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RAD LOOKS FOR NIGHTS AT THE RINK
styled and written by Taylor Irby
photography by Tina Sargeant
hair and makeup by Yolanda Floyd of Mirabella’s
Signature Salon & Spa
It’s a Friday night. You are so excited to shut those school books for a couple of days and skate your weekday troubles away. You can already feel the atmosphere of bright blinking lights, loud music, and the smell of pizza whirling around in your mind. You live for Friday nights at the skating rink.
Of course, a few details have to be figured out first: Which friends will I meet there? Who’s going to drop me off? Man, I hope I don’t have to wait in the line too long! Did I grab my loose change so I can play arcade games? And most importantly … What will I wear?
To kick off this season, we are bringing back the iconic style of the ’80s skating era (for those of you who can recall it and those who can’t). Though the ’80s are usually characterized by spandex and an array of blinding neons, we are embracing the individual personalities of these modern “Generation Z” babes. We set the scene with a modern and playful twist while remaining true to the core of the decade — crimped hair and sequins, ultra-cool graphic tees, and washed denim.
Let’s revisit the dawn of comic books, yo-yos, and the classic comeback of tube socks. It’s time to celebrate the decade that truly made skating great. Roll on over to your local Skate World and remember why Friday nights were once your favorite time of the week. It can still be just as magical.
Learn about Our STEM Summer Experience
Science, technology, engineering and mathematics are all apart of everyday life, whether we realize it or not. For a long time, education classes on subjects like math and science have been stigmatized as “boring,” and many students have asked, “When am I ever going to use this?” The STEM summer experience exists so that any child who’s asked that question can get the answer through a tool that many people don’t see as a matter of science: roller skating.
What Does the STEM Experience Entail?
Kids will learn how science connects to everything we do in life – including roller skating! Without math and science, people wouldn’t have any ability to exercise or enjoy skating with their friends and family.- Kids will learn that science and math aren’t just necessary, they’re also exciting. Even though many people are becoming more and more aware of it in our age of technology, many kids still don’t realize just cool math and science can be. By tying these two concepts into something as fun as roller skating, kids get to see firsthand just how awesome our world is on a scientific level.
- This experience lets kids learn and play at the same time. Through the STEM summer experience, children will get a full hour-long lesson on why science, technology, engineering and math are awesome. After that, they’ll get to take what they learned about the science of skating out onto the rink for open skating.
There’s more than one way to experience STEM this summer at Skate World Lakeland. We offer STEM lessons for daycares and summer camps, middle school students and high school students. Learn more about our STEM experiences or contact Skate World for more information.
School is Out, Skating is In
Summer is closer than ever, which means the end of the school year is too. While adults enjoy summer for the warmer weather, every child loves summer because it means no school! While a lot of children see summer as a time where they can “do whatever they want,” parents know that it’s easy for kids to get bored without learning and friends to occupy their time. Luckily, Skate World Lakeland is open even when school is out, so kids can skate their boredom away.
Join us for school holiday skating on April 14th. It’s a sneak peek of all the skating and freedom summer will bring to kids in Lakeland. We’ll be skating from 12pm to 4 pm in celebration of the fast-approaching summer break. Kids can get in their daily exercise, reconnect with their friends, and even make new ones. After our special Friday skate, we’ll have a full day of Saturday sessions for even more family fun.
Why Roller-Skate?
- Rain or shine, roller skating gives kids all the benefits of playing outside without having to deal with the hot weather, which tires kids out faster (and causes some nasty sunburns).
- Skating is fun for all ages, so friends and family can all skate together and have a great time. No one has to be left out of the rink!
Skate World Lakeland is open when school closes, so there’s no reason not to get the exercise you need this summer. Check out our seasonal schedule for spring and summer hours. Let the fun begin!
How to Teach Kids about Nutrition
Did you know that March is National Nutrition Month? At Skate World, we’re driven to help kids be their best, whether that means encouraging their their curiosity with STEM field trips, helping them stay active with fun fitness, or teaching them to stay energized with nutritious snacks. What are some good tricks for helping kids eat healthy?
