REVIEW: Toddler Time at Skate Bournemouth

The thought of taking my four year old daughter ice skating for the first time filled me with both excitement and a little bit of fear.

I'm a bit of a Bambi on ice, and although my daughter is a game girl, she's never been on skates before so I was slightly anxious that we wouldn't even make it on to the ice - but I needn't have had any concerns.

Parents - Skate Bournemouth are really well set up for families, however, I really recommend that you take advantage of the Toddler Time/Family sessions for a stress free and relaxed experience. Evenings at Skate are heaving! It looks fantastic fun with louder music than Toddler Time and it's super atmospheric in the dark with all the festive lights, but I suspect my daughter would have been overwhelmed by the crowds and I would have been worried about her safety.

Toddler sessions run every weekday morning from 10.30am to 1pm and there's a fantastic offer available until 10th December; a ticket for 1 adult, 1 child and a skate aid is just £17! (normally £28). Only valid for the 10:30, 11:45 and 13:00 sessions).

We parked in the Bath Road North Car Park (between the pier and gardens), there are plenty of spaces and the five minute festive walk through the Christmas Tree Wonderland towards the Skate Ice Rink got us feeling really excited and festive. We arrived early for our session so there was time to soak up the atmosphere in Moguls Alpine Bar and we enjoyed a fully loaded hot chocolate (it really was fully loaded too - with flakes, marshmallows, maltesers and cream). The bar is heated and the decor really makes you feel like you're in an Apres Ski Bar. 

Full of sugar and raring to go, we headed in to the rink area. We were given tokens for the skates and locker and then collected our skates and put away our belongings (all very quick and straightforward), then made our way on to the Ice.

The staff were really friendly and made a fuss of Florence and showed her how to use her skate aid and waited to make sure she was confident.

The skate aids are fantastic - she sat down first whilst I pushed her but after just half a lap of the rink and seeing everyone else have a go, she was keen to give it a go. The rink is large and there's plenty to hold on to so she alternated between using the skate aids and the sides and enjoyed stopping to have a giggle and taking it all in - there's lots to see on and off the rink!

I was so pleased that we went along for the toddler session as she didn't once worry about what she or anyone else was doing and just really happily enjoyed her first experience of ice skating!

After half an hour she did start to tire a little but the staff noticed and were so lovely and skated over and had some friendly banter with her and she soon developed a second wind.

There is a little area to have a rest right by the rink and it's easy to skate off and get back on and Florence definitely benefited from a few rests.

The hour whizzed by and we finished off our visit with a little walk around the Christmas Market - Florence then fell asleep within a few minutes of getting in the car, a clear sign of a fun and active morning!

TGt's Top Tips for Parents taking the kids to Skate Bournemouth:

• Take kids to the morning sessions to avoid the crowds
• Treat them to a fully loaded hot chocolate in the Alpine Bar (the coffee and mulled wine is decent for us parents too)
• Toilets are located in Moguls Bar so try and go before you get on the ice as you'll have to remove skates and walk all the way round
• Buggy friendly - there are ramps and the staff will keep the buggy safe for you, just check it in along with your locker items
• Take advantage of the skate aids
• Allow time to enjoy the Christmas Tree Wonderland and Christmas Market while you're there
• There was lots of available parking close by at the car parks by the pier
• It's contactless only, cash not accepted
• Although you'll avoid the crowds in the morning sessions, we recommend you book in advance 

Toddler Time

Little ones can enjoy the ice rink this Christmas with Toddler Time on weekday mornings. *Until 15th December 2023 from Monday - Friday from 10.30am - 11.45am you can get a discount. 1 Adult, 1 Child and 1 Skate Aid for only £20.50! (Normally £32)

To find out more about Skate Bournemouth or to book please visit their website HERE!