We’re at the start of not only a new year, but a whole new decade! If there were ever a time to make some New Year’s resolutions, it’s now. Instead of a lengthy list of overly-optimistic personal to-do items that you’re unlikely to ever complete, why not try something a little different? 

This year, try making some resolutions with your family! After all, you spend more time with them than anyone else. Plus, it always feels better to tackle a job with help instead of on your own. Check out these New Year’s resolution ideas for your family in 2020. 

Family New Year’s Resolutions

Spend more quality time together.

Families are so busy these days, which makes it hard to spend quality time together. Even when you are in the same physical space, it’s likely that you’re all absorbed in your own electronic devices, playing mobile games, Snapchatting, scrolling endlessly on Instagram, watching streaming services, and whatever else you’re addicted to checking or doing on your phone. If you’re tired of the day-to-day grind and want to make a change, make a family resolution to spend more quality time together. That means everyone needs to unplug—yes, even you, parents!  

Roller skating is the perfect way to do that. At Lanham Skate Center, you can have a fun family outing that everyone can enjoy, and it’s affordable to boot! Check out our skating sessions to find the ones that work best for your family, and set a weekly or monthly date that everyone in the family keeps clear for hangout time. You’re sure to make some priceless family memories at the skating rink. 

Be more active. 

Speaking of “unplugging” from technology, we could all stand to do less sitting and more moving! The best way to ensure everyone in your family is staying active is to plan active things to do during family time, like roller skating! 

Roller skating is a full-body workout that makes exercise so fun, you won’t want to go back to the treadmill. Your kids will be having such a blast at the skating rink that they won’t even realize how much exercise they’re getting, but you can feel good knowing that your family fun day included a healthy dose of cardiovascular exercise. 

Celebrate special moments. 

This year, give the special moments in life their due. Let’s face it, you probably won’t look back on your life and think, “Gee, I wish I would have worked more weekends.” Instead, make it a priority to be present for the soccer games, birthday parties, and other milestones. 

Our skating parties make any occasion extra special, whether you’re celebrating a birthday or having a team party.

Whatever resolutions you make in 2020, we hope to see you and your family for plenty of fun at Lanham Skate Center!

Whether you’re shopping for the holidays, a birthday, or a “just because” gift for a child, you can’t go wrong with the gift of roller skates! Gifting a pair of roller skates is so much more than just the physical object. Learn why you should buy roller skates for your kids, grandkids, nieces or nephews—and why you just might want to treat yourself to skates, too!

Reasons to Buy Kids Roller Skates

There are so many reasons to buy your kids roller skates, but these are a few of the best. Read on to learn more from the skating pros at Lanham Skate Center!

Give Fun

For the ultimate gift, don’t just wrap up the skates. Instead, consider giving your child a pair of roller skates with a gift certificate or voucher to your local skating rink. Schedule a time to take them on a fun roller skating outing to try out their new skates or sign them up for skating lessons to help them learn how to use their gift. 

At our Lanham skating rink, we offer beginner roller skating lessons taught by Certified USA Roller Sports Coaches and members of The Society of Roller Skating Teachers. Classes take place on Saturdays and Tuesdays, and students can choose to attend one or two sessions a week. If your child masters the beginner skating techniques and is excited to learn more, we also offer advanced roller skating lessons, so contact us for availability and other information. 

Give Friendship

One of the best parts of roller skating is hanging out at the skating rink with friends and family. Skating is not just a good workout, it’s also a fun social activity that keeps you interacting with others in the community. There are always fun skating events to attend, and here at Lanham Skate Center, we strive to maintain a family-friendly, inclusive environment. From school fundraisers to birthday parties to open skating sessions, your child is sure to make some great friends at the skating rink. 

Give Fitness

Roller skating is an excellent fitness activity. According to Team USA Roller Sports, 

Roller skating provides aerobic, strength, and endurance benefits.  Research shows that roller skating can provide an aerobic workout similar to running that improves cardiovascular health.  Recreational skating also causes less stress to one’s joints than an activity like running. And, skating’s low-impact quality also allows people with joint injuries or chronic joint problems to enjoy a fun and thorough workout.

Skating in an indoor skating rink allows you to get a workout no matter the weather, and with great music and a fun atmosphere, it’s easy to see why roller skating is the most fun you can have working out! 

Ready to give the gift of fun, fitness, and friendship to the special child in your life…or even yourself? Peruse our skate catalogs and give us a call at 301-577-1733 to place your order today!