4 Fun Nutrition Tips for Kids
Don’t get picky with your kids. The goal is to teach them overall nutrition, not to get finicky about a specific diet. Teach them broad principles, like earning a treat with an afternoon of active play, or eating well-rounded meals before having dessert.- Get the kids involved. Give kids a say in what they eat. Grocery shopping is a great opportunity to teach kids how to read the nutritional information on food labels. Have them help out in the kitchen, too. That way they’ll learn how to cook balanced meals. They’ll also have an opportunity to speak up if a food they don’t like is on the menu.
- Give them options. Instead of forcing kids to eat snacks they dislike, give them a choice between several healthy options. It teaches kids to make healthy food choices and helps them feel more satisfied with their afternoon snack.
- Energize when you play. Fitness takes a lot of work! Help kids keep their energy up by teaching them the value of healthy snacks during playtime. Are your kids lagging on the skating floor? Visit the Cafe for a quick energy boost.
You’ve got nutrition down; now it’s time for exercise! Roller-skating provides active fun for families in Lakeland. Get rolling at Skate World!
Introducing Sensory Skate Saturday
We’re excited to announce a brand new skate night: Sensory Skate. We’re dialing back the lights, sounds, and crowds to focus on low key days of play for sensory-sensitive kids. Sensory Skate is a fun-filled, sensory-friendly experience for families in Lakeland. Join us every second Saturday of the month!
Sensory Skate in Lakeland
We’re serious about going sensory-friendly. The Skate World staff is training at the CARD Institute at the University of Florida. Our team is learning the most effective ways to create a positive environment for people on the autism spectrum. We’re doing everything we can to create a sensory-friendly experience for kids in Lakeland. Let us hear from you! If you’re a parent of a sensory-sensitive child, let us know how we can better improve your child’s time with us. Our goal is 100% fun for your kids!
Sensory Friendly Skate will take place every 2nd Saturday from 9-10:30am- Admission is just $5
- Help your kids feel more comfortable skating by renting a Skate Mate for only $5
- We’ll turn down the music and lower the announcement volume
- There will be no strobe light effects
- Game machines will be turned off
- If your child has special dietary needs, please let us know when you arrive (we don’t allow outside food or drinks, but we’ll make an exception so your child can enjoy a snack)
- Kids are invited to roller-skate (you can even bring your own, as long as they’re in good condition)
- We’ll have other fun activities for kids who aren’t comfortable skating, including hula hoops, beach balls, hacky sacks, finger painting, coloring, and parachutes
- The kids can play games both on and off skates
- Kids 15 and younger can attend Sensory Skate (siblings are welcome, too!)
Mark your calendars! The next Skate World Sensory Skate takes place on April 8th.
5 Ways STEM Programs Benefit Kids
Education for kids should always remain interesting and fun, but that isn’t the case all the time. Most kids seem to lose an interest in STEM education. When it comes to science, technology, engineering, and math, it’s important to keep kids interested. After all, those kids will be building our future! Here at Skate World Lakeland, we’ve found an amazing way to keep kids interested in STEM. And it incorporates our favorite thing: roller-skating.
5 Benefits of STEM Education
It teaches kids to be forward-thinking about technology.- It teaches kids problem-solving skills.
- More and more, technology is an integral part of life that kids need to understand.
- Despite what some may think, STEM fields teach creativity and innovation.
- It gives kids confidence to make goals and take measurable steps to achieve them.
Skate World offers various STEM lessons for all ages and a variety of curriculums. Choose your skating STEM lesson based on elementary, middle school, or high school curriculum, then find the lesson plan that most closely meets your current lessons. A STEM educational field trip shows students how science, technology, engineering and math integrate into their everyday lives, sometimes in ways they hadn’t considered before. A STEM field trip at Skate World Lakeland includes:
- 1 hour of S.T.E.M. education
- 2 hours of roller skating physical fitness
- Meal plan options
Ready for your students to get excited about learning again? To think creatively about analytical tasks and disciplines? To get engaged in their futures? Call Skate World Lakeland to book a STEM field trip today.
The Science of Fun
The need for students to enter STEM studies is growing rapidly. In the United States, our younger generation isn’t entering enough STEM fields to keep up with career growth. How can you show your students that STEM fields can be fun, engaging, and rewarding? Let them experience some hands-on STEM lessons at Skate World Lakeland!
Skating keeps you healthy and fit, but it can also teach a variety of hands-on lessons.In fact, you only need to take a field trip to our rink to realize why STEM is so imperative. According to EngineeringforKids.com:
Programs outside of school can help children to see that STEM is more than a class to finish. Having activities that show real life implication of STEM can pull together the ideas presented in school and help to show how they benefit our society and even our world as a whole.
Yes, STEM education is important, but kids lose interest in STEM faster than in other lessons. Skate World keeps kids curious with appropriate grade-level skating field trips that teach them exciting, fun lessons about STEM. Our curriculum includes lessons about:
motion- friction
- engineering
- acoustics
- heat generation
- lighting
- health and fitness
- formulas
- fractions
- physics
- and more!
Our curriculum allows Lakeland schools to showcase STEM concepts in a fun, fresh setting. We offer appropriate classes to keep elementary, middle, or high school-aged students engaged in STEM activities. Our lessons are taught by experienced STEM educators. When it’s time to combine some good old-fashioned skating exercise with STEM elements and full-blown lessons, visit us at Skate World Lakeland for STEM field trips!
Don’t Miss Our 40 Year Reunion Skate!
Skate World Lakeland has been a staple in the community for a long time (40 years to be exact)! Each year, we feel we make more improvements, get more involved in the community, and have more families and friends heading into our facility to make life long memories. We’re so excited to celebrate our 40 years that we couldn’t help but throw an event!
Join us on Feb. 12, 2017 for our Reunion Skate. It’s 18+, and we’re ready to get down! From 6:00-10:00 pm you’ll get $8 admission, #3 rentals and a whole lot of fun. We’ll be playing music from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and now. This is a fantastic chance for those who have been long-time visitors of Skate World and Lakeland community members to throw it back.
We can’t thank you all enough for your constant love and support of Skate World Lakeland. We’re incredibly thankful to have loyal visitors like you, and thank you for keeping us around for 40 years strong! We can’t wait to see what else 2017 has in store.
If you’re looking for more fun events this much, check out our Valentine’s Day Skate just two days later on February 14th! We’ll have one free skate admission with one paid admission (so you’re getting a BOGO deal)! Keep in mind that rentals are an additional charge. The event will be from 6:00-8:00 pm, so get lovey dovey because Valentine’s Day is better on wheels!
For more information on our Reunion Skate and other upcoming events, check out our Facebook page or our upcoming events page on our website. With additional questions, please give us a call at (863) 687-6447 . We’ll see you soon!
Stretches to Make Your Skating Workout Better!
Workouts can come in a lot of different forms. What one person does to stay fit may not be the same as another. While some prefer “traditional” workouts such as running or weigh lifting, others may prefer a “non-traditional” form of a working out by participating in a fun, unique activity. Skating is a great form of exercise that uses the entire body and that you can have fun with. It doesn’t matter if you go to an indoor skating rink, skate on a trail or down the sidewalks of your neighborhood; wherever you’re skating you’re getting in a great workout that your body will definitely benefit from. It’s important to prepare your body for this aerobic exercise to ensure you don’t cramp up or cause other health issues. There are certain precautions that you can take prior and after skating that you will help keep your body safe… included in that is stretching before and after your roller skating session.
Stretch Out Before Hitting the Rink
When you stretch out your muscles before you begin skating, you are giving your muscles and your body a much needed warm up.You never want to go into a skate session with a cold body, so warming up those muscles is vital to a successful skate session. Stretching can improve your flexibility and lower the risk of injury. Some stretches that’ll help you before and after you skate include:
• Spiderman stretch
• Butt kicks
• Lateral high knee run
• Quad stretch
• Hamstring kick
Try these stretches out before your next visit to Skate World Lakeland!
