PROSPECT PARK — It’s never too early to learn how to roller skate.
Families and caregivers who want a break from the playground can head to open skate sessions for toddlers this summer at Lakeside skating rink in Prospect Park.
“Toddler Tuesdays,” being offered for the first time, are set aside for kids aged 2 to 5 to learn how to roller skate.
The rink’s head of programming, Cheri Perrone, said the tots are often unsteady on their feet but everyone has fun.
“It’s always trial and error when they get out there and first try it, but they’re always excited to come back and try it again,” she said. “To get up and glide, it’s so rewarding for them.”
Toddlers are welcome at the rink any day of the week, but the private, age-specific event allows kids the time and space to get the hang of wobbling across the floor with help from their parents or sitters, who are encouraged to join them on the rink — either in skates or sneakers.
“It’s an opportunity for the toddlers and the caregivers to interact in a fun setting and for the toddlers to do something that they may not always get to do,” Perrone said.
The skating sessions run from 9:30 a.m. to noon every Tuesday through Aug. 26. A $15 ticket for the day includes admission for a child and caregiver, skate and pad rentals for the toddler, an hourlong skating lesson from an instructor from 10 to 11 a.m., arts and crafts activities and “healthy snacks,” organizers said.
Parents and caregivers are encouraged to register in advance on the rink’s website and to remember socks for the kids and comfortable shoes for themselves. Adult skate rentals are available for $6, but are not mandatory.