As the song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” The holiday season is supposed to be about spending quality time with the people we care about, but it also happens to be one of the most hectic and stressful times of the year for many people. 

Everyone loves a thoughtful gift, but don’t get so caught up in the hustle and bustle that you forget about what’s really important—shared experiences! Research even suggests that people who spend money on experiences instead of material objects are happier and feel more fulfilled. 

If you’re looking for ways to slow down and connect with your friends and family, check out these holiday activities coming up in and around Lanham. 

Family-Friendly Holiday Events Near Lanham

ZooLights at the National Zoo

Christmas lights + the National Zoo + kids = A whole lotta holiday fun! Head to the National Zoo for a free experience walking the grounds of the zoo amid over 500,000 energy efficient lights in colorful displays that are sure to dazzle (and also look great on your Instagram). In addition to the usual light displays you may have seen in previous years, this year’s event will feature glowing animal lanterns and an interactive art installation called “Entre Les Rangs.” There will be live music, yummy seasonal snacks, and holiday shopping opportunities. ZooLights is open from 5 pm to 9 pm through January 1st. (Except for December 24th, 25th, and 31st.) 

Public Roller Skating Sessions

You’re on a skating rink blog, after all! Roller skating is a great way to stave off cabin fever when the weather is nasty and your kids need to blow off some steam. Everyone will feel better after doing something active than they would if you stayed on the couch watching yet another Christmas movie you’ve already seen. Check out our schedule to see public skating session times, and remember to follow us on Facebook to hear about special events and deals! 

Enchant Christmas

Explore the world’s largest Christmas light maze at Nationals Park, featuring a 90,000 square foot light maze and a 100-foot lighted pine tree sculpture. There will also be ice skating, a holiday artisan and makers market, and showing of some of your favorite classic Christmas movie scenes from films like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and A Charlie Brown Christmas. 

Breakfast with Santa

Brunch and holiday activities for the kiddos? What could be merrier? Breakfast with Santa at La Fontaine Bleue is coming up on December 8th from 9 am to 1 pm. Kids under 5 eat free, and there will be photo ops with Santa, crafts, games, and face painting. (Reservations are required.) 

Whatever you get up to with your family this holiday season, we hope you make some fun memories!

We’ve shared when to buy or replace your roller skates, and why roller skates are a fantastic gift idea, but do you know what to do once you have your nice new skates in hand? Roller skate maintenance is super important if you’re going to get the maximum enjoyment and longevity from your skates, so check out our tips to learn how. These are the skate maintenance tasks you should do on a weekly basis. 

Weekly Roller Skate Maintenance

When you rent skates from us at Lanham Skate, you’re getting the convenience of a rental and all that entails—we take good care of our rental skates by cleaning, inspecting, and maintaining them on a regular basis. However, when you own your own roller skates, you’ll have to take care of their upkeep on your own. There are certain tasks you should do once in a while or as-needed, but these are the ones you should be taking care of on a regular basis. 

Tighten Toe Stops

Roller skating is a dynamic activity, and over time the vibrations from skating can cause certain parts of your skates to loosen up. Toe stops are a common culprit for this, so make sure that you tighten your toe stops each week. There are a couple of types of toe stops: 

• Adjustable toe stops
  • Hex lock nuts + tension washers – This type of stopper is common in mid- to high-range skates. You can tighten your hex lock stoppers by tightening the nut on the base of the toe stop with a crescent wrench. Don’t forget to squeeze the tension washers up against your plates; if you don’t, they might fall off while you’re skating. 
  • Allen key lock nuts – If you sprung for high-end skates, you’re probably dealing with allen key lock nuts. You can tighten these back up using an allen wrench or hex key. If you don’t, your toe stops might fall off while you’re skating. 
  • These types of toe stops are nice because they allow you to adjust the stoppers to your desired height; however, it’s important to make sure that the threaded stems of your toe stops are always screwed into your plate by at least half an inch. Failure to keep them at least half an inch into the plates can damage the plates and void your warrantly. 
• Non-adjustable toe stops
  • Common on kids skates and basic skate models, the non-adjustable bell toe stops can be tightened using a screwdriver (take a look to see if you need a flat head screwdriver or a Phillips head screwdriver). The toe stop bolt found in the middle of the stopper should also be tightened, but you can tighten it by hand. 

Tighten Wheel Nuts

The vibrations of skating can also work your wheel nuts loose, and you don’t want to skate on wheels that are not fully secured! If you find that you need to change your skate wheels pretty frequently, you may have worn out your wheel nuts. Another way to tell if your wheel nuts are loose is to shake your skate from side to side. If you hear clunking sounds, that means your wheels are moving back and forth on the axle of the skate and you need to tighten them.

To fix this, use a skate tool or half inch socket wrench to gently tighten the loose nut bit by bit. Your wheel should be able to spin freely but not move from side to side on the axle. Be careful not to damage the bearing on your wheel with your skate tool as you do this. 

Whether you need help choosing the right skates to buy or finding that one accessory to make your skates perfect for you, we’re happy to help! Just visit our Lanham, MD skating pro shop.

Look, we all know that it’s important to stay active for physical and mental health, but life is busy. From taking care of business at the office to playing chauffeur for your kids’ packed school and sports schedules, it’s easy to shift your own health and wellbeing to the back burner in favor of checking off your ever-expanding to-do list. That’s a recipe for boring gym workouts and maybe even choosing to just stay on the couch. 

Fortunately, you can get a full body workout without feeling like you’re being punished for something. Roller skating to the rescue! 

Roller Skating is a Full Body Workout

Here at Lanham Skate Center, we love sharing the joy of roller skating with people of all ages and abilities. Whether you have fond memories of skating as a child and would like to return to the rink, have never even put on a pair of roller skates, or have been tearing up the rink your whole life, you’re welcome to join us at any of our public skating sessions. 

Skating is good for your heart. 

Aerobic exercise (exercise that you can sustain for 10 minutes or more—think jogging, not sprinting) is incredibly important for your health, as it strengthens your heart and lungs. The American Heart Association even recognizes roller skating as an effective aerobic exercise, and researchers have found that roller skating can raise your heart rate from 140 to 160 beats per minute. Intense skating, like playing roller derby or speed skating, can even raise your heart rate to around 180 beats per minute!  

Skating builds strength. 

While it’s pretty obvious that roller skating can build up your leg muscles, it’s actually a better full body workout than you might think! In addition to strengthening and toning your quads, glutes, hamstrings, shins, calfs, and hips, skating also engages your core muscles. These super important muscles are located in your torso and are extremely important for posture, preventing back pain and injuries. The core muscles include your abs, pelvic floor, and the muscles that run along your spine. 

Roller skating engages your core muscles, as well as your arms, because you are constantly having to shift your body weight to maintain balance as you roll. While these movements are less noticeable than the actions of your legs, the small balancing movements can be a surprisingly good workout for your core and upper body!

Skating is low-impact. 

Some exercises are high-impact, meaning they put a lot of pressure on your joints. (Running, CrossFit, and sports like basketball, tennis, and soccer are all examples of high-impact exercise.) Low-impact exercise is more gentle on your joints, which is important for preventing injury and joint pain, especially in older or overweight people. Low-impact exercises include swimming, water aerobics, weight training, and—you guessed it—roller skating! 
It’s never too late to learn to skate, so check out our Lanham skating lessons and get ready to roll your way to fun and fitness!

October is known for all kinds of autumnal fun, from corn mazes and hayrides to trick-or-treating and carving jack-o-lanterns. But there’s something else special about October—it’s also National Roller Skating Month!  At Lanham Skate Center, we love sharing the joy of roller skating with families in and around Lanham, especially during the official appreciation month. Read on to learn 5 fun ways to celebrate National Roller Skating Month. 

Take a lesson.

If you’re not super confident on roller skates, that’s OK! Skating comes more naturally to some folks than it does to others, but taking a skating class is a great way to get caught up and find your skating stride. 

Our roller skating classes take place every Tuesday from 6:30 to 7:30 pm, and every Saturday from noon to 1 pm. We also have skate mates available for rental on Sundays from 1 to 7 pm, which can be helpful for little ones who are still finding their footing. 

Book a party. 

Nothing says party time like the roller skating rink! If you or a loved one has a birthday coming up soon, go ahead and make a reservation for your roller skating party. There’s no need to clean your house, fuss over food and drinks, and spend time decorating, all of which leave you feeling tired before the guests even arrive. (Not to mention the mess you get to clean up afterward.) Instead, leave the details to us and throw a party you’ll actually be able to enjoy!

Make a date. 

With the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it can be hard to make quality time with the one you love. Why not plan a fun, unique date night for your significant other? Roller skating is a great option for quirky dates because it’s got all the elements of a good date: Fun, ambiance, great music, and an excuse to hold hands. 

Plan an event. 

When it comes to school fundraisers and PTA events, we’ve got your back! Roller skating fundraisers are a great way to ensure turnout for your event and drive donations, whether for a school project, a field trip, or another great cause. Our Lanham skating rink can handle large crowds with ease, so you can relax and enjoy the event. Plus, people are more generous when they’re happy… And it’s basically impossible to be unhappy on roller skates! 

Get connected. 

There are so many more ways to celebrate National Roller Skating Month, but we’d be here all day! So we’ll just leave you with one last way—connect with us on social media. It’s the best way to stay up-to-date on all of our upcoming events, specials, and more. And it’s not a one-way street; we’d love for you to join the conversation and share your photos and videos with us on Facebook and Instagram! Just remember to mention or tag us in your posts to be sure we see them.  

Who doesn’t love Halloween? The holiday is a great excuse to let your inner kid go wild, from the candy to the costumes. If you’re looking for great Halloween costume ideas for 2019, you’re in the right place. Check out some of our favorite Halloween costumes that go great with roller skates, so you can be the talk of the skating rink or the block party! 

Halloween Costume Ideas for 2019

• Hawkins forever – Channel everyone’s favorite gang of lovable misfits with a Stranger Things group costume! You can’t go wrong with Eleven’s iconic pink-dress-plus-blonde-wig look, but the third season gave us plenty of other style inspiration, from Hopper’s floral shirt to Billy’s lifeguard look, and of course the unforgettable Scoops Ahoy sailor outfits rocked by Steve and Robin! 
• Reign supreme, disco queen – The number one costume choice for a roller skating Halloween party is obvious: Roller disco, baby! While roller skating has been enjoyed through many decades, nothing is as synonymous with roller skating as the sparkly, shiny, polyester-y looks of roller disco. And don’t forget to wear plenty of eye shadow for a historically accurate disco makeup look! 
• Make it magical, Sabrina-style – What could be more Halloween-appropriate than Sabrina and her frenemies, the Weird Sisters? Dark, long sleeved dresses with oversized lace collars make this a relatively easy group costume to pull off. Don’t forget the headbands and dark lipstick! If you have a larger group, include other characters like Hilda and Zelda, Ambrose, Father Blackwood, Harvey, Roz, Theo, and Dr. Cerberus.
• Cause some trouble as the Derry Girls – If you’ve watched Derry Girls on Netflix, you know this is the perfect costume for a friend group, especially if your squad finds its way into more than its fair share of trouble. All you’ll need is some Catholic school-esque attire; think plaid skirts, sweater vests, blazers, ties, and some delightfully bad 1990s hair styles. (A side pony and/or crunchy bangs will make the look.)  
• Play the game of thrones– Regardless of what you thought of the finale, the final episode of Game of Thrones marked the end of an era. The possibilities are vast, thanks to the huge list of characters in the show, but some of the most costume-worthy are Daenarys and her dragons, the Lannister siblings, Jon Snow, Sansa and Arya Stark, Lord Varys, Khal Drogo, Melisandre, and of course, the Night King. Just remember to keep robes, dresses, and capes short or pinned up so they don’t cause you or another skater to trip! 
• Embrace your inner kid – 2019 has been a good year for the inner kid in all of us, from Toy Story 4 to Detective Pikachu. It’s pretty easy to find costumes of Buzz, Woody, and Bo Peep at local Halloween stores or online. Or if you’re in more of a closet costuming mood, you can probably whip up a Pokemon trainer outfit from clothes you already own! For extra cool points, orchestrate a whole group of friends dressed as Pokemon trainers and various Pokemon. 

September is National Self-Improvement Month, a time to take stock of where you are in life, from personal relationships and professional development to fitness and social goals. What’s going well, and what do you wish were going better? There are a lot of ways to improve yourself, from small, practical lifehacks to major life changes, but what’s most important is for you to decide what you want to change and how you’re willing to make it happen. If you’re stuck for ideas, check out these 3 self-improvement ideas you can do right here at Lanham Skate Center! 

Make a difference. 

Life can get pretty busy, especially if you have kids, so it can be easy to let charitable activities fall by the wayside. If there’s a cause close to your heart, you can make a difference by raising money with a roller skating fundraiser! Contact us to learn about our private events and fundraiser parties for schools, sports teams, charities, scouting groups, and other worthy causes. 

Be more active. 

Speaking of being busy, how often do you make it to the gym? One important way to improve your life is by getting more exercise! Let’s face it, one of the biggest obstacles for most people is boredom; it’s hard to be motivated to get your workouts in when you’re bored. Fortunately you can jumpstart your physical activity by including some new and fun activities. Roