Ice Skating at The Rink in JCube

Ice skating is one of the activities on their school holiday ‘must do list’. Although The Rink at JCube is newer, they still prefer to go back to the one at Kallang as they have fond memories of that place and the staff there remember them. However this time, #2 decided to go to JCube as she is considering inviting her friends there to celebrate her birthday and she wanted to familiarise herself with the place (she has to run through all the steps with us before she dares to go independently with her friends).

Rates are at $19.50 per child which includes 2 hours admission, rental of skate boots, gloves and socks. We brought our own gloves and socks. Adults who are not skating pay $3.50 to sit in the viewing gallery (that’s me… I’m trying to tell myself to start joining them in all these physical activities but it’s easier to just sit at the sideline and watch).

They run on a 2 hourly schedule, after which they clear out the rink for a 15 minute re-surfacing. To maximise your skating time, do note their session timings: 10.30, 12.45, 3.00, 5.15, 7.30. They have Disco nights on Fri and Sat at 9.45pm. (Check their website before you go as they occasionally close their rink for certain private events).

One thing they prefer here is the skate boots. Not only are they newer, but they are much easier to don and they have a snug fit due to the design of the straps. There are ample lockers to put your belongings.

Children who are not able to skate independently can rent the cute little Penguin Skating Aid at $10 for 2 hours. Adults can rent the Seal Skating Aid (which is slightly taller so you don’t have to bend as much) at $15 for 2 hours.

If your child is skating for the first time and is apprehensive, you can help her along like this loving dad. I will show this picture to #5 and convince him to join us the next time. My 4 girls took to ice skating naturally when they were about 4 or 5 years old and I expected my boy to follow suit. However, he is more timid by nature and does not like to try new things. I guess I will have to lead by example and skate with him. No more excuses for me!

Once the child is used to it, she can push the penguin along independently.

After skating round and round, the 3 of them decided to add some fun and race one another around the rink. They decided to go 2 by 2 as the rink was too crowded for skating three abreast.

#3 giving precise instructions on where to skate

Ready, set, go! They ended up perspiring even in the cool temperature!

There are vending machines selling hot drinks, cold drinks and snacks. The hot drinks machine sells milo, chrysanthemum tea, teh tarik, cafĂ© latte, cappuccino etc, at $1 each. After skating around in the cold, the hot milo tastes so good!

When I take the older kids to such activities, we use the divide and conquer strategy. The hubs will be at home taking care of Kate and he usually takes her and #5 to the playground.

We have come to the end of our 1 week school holidays. How quickly it went by. Time to settle down for the last school term before the year end holidays come around again!

The Rink
2 Jurong East Central 1
Level 3, JCube S (609731)
Tel: 66842374/5

Opening Hours:
10am – 9.30pm
(closes later on Fri, Sat & public holidays)

Sane tip: I stayed with them for about an hour as they liked me to watch how they were doing. After they settled in, I left them to skate by themselves for the next hour while I went to find a salon to cut my hair and have a nice wash and blow.

Save tip: The rate we paid was $15.50 per child. Not sure if that was a promotion price or a revised rate.

~ www.mummyweeblog.com – a blog on parenting 6 kids in Singapore  ~