How do you use a penguin (ice skating)

[ILikePaperHats]

Thinking of taking my 2 kids ice skating tomorrow for the first time with a girl friend. I can't skate and neither can my kids (aged 5 and 12). How do the penguins work? Would I have to push the kids on them or are the kids supposed to push/skate themselves? Can adults have penguins?? Or would I look totally ridiculous? I can't skate to save my life

I've just envisioned an adult sized penguin 😂
The children I've seen tend to push themselves on the penguin, but I've never seen an adult one.
Is there anyone else who can come with you? That might be a little easier?

Keep your skates on the floor, you push as if you are standing up on one leg, then the other toes together will slow you down.

Give it a go in a corner

The 5 year old might get trainer blades but the 12 year old probably won’t

My ds2 is 23 he used a child's one at Lapland UK last year.. (he's profoundly deaf and severely dyspraxic so has lots of balance problems!)

You pretend to be helping the child and hold on to their penguin too.

Lots of adults do it (and are fooling no-one - we all see you!).

Penguins are so bad for adults - they make you lean down and really forwards which makes you even less balanced. Some rinks have larger skate aids, at Altrincham rink they have penguins (suitable for small children), bears ( small adult / larger child) and walrus which are designed for adults to push and kids to ride on.

An adult really needs an Emperor penguin!

If the 12yo can rollerblade they'll probably be fine without.

You pretend to help the 5yo. Or if this is one of the outside rinks they may have a 'sleigh' the 5yo can sit in and you can push that around which is good fun, though the shorter you are the easier it will be.

I opened the thread expecting to see the punchline to a joke.

The penguins are really small op. My 11 year old can’t use one cos she’s too tall.

Penguin for the 5 year old, they should be able to push it independently - unlikely they'll be given bob skates (the ones with 2 blades). The 12 year old may be able to use a polar bear (taller skating aid) but may be OK without. My advice is, put your feet in a V, then take little marching steps.

I figure skate and that's what I've seen our coaches do with new skaters.

Depends on the rink some has bigger skate aids. Possibly ones where you can push a child in.
They will be at a reasonable height for you. The penguins are very small. Iirc the Christmas rink locally said it’s for under 1.2m! A 5 year old don’t need to be in trainer shoes, they are for toddlers. He should just get normal skates and a penguin. Your 12 yo can hang onto the edge and soon will be able to balance and walk around.

5 year old will sort themselves with a penguin.
12 year old and adults will cling on to the side and work it out that way.
(Or use a polar bear or bigger skate aid if available.)

@TeenPlusTwenties if the 12yo can rollerblade he can certainly ice skate. Took DH last year to a outdoor one. He was skating fine within 10min or so, starting with small strokes. By the end of an hour he worked out how to go backwards too. Only thing he couldn’t do was stopping. He said it’s very different. His attempt at t-stop spun him instead of slowing:

I saw these in use for the first time this year, at a Christmas market in France, and wished I was a child again!

I love penguins, and I never learnt to skate.

Ours have polar bears for older children. I'm not sure if they're adult size though.
There are also seals for tots to ride on while parents push.

I wouldn’t use one. It was in the news a couple of weeks ago that a child had his fingers sliced off when he stumbled while using a penguin and another skater went over his fingers. If you’re not old enough to skate upright unaided then it’s safer to give it a miss.

LittleReindeer - how would you learn to skate if you don't get on the ice for the first time? No-one ever suddenly wakes up knowing how to do it.

Also, have you ever been in a car?

On a quiet ice rink with a parent holding your hands and ensuring your safety. These skating aids are unsafe imo, especially on busy rinks - kids fall off and then accidents happen.

@LittleReindeer there are risks in many sports. Even a soft play center. 5 year olds are old enough to skate upright unaided. Our local rink let them onto lessons from 5. My 5yo can move around without a penguin but not skating properly. (She pushes with only her right leg). It’s not necessary to get a skate aid and I don’t think it helps anyone to learn skating. Similar to bicycle trainer wheels. But OP aren’t looking to getting her kids or herself learning to skate. But just having some Christmas fun.

Ah I see what you are saying. Just the penguins are unsafe. @Helloitsmemargaret I taught mine by asking them to walk with little steps in a v shape. You don’t learn with any skate aids IMHO. It doesn’t help you learn the balance. You also teach new skaters how to fall safely and getting up from the ice.

We get penguins for little kids and polar bears for bigger people here!

The OP has already said she can't skate so I'm not really sure how she's going to ensure her child's safety anymore than a penguin aid would. More than likely the kid will pull them both over.

I agree that they won't teach a child to skate but they will let them both have fun. And the risk is in leaving hands on the ice not the penguin.

Dd is 10 and used a penguin when we went skating, it was very light and tbh not much use, everytime she got going it would tip over. She enjoyed sitting on it and being pushed around. I had a go with it, I can skate but it nearly pulled me over.
Just take it slowly, and enjoy it.

Deeside had penguins that are small enough for kids to push themselves along with or banana boat things that they ride on and a parent or older kid pushes

Seconding the PP who said if they can rollerblade then they can ice skate - it’s the same action on a different surface.

If you can’t ice skate, see if one of the staff members on the ice can give some pointers - in my experience they are very helpful. The penguins aren’t bad IMO, if you’re just looking for Christmas fun - your 5 year old will just push themselves about and if you’re able to you may end up pushing them (back breaking) while they sit on it.

Have them wear trackie bottoms, coats that cover their bums and fairly thick socks (rented ice skates come in varying shades of ‘ow’). Also gloves. Have fun!