Blog - Rainbow Rink

Skate Skills Playlist

April 20, 2022 by Writers Leave a Comment

Having a variety of skate skills can be so much fun! Instead of walking you through how to do some fun tricks on the rink, we wanted to show you. We compiled some of our favorite tricks of varying skill levels to share with you.

Here’s our list of great videos for tips to elevate your skating skills:

Beginner Tricks

You’ve mastered the rink, and now it’s time to start learning some tricks! The two foot jump, bunny hop, and spread are a great place to start. This video will have you learning all of these tricks in no time to show out to all your friends!

Learn To Dance

If you’re ready to get your groove on while you skate, start learning some easy dance moves from this video! You can add some spice to your skating out on the rink with these moves.

How To Spin

Everyone wants to learn how to spin on skates, because it looks so cool! This video will walk you through the process of learning how to. You’ll be spinning out in the middle of the rink very soon!

Trucking or Jam Skating

Learn how to do the classic jam skating! Impress anyone from any generation with your moves and just get into the rhythm on the rink.

How To Do A Barrel Roll

How many people do you know that can do a barrel roll in skates? Probably not many! This video will take you through one of the hardest tricks on roller skates. Be patient with yourself, we know you’ll have it in no time!
We can’t wait to see you nailing these tricks at Rainbow Rink! We’ll see you soon!

Mind Your Manners: 2022 Birthday Party Guest Etiquette

March 25, 2022 by Writers Leave a Comment

Birthday party etiquette can be a bit of a tricky subject – there aren’t really many clear cut rules for children’s birthday parties. Once your kid hits a certain age, invitations to parties start flowing in, which also brings a ton of uncertainty that can feel overwhelming as a parent.

To combat that feeling, here are the 4 things we suggest you do to mind your party manners:

RSVP

We’ll keep this one simple: always RSVP and respond either way. Confirming whether your child can make the party or not allows the host to plan accordingly.

Coordinate your children

We know that it can sometimes be difficult to coordinate separate activities for multiple kids, especially if you are still at the age where parents stay at birthday parties. However, paying for extra kids that weren’t technically invited is a burden no party parent should face. Clear communication is the key here! If you need to bring a sibling or two, please check with the host first. If it is okay with the host, pay for your other children. You know your child best, so if there’s a possibility they could be a disruption to the fun, try to make other arrangements.

Follow parent wishes about gifts

Showing up empty-handed can be a bit awkward, but more than ever, some families are asking for no gifts or a donation to local charities. A good rule of thumb is to follow whatever the invitation indicates. If it asks for no gifts, respect the family’s wishes!

Communicate about expectations

All kids hit the magical age where a birthday party invite means you drop them off! But how do you know if it is a drop off party? If it wasn’t mentioned, check in with the host. If you feel a bit indifferent about leaving your child there, it’s more than okay to stay! The host will likely welcome an additional adult!

When it’s all said and done, a child’s birthday party shouldn’t be a stressful event for your family. If you have questions, ask them!

Stay Sane During Spring Break!

March 21, 2022 by Writers Leave a Comment

Spring break is quickly approaching! That means it’s time to make some outing plans to ensure you and your kids don’t go stir-crazy inside of your house. We know what that feels like and wouldn’t want it to happen to you, so we’ve come up with some suggestions to help keep you sane.

Here’s some fun activities we think you should do on spring break:

Explore a park

A park day is the perfect idea for a beautiful, sunny day. Be sure to pack a picnic basket, blanket, outdoor toys, anything else to keep your kids having fun, and lots of water for everyone!

Learn something new

They may not want to take a learning opportunity over spring break, but look into what exhibitions your local children’s museums are having! If it’s something your children are interested in, take them! They’ll enjoy the experience without even realizing you tricked them into learning more during their week out of school!

Catch a movie

This is a perfect rainy day option over spring break! Take your children to the latest movie they’ve been begging you to see. Grab some popcorn and make it a whole family trip.

Make new animal friends

Though they may be a bit crowded during spring break, your kids will enjoy spending time with the animals or fishes and will also get some extra energy out of their systems while walking around.

Hit the rink

Of course, we couldn’t not mention roller skating! We’d love to have you here at Rainbow Rink anytime school is out!

We hope these tips help you stay sane during spring break, and to see you and your family rolling with us at Rainbow Rink!

How To Relieve (And Prevent!) Skating Pain

February 24, 2022 by Writers Leave a Comment

Sometimes the things we love the most can cause us the most pain, and unfortunately skating can be a part of that. Roller skating can cause a variety of injuries to the foot with a variety of levels of discomfort. This can include pain on the bottom, top, or sides of the foot.

Skating, along with other sports, can become difficult or even impossible without proper foot care. Thankfully, there are ways to relieve your pain from skating and prevent it from happening again in the future.

Boot-Related Foot Pains

Poorly fitted skating boots can contribute to foot pain. Properly fitted boots can help you remain pain free and skating strong! You’ll want to avoid boots that are the wrong size, whether they are too small or too large, the boots will cause pain. Blisters are another thing to be aware of with ill fitting skate boots. Another thing to avoid is lacing your boots too tightly, which is known as lace bite or skate bite. Lacing your boots too tightly can irritate the soft tissue on the tops of your feet.

How To Prevent Pain

The best news is that most roller skating pain is completely preventable! Having skates that fit correctly and are properly padded is half of the battle. Another way to prevent skating pain is proper stretching and warmups before stepping on the rink. Lower body stretches that stretch out your lower back, hips, legs, and feet help gear your body for the exercise you do while skating.

Many skaters that have foot, ankle, or knee problems wear custom inserts that help align their skates properly. These gel inserts or heel supports can relieve pain during skating.

When foot pain occurs, it’s important to reduce or stop skating until the pain is completely gone. If you have any swelling or discomfort, elevate your affected foot and apply ice to the affected area for 20 minutes to reduce any pain or swelling.
If you’re interested in better fitting skates or ways to upgrade your skates to prevent foot pain, check out our Pro Shop. We hope these tips help you relieve and prevent skating pain!

4 Reasons To Spend Girls’ Night Out At Rainbow Rink

February 16, 2022 by Writers Leave a Comment

Girls’ night out has been known to be one of the best nights of the week. There’s even research that proves girls’ night is good for your health! So be sure to take a girls’ night as often as possible with your besties and do a kid-free activity. At Rainbow Rink, we have an Adult Retro Skate for 18 and up every Wednesday night!

Why should you spend your GNO at Rainbow Rink? We have 4 reasons for you:

Let loose and have fun!

We know skating probably isn’t your regular girls’ night activity, but why shouldn’t it be? During the Adult Retro Skate, it’ll be the perfect vibe for you and your girls to relax, skate, and just have fun!

Bond with your girls!

Life can sometimes get in the way of friendships. Having a regularly scheduled girls’ night is the perfect way to ensure that you will see your besties and spend quality time with them. Having your GNO at Rainbow Rink allows the bonding time to laugh, dance, and skate the night away!

Forget about stress!

Leave your stress at the door and just have fun! Trust us, you can’t dwell on your stress and skate at the same time. It’s virtually impossible!

Get a great workout!

You may not realize it while doing it, but skating is a great workout and has several health benefits! What better time to sneak in a little workout than while hanging out with your best girls?
On your next girls’ night out, be sure to come out and see us one Wednesday for our Adult Retro Skate from 8:00pm to 10:30pm. It’s $8 for admission and $4 for skate rental. We can’t wait to see you and all of your girls here at Rainbow Rink!

5 Tips to Take Your Skating To The Next Level

January 24, 2022 by Writers 2 Comments

Have you been working hard on your skating skills, but they’re still not where you wish they were? Don’t worry about it! Skating can be difficult, but Rainbow Roller Rink has your back.

Here are 5 tips that will help you take your skating to the next level:

Take a lesson or two.

This may sound silly, especially if you already know how to skate. In order to get better at a skill, we need to learn from someone who is better than us at it! You don’t necessarily need to take any form of formal lessons, but have a friend or family member who is great at skating teach you all their tips and tricks. They may tell you something you didn’t know or haven’t thought of!

Find your inner peace.

Be sure you’re relaxed before you start skating. You don’t want to overwhelm yourself! Take a deep breath, shake it off, and let go of all your worries!

Find your skating stance.

Having a good skating stance is very important. Make sure your knees are slightly bent, but not overly bent. You may feel like you’re going to fall and your body will naturally want to lean back, but resist the urge. Lean forward for the best balance and stay light on your feet. Remember, just keep moving!

Wear protective gear if needed.

Your protective gear can include things like elbow pads, knee pads, wrist guards, and a helmet. We know not everyone skates around in protective gear, but if you’re learning to skate or learning a new skill, it can come in handy!

Have some fun!

Skating is supposed to be fun, so no need to stress! Get out of your head and enjoy your time skating, you’ll find that muscle memory takes over.

Just remember skating is like any new skill, the best way to improve is just to keep practicing. Put these tips in use at Rainbow Roller Rink and see how quickly you can take your skating to the next level!

3 Health Benefits of Roller Skating

January 18, 2022 by Writers Leave a Comment

A new year means a new chance to start the year off healthier, right? But sometimes as a parent, it can be difficult to keep up with a regular exercise routine. Plus, no one wants to be out in the cold this time of the year and time spent at the gym means more time spent away from your family. What if you could have fun, get a workout in, be inside, and with your family all at the same time? It may seem impossible, but it does exist – roller skating. Rainbow Roller Rink is a great place to come to for everyone in the family to get a good workout!

Skating isn’t just a fun way to pass the time, it’s an activity the whole family can enjoy and it has several health benefits. Of the several, here are 3 health benefits of roller skating:

It burns calories.

An average sized adult can burn between 9 to 10 calories per minute of skating. This can add up quickly while spending at least a few hours at the skating rink with your family.

It builds muscles.

Skating is a great all over workout, but it concentrates a lot on your lower body by working your calves, quads, and glutes. It also helps build your core strength as you keep your balance and keep your muscles tight while you skate.

It’s low impact.

Running, jumping, and climbing are hard on your body and joints, but skating is low impact and puts minimal stress on your joints. Say goodbye to aches and pains from the gym and hello to skating!

Roller skating is so much fun and a great workout while spending quality time with your family. Rainbow Roller Rink is here to help your family stay healthy and have fun while doing it.

3 Out Of The Box New Years Resolutions That Will Be FUN To Keep!

December 28, 2021 by Writers Leave a Comment

Our resolutions more or less stay the same each year, yet we seldom keep them for a number of reasons. We have trouble creating good habits, we have no plan for how to accomplish the goals, or the resolutions aren’t entertaining in the slightest. This year, your friends at Rainbow Rink are helping you come up with three resolutions that will be fun for you and your family to keep in 2022.

Fun Fitness

If you’re like us, there is probably something on your resolutions list each year along the lines of “exercise daily” or “get moving more often”. We’re always aiming to get healthier, so why is it so hard to stick to this resolution? Our recommendation is to make your fitness efforts something you can do with the whole family! Activities like going to a trampoline park, indoor rock climbing, or roller skating are just a few ideas for things you can do to get your heartrate up that don’t involve hitting the gym. We’re not saying you should cancel your gym membership, but try to set aside time once or twice a week to participate in a different kind of exercise with your family!

Family Game Night

If you’re looking to spend more intentional time with your family, set aside time each week to play games after dinner! Not only will this be something for everyone to look forward to, but it’s a great way to unplug for a couple of hours and exercise your brain whether it be with a game of solitaire or a board game like Monopoly. If you don’t want to break the bank on games, buy a standard deck of cards and choose a game from this list.

Plan a Staycation

It’s easy to get caught up in the hubbub of life when you’re juggling work, school, family, and friendships. What better way to take a rest than to plan a staycation with your family? Staycations allow the family to stay at home, but participate in leisure activities within driving distance from your home (or plan some AT home). Have each family member come up with a local activity that excites them and plan to do them all in one weekend. Not only will this be fun for the whole family to plan, but you can do so without the hefty cost of out-of-town vacations!

Resolutions can be difficult to keep, but these exciting ideas won’t feel like a chore! Regardless of which resolutions you choose, the folks at Rainbow Rink are happy to help your 2022 be a year full of new experiences!

Gifts Every Skater Wants to Receive This Year

December 21, 2021 by Writers 1 Comment

If you have a roller skater in your life, you may be wondering what gift to get them for the holidays. I mean, what else is there besides…new skates? Well, we’re here to help. Here are a few thoughtful gifts that will have your skater friend feeling the joy of the holiday season (and won’t break the bank).

A Colorful Skate Leash

These cute rainbow skate leashes on etsy are the perfect inexpensive gift for any skater and make their skates easy to carry around! Pro tip: if you don’t find anything you like when you search for skate leashes, you can also search for yoga mat slings – they’re the same thing!

Funky Socks

Every good roller skater knows the socks are just as important as the skates, so why stick to basic ones? Help your skater express themselves with some fun socks like these on Look Human.

Roller Skate Charms

If your roller skater is someone who wears a lot of jewelry, this is the perfect gift for them, and truly the newest, trendiest thing for skaters: roller skate charms! It’s like a bracelet for your skates! Check some out here.

Toe Caps

The perfect way for a skater to step up their skate game is to add some eye-catching toe caps to their skates, like these glow-in-the-dark cow print ones from Roll Away Skate Shop.

Fresh Wheels

You don’t need to have special wheels to look cool skating, but it can’t hurt! These green cheetah print wheels are a wildly cool gift for the skating expert in your life. Plus, Moxi has plenty of other unique accessories for skaters!

No matter what you’re getting the skater in your life this year, don’t forget the BEST gift around: quality time spent together at Rainbow Rink!

Holiday Parties are Better on the Rink!

November 30, 2021 by Writers Leave a Comment

‘Tis the season to plan your holiday party! If you’re looking for a great holiday party venue in the greater Buffalo/Niagara County area, you’ve come to the right place. Read on to learn about our awesome holiday skating parties at Rainbow Roller Rink as we answer some party FAQs and share holiday party ideas.

Who should plan a roller skating holiday party?

We have hosted all sorts of events at our skating rink; large, small, and everything in between! We have private and public options so you can find the one that fits your group and your budget best. Roller skating holiday parties are great for:

Office/company parties
Team parties
School parties
Youth group events and church events
Fundraiser events
Neighborhood parties
Family reunions
Birthday parties
Bachelor/bachelorette parties
And much more!

What is included in our group parties?

One of our most popular group party options is our 2-hour private party. This includes up to 100 guests, but you can add additional guests for $4 per person. Roller skate or rollerblade rental is $4 each. These parties are available on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays (any 2-hour window) and on Sundays from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm only.

Your party will include your choice of music, supervised programmed activities, fully stocked concessions and game room, and a light show extravaganza. For an additional cost, your group can also get access to the bounce zone (only for kids 54″ and shorter). We can also arrange to have a bar if you request it ahead of time.

Fun ideas for holiday parties

Take your party up a notch with a theme or purpose. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Fancy dress party

Have everyone dress up as their favorite Christmas movie or book characters. (Just remember that costumes must be safe to skate in – no long dresses, robes, scarves, etc. as they pose a tripping hazard.) The options for this are endless: For something classic, opt for Santa Claus, Mrs. Claus, an elf, the Grinch, or Ebenezer Scrooge. You could also go with Ralphie from A Christmas Story, Kevin from Home Alone, John McClane from Die Hard, Clark Griswold from National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, or Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas!

Fundraiser or charity drive

Another great way to set your holiday party apart is by leveraging it for the greater good! Hold a coat or canned food drive and get your guests to bring a donation. You could also incorporate activities like a raffle or silent auction to raise money for your nonprofit of choice.