Know Before You Go: Outdoor Skating with Kids at Hawrelak Park

With the gorgeous and mild weather we’ve been having, we’ve been getting outside more and more often with the kids. One of our favourite ponds in the city for skating can be found at Hawrelak Park – it’s huge! Find Hawrelak Park at 9330 Groat Road.

Skating at Hawrelak Park with Kids 

Skate Rentals | You can either bring skates with you, or rent them from the easily accessed rental shop at Hawrelak Park. Skate rentals are available at Hawrelak Park ONLY during Hawrelak Lake open ice times, daily 9 am until 10 pm.

Parking | Parking is nice and close by – but if you’ve got a bunch of skates and extra things that you’re going to bring with you, we toss them in one of the kids sleds with a rope, so it can be easily pulled along. That’s one of our hacks for doing things with younger children during the winter, without them complaining about having to carry things after they’ve spent some time on the ice.

Tip // the sled with a pull rope also comes in handy for kids that want to explore the entire perimeter of the pond, but they can’t skate the entire way out. 

Pavillion | When we’re skating with the kids, we prefer places where there are heated pavilions where we can put on and take off skates, and find beverages if we’ve forgotten to bring them with us.

Don’t Forget the Marshmallows | Bring marshmallows and have a fire at Hawrelak Park and enjoy one of the fire pits where you warm up, inside one of the pavilions or scattered through the park. For drinks, bring a thermos of hot chocolate, there are plenty of areas to site near the pavilion, on the edge of the rink, including a fire pit to warm up near.

Go Early | Go early for the best parking spots, and a rink that’s not entirely full of people just yet. This is a good tip for children who are just getting their skating legs, as they’ll have more room to skate around the pond without the fear of running into someone.

Skate Trainers | We spotted a couple of skate assists while we were skating, but there were plenty of kids and they may have brought their own. You can pick up a skate trainer for forty bucks at Canadian Tire, a lifesaver for one parent bringing multiple children skating on the pond.

What are some of your favourite places to skate outdoors in Edmonton with kids?