We are an active family — we like to get out and move. Active should not be confused with athletic, though, as roughly only fifty percent of my family considers themselves to be athletic. So when I told the kids that our first Adventure Tuesday of the summer was indoor ice skating, only a resounding fifty percent were excited, one was confused (he’s only five years old) and the teen was, well, skeptical. However, after almost two hours of indoor skating, everyone was smiling, laughing, tired and wanted to come back for a future visit.
The Skate Room is a 2,253-square-foot synthetic ice rink located on the second floor of Hawthorn Mall. The rink is made of Xtraice, a synthetic, self-healing material that looks likes ice and feels much like – well I can’t even describe it really. I’ve spent plenty of time in ice rinks, and it was certainly a weird experience at first. It feels like fresh ice, but it’s not cold and it doesn’t make the characteristic “swoosh, whoosh” sound that ice makes.
Skates are provided or you can bring your own. We started with a fitting and a brief lesson for the newbies to ice skating in our group. The Skate Room has polar bear walkers (skate trainers) to help guide young and new skaters, and there are sleds for really young children to use. After a few minutes of practice, most of the kids were gliding around the “ice” with ease.
The synthetic ice is still slick and slippery like regular ice but didn’t seem to hurt as much when the kids fell, and no one scratched up their hands and legs — although we did have one skinned knee. There is a residue from the material that is visible on dark clothing, but it was not a downside to our visit, and they do vacuum it off before you leave. I personally had a great time and most of the kids didn’t want to leave! We skated for almost two hours, and for my kids, it was the perfect amount of time. After about 90 minutes of circling the rink, I could tell that their muscles were getting tired and it was harder for them to keep it up and not fall down.
The Skate Room will remind you of the roller rinks of your youth (or maybe just mine) with lights, music, and fun! Open skate hours are offered daily, as well as rentals, lessons, camps, and birthday parties. Public skating is $15 per person and includes skates. See the website for open skate hours and party information.
The Skate Room
122 Hawthorn Center, Vernon Hills, IL 60061
Upper level, next to JCPenny
(847) 918-1600 | Facebook | Twitter
Have you been to The Skate Room? Tell us about your experience in the comments!
Disclosure: The writer was provided complimentary admission to facilitate this review. All thoughts and opinions are my own and no further compensation was received.
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