Those of you with teens will know how hard it can be to trick them into spending time with you. So an invite to the press launch of the brand new Queen’s House Ice rink in Greenwich was the perfect excuse to have some mum and daughter time – even if it meant risking humiliating myself with my total lack of balance.
Queen’s House Ice Rink is located within the heart of an UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the setting is certainly more elegant than my skating! On one side the beautiful Queens House is lit a striking shade of purple, to the other are views of the River Thames, Greenwich Park and Canary Wharf.
Skating proved a great activity for chatting casually as we wound our way round the rink. I’m always on the lookout for ways to practice a bit of ‘sideways listening’ with the kids. And despite it having years since I’ve been on the ice, even with my wobbles I managed not to fall over.
But you don’t need a teen to enjoy Queen’s House ice rink as it’s suitable for children aged 3+. Skate sizes start at infant size 9, with penguin aids for hire for little learners. For children with smaller feet, there are double bob sleighs shaped like bananas for parents to push round.
And if you’re not feeling festive yet, a visit to Queen’s House ice rink will certainly help. There’s cheesy Christmas music playing and mulled wine and hot chocolate for sale – and the gingerbread slices pack a fiery punch. With such wet weather, it’s also good to know that rain needn’t stop play, as our drizzly skate proved.
Queen’s House ice rink a great addition to the London skate scene, especially for those of you south of the river who have been facing a winter without one. As it has literally just been given the green light hardly anyone knows about it, so get your skates on before word gets out.
TIPS FOR VISITING QUEEN’S HOUSE ICE RINK WITH KIDS
- Each session includes 45 minutes on the ice.
- Children must be aged at least three to skate.
- Children aged 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
- Ticket price includes skate hire.
- Skates available in sizes child 9 to adult 15.
- Penguin skate aids (£5) and bob sleighs for younger kids (free) are available on a first come, first served basis.
- Arrive half hour before start of your skate session to allow enough time to get ready.
- Don’t bring too much with you as bags are not permitted on the ice. It costs £2 per item to store in on-site cloakroom and there’s a maximum of 3 items per person.
- Do take some time before or after your skate to visit some of Greenwich’s great attractions – book your under 7s a play session in Ahoy! at National Maritime Museum, play skittles in the Old Royal Naval College or take a family trail through historic tea clipper Cutty Sark.
Disclosure: I visited Queen’s House ice rink in November 2019 with Museum Teen (17). We were given free press tickets and refreshments in return for an honest review.
Queen’s House ice rink runs until 12 January 2020, open daily 10.00am-8.00pm, closed 25 December 2019. Last skate session begins at 7.00pm.
Tickets £13.50 off-peak/£16 peak Adult; £6.75/£8 Child (3-15) plus £2.50 transaction fee. Discounts for Royal Museums Greenwich members.
For more information visit their website: https://www.rmg.co.uk/see-do/we-recommend/attractions/queens-house-ice-rink
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