Short answer
Most skating schools take children from about four, and the youngest can play on the ice earlier. Start on an artificial rink or in an indoor ice rink, with a helmet, mittens and sharp skates that fit snugly around the foot. Practise in four steps – falling the right way, getting up, the penguin walk and gliding – and only move on once the step before has sunk in.
Which skates suit the child?
| Type | Suits | Pros | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|---|
| Double-runner skates | The youngest, playing with an adult | Strap on over the winter boot, two blades are stable, warm feet | Don't teach the child to glide on one blade – switch when the child wants to skate on their own |
| Adjustable plastic skate | Beginners who grow quickly | Stable and warm, easy to put on, can be adjusted about three sizes | Swapped for ordinary skates after a few years |
| Hockey skate | Play, hockey and most beginners | Stable around the foot, rounded blade without toe picks | Should fit snugly and be sharpened before the first skate |
| Figure skate | Figure skating school | High, stiff boot and toe picks for figure skating moves | Needs special sharpening, and the toe picks can get in the way of the basics |
Whatever the type, the same three requirements apply – firm support over the ankle, the right size and a sharpened blade.
It's Saturday morning at the ice rink. The child has got their skates on, the helmet is askew, and the first three steps out onto the ice end with them sitting on their bottom looking up at you. If you've practised falling and getting up, the fall becomes part of the game instead of the end of the day.
This guide is about how you yourself can teach your child to skate: age, skates, fit, helmet, support, where to start and the exercises in the right order. If you've already been on the same journey on the ski slopes, some of this will feel familiar from teaching kids to ski – but on the ice the hardest part is balancing on a narrow blade, not the speed.
The rule of thumb: fall, get up, penguin, glide
- Fall the right way – backwards with your chin on your chest, forwards with your elbows bent.
- Get up – via your side and your knees, all by yourself.
- Penguin – small walking steps with your toes pointing out.
- Glide – let the skates roll a little way between steps.
Only move on once the step before has sunk in. Falling and getting up come first, even if that feels back to front – skating coaches often start the very first lesson there, and it's easier to be brave when you know how to get back up.
The steps are close to the figure skating clubs' first skating school badges, where the penguin walk is also called “happy feet” or “kissing heels”.
When can children start?
Most skating schools run by figure skating clubs take children from four, some from three. The limit is mostly about the child being able to manage a lesson of about an hour with the group and the coach, without a parent beside them.
On your own, you can start earlier. For the youngest, it's about play and getting used to it being slippery. Keep going as long as it's fun, no longer – it doesn't matter if half the session is spent on the snow pile next to the ice. Once the child can fall, get up and walk on the ice, they'll get a lot out of a skating school, where the group and the coach take over the technique.
Which skates suit the child?
The table sums up the four most common types.
Double-runner skates strap on over the winter boot and are stable. They suit the youngest playing on the ice with an adult, but the child doesn't learn to glide on one blade. When the child wants to skate on their own, it's time for proper skates.
For the basics, hockey skates, figure skates and adjustable plastic skates all work. What matters is that the skate gives firm support over the ankle, is the right size and is sharpened.
- Hockey skates suit most children who are going to play and skate at the rink, and the blade has no toe picks.
- Figure skates have toe picks at the front, and if the child is going to a figure skating school, many clubs want them to have these from the start. For someone just learning the basics, the toe picks can get in the way, because it's easy to push off with them instead of with the blade.
- Adjustable plastic skates are stable, warm and easy to fasten, and many can be adjusted about three sizes. After a few years the child will need to switch to ordinary skates.
Soft skates where the ankle gives way don't work. The child then stands on the blade at an angle.
Children grow out of skates quickly, so second-hand is often a good choice. Check that the blade isn't worn down and that the boot is stiff, with no creases at the ankle. Many municipalities have a Fritidsbank (a free sports equipment library) where children can borrow skates and a helmet for free. More tips on second-hand and borrowing can be found in christmas presents for kids who love being outdoors.
How should the skates fit?
Skates should fit now, not be grown into. The advice to parents from Svenska Ishockeyförbundet (the Swedish Ice Hockey Association) is to take out the insole and have the child stand on it, preferably sitting down. An ordinary shoe has about 15 millimetres of extra room in front of the toes – a skate should only have 5–7 millimetres. If the skate is a little big, you can fill it out with an extra insole and thin socks and remove them as the foot grows.
When the child stands up, the heel should stay still when they bend their knees, and the ankle should be able to bend forwards and a little to the side. Try them on with a thin sock, the one the child will skate in. A skate that is too big gives no support to the ankle, and the child falls more often.
Lace them a little loosely over the toes, tightly over the ankle and looser at the top. A skate in the right size doesn't need to be pulled extra tight. Unlace them all the way after each use.
Helmets – what the municipalities say
There's no national law on helmets for skating, but many municipalities have their own rules at their rinks:
| Municipality | Rule for public skating |
|---|---|
| City of Stockholm (Kungsträdgården) | Children must wear a helmet – helmets can be borrowed |
| Uppsala | Children must always wear a helmet, with a cage or visor when playing with a stick |
| Köping | A helmet is mandatory |
| Västervik | Helmets are compulsory for everyone |
| Borlänge | Helmets are compulsory on the ice |
| Tjörn | Everyone must wear a helmet, children under twelve with a responsible adult |
| Gothenburg | Urges everyone to always wear a helmet – helmets can be borrowed at the ice rinks |
On Stockholm's outdoor flooded rinks, too, the city recommends a helmet.
Choose a helmet made for skating, an ice hockey helmet or a multi-sport helmet. Several skating schools don't accept cycle helmets. There should be about a finger's width between the eyebrows and the edge of the helmet, and the chin strap should be tight enough that it can't be pulled over the chin. Also test it by having the child hang their head towards the floor without the chin strap fastened – if the helmet falls off, it needs adjusting.
A thin hat without seams is fine under the helmet. Tie long hair up. Knee and wrist guards aren't a requirement, but can make the first falls less of an ordeal.
Support on the ice – a good start, let go in time
Many ice rinks have skate aids to borrow during public skating, for example all City of Gothenburg rinks with public skating and all Nacka municipality rinks. In Sigtuna there are also ride-on seals that the youngest sit on while an adult pushes.
The aid helps the child dare to go out and feel how the skates glide. Make sure the child stands upright with bent knees instead of hanging on the aid, and let go of it for short moments. Once the child can fall and get up on their own, it's rarely needed.
Four steps on the ice
Step 1: Fall the right way
Practise on the floor or a rubber mat before the first skate, ideally as a game.
- Backwards: bend your knees, tuck your chin into your chest and sit down as if onto a chair. Land on your bottom, not on your arms.
- Forwards: break your fall with slightly bent elbows. That protects the face and the wrists.
- Keep your arms and legs away from the blades, and don't grab someone else to keep yourself up. Then you'll both fall.
Mittens are a must, because the hands end up on the ice every time you fall.
Step 2: Get up
- Roll onto your side.
- Get up onto your knees, with your hands on the ice.
- Put one skate up between your hands, with the blade flat on the ice.
- Push with your hands on your knee and stand up.
Get up quickly and move out of the way if there are lots of people on the ice. Let the child do it themselves as far as possible – that is exactly what makes them dare to fall.
Step 3: Penguin
Small steps, toes pointing slightly out and heels close together. Knees bent, arms out like wings and eyes looking ahead. Stay close to the boards if you can, so that the child has something to grab.
- Come and skate, all you children – the children ask “like what?” and have to cross the ice like penguins, old folk or lawnmowers.
- The meatball – squat down as low as you can and stand up again, standing on your skates.
- Kissing heels and kissing toes – walk forwards with your heels together and backwards with your toes together.
Step 4: Glide
When the penguin steps come easily, the child takes a few steps and then stands still on both skates and lets them roll, with knees bent and eyes looking ahead. Start with an arm's length, then go on to the next line on the ice. The next step is braking by turning the heels out and scraping up a little snow. After that come turns and skating backwards, and that's where a skating school is most useful.
Where should you start?
Artificial rink or indoor rink first. The ice is even, there are often helmets and aids to borrow, and there's ice even when it isn't cold outside. Choose a quiet time if you can, ideally without hockey sticks, and get off the ice and wait if it gets too crowded. In Stockholm, the Kungsträdgården ice rink usually opens in week 44 and stays open until March – more in christmas holidays in Stockholm. In Gothenburg the ice rinks have public skating times – see christmas holidays in Gothenburg.
Outdoor flooded rinks on sports pitches and school playgrounds only freeze after a longer spell below zero – in Borlänge the circuit is flooded after ten days in a row. The ice is often bumpier, so it's a good second step once the child can glide. A flooded rink goes nicely with a sledging hill, as in sledging hills in Stockholm.
Ploughed track on lake ice last. The child first needs to be able to skate, get up and stop on command. Everything about ice thickness and ice claws is in ice safety with kids.
Sharpening – sharper than you think
A sharp blade bites into the ice when the child pushes off. A blunt blade catches on bumps, and the child falls more.
- New skates should be sharpened before the first skate. The factory edge isn't enough.
- Ask for a beginner's profile when you have hockey skates sharpened. It puts more blade on the ice and makes it easier to keep your balance.
- Figure skates need special sharpening by someone who knows figure skating blades specifically.
- Feel the edge with the back of a fingernail – on borrowed and hired skates too, which aren't always freshly sharpened.
Blade guards on when the child walks off the ice, and wipe the blade dry after each use.
Clothes
The child warms up quickly when moving, but also spends a lot of time sitting on the ice. Dress them in layers that can be taken off, with wool next to the skin and waterproof trousers. Nothing bulky – a child who can't bend their knees can't stand up. Use just one pair of thin socks in the skate and change into warm socks during the break. Bring mittens and a spare pair, and make sure the clothes are free of grit that could end up on the ice.
More about cold and frostbite is in how cold is too cold on the ski slopes, and the layering principle in the packing list for a ski trip with kids. A hot chocolate after the slopes does just as much good on the bench by the rink.
Stop while it's still fun
A child who falls more often, stops getting up on their own or just wants to hold on to you is tired. Finish with something the child can already do, so that their last memory of the ice is a good one. When the February sports break falls where you live is covered in sportlov 2027 (Swedish February ski break), and more ideas for winter days off are in christmas with kids.
Before you step out onto the ice
Frequently asked questions
How old should a child be to learn to skate?
Most skating schools run by figure skating clubs take children from four, some from as young as three. Younger children can play on the ice with an adult or a skate aid, but a lesson of their own requires the child to cope with being in their group without a parent.
Are double-runner skates good for small children?
Double-runner skates strap on over the winter boot and have two parallel blades, so they're stable for the youngest, who mostly play on the ice with an adult. They don't teach the child to glide on one blade, so switch to proper skates when the child wants to skate on their own.
Should the child have hockey skates or figure skates?
Both work for learning the basics, as long as the skate gives firm support over the ankle, is the right size and is sharpened. Hockey skates suit play and hockey. Figure skates with toe picks are needed if the child is going to a figure skating school, and many clubs want them from the start. For someone just learning the basics, the toe picks can get in the way.
Do children have to wear a helmet when skating?
There's no national law, but many municipalities require it at their rinks. At the Kungsträdgården ice rink in Stockholm and during public skating in Uppsala, children must wear a helmet, and in Köping, Västervik, Borlänge and Tjörn the helmet requirement applies to everyone. Many ice rinks lend out helmets.
How big should a child's skates be?
Skates should fit now, not be grown into. Take out the insole and have the child stand on it – there should be about 5–7 millimetres in front of the toes, not a centimetre or more as in ordinary shoes. The heel should stay still when the child bends their knees.
Do new skates need sharpening?
Yes. The factory edge isn't enough, so new skates should be sharpened before the child skates for the first time. Feel the edge with the back of a fingernail. Figure skates need to be sharpened by someone who knows figure skating blades specifically.
Where can you borrow a skate aid?
Many ice rinks have skate aids to borrow during public skating, for example all City of Gothenburg rinks with public skating and all Nacka municipality rinks. Some rinks also have ride-on seals that the child sits on while an adult pushes.