Toddler ice skating - How young to start?

We were thinking of trying to get our 2-yr old out on the ice this
winter. I can skate, although it's been a few years but I think if I
can get a pair of skates on him I can probably get him to get on the
ice with me and possible try moving around on his own a little.

enigma...

go for it. i'd suggest double bladed skates, a helmet & a
skate bar (you can make one from pvc pipe) for him to hold
onto.

bizby40...

At our local skate rink they have 5 gallon buckets for the kids to
skate with. They turn the buckets upside down, and it gives the kids
something to hold onto while they skate. It works great.

kebuchan...

Thanks for all your feedback... The ideo of the 5 gallon buckets
seems awesome! And it should be fine at an outdoor rink. We're in
Cincinnati but I'm from Toronto and there are a ton of outdoor rinks
there that are pretty much unused at night, so taking him out there
just to play around should be easy enough and we're going to be there
for two weeks over Christmas.

Some of the other discussion I've seen on toddler skating advised
against double blades. I have no experience either way.

I think ankle support is crucial, I started skating on moulded skates
as a teenager, basically adult size and it makes a huge difference for
a beginner. However, it's probably best to go with a complete skate as
opposed to blades on a boot as I can't think of any boots that would
have as good support as a pair of skates.

The PVC pipe idea was great too, saves from going out and buy a
ready-made device that would probably be overpriced if available.

There was a mention about 2 yr olds heeding rules.. well, our 25 month
old knows all the rules at home but doesn't seem to car. We've been
putting him in time-out in the "naughty chair" since he was 20 months
old and he seems to enjoy it. He thinks about doing something, says
out loud that he will go in the naughty chair if he does it and then
does it anyway.. so.... he'll fit in the "most" group that don't heed
warnings or rules.

i really don't want laws mandating helmets, but common sense
says that covering a kid's skull when playing on hard,
slippery surfaces is a good idea ;)

All the skating lessons that I saw for preschoolers seemed to be for
ages 3-5 yrs old. Is a 2 year old too young?

Ericka Kammerer...

No, it's not too young for you to take him out
skating. It's just that none of the prospective
teachers relish teaching a class full of 2yos how
to skate ;-) You'll find that classes in almost
*anything* don't start until 3yo (unless it's a class
with parent participation).

Best wishes,
Ericka

enigma...

i don't think so. when i worked at a ski mountain, we started
SkiWees at 2... but a whole class of 2 year olds is a huge
handful, especially because 2 year olds differ so much in
maturity levels. some are physically ready & some aren't, some
can pay attention to 'rules' & some (most) don't really get
it.

He's in size 5/6 shoes right now.

enigma...

i think there are adjustable skates for tiny kids. or blades
that velcro onto the kid's boots. just make sure that you put
him in shoes/boots that offer good ankle support if you go
with that type.

lee

Any thoughts would be really appreciated,