure skating, often mean practices at least twice each week for the entire September to March season.

Read the full post here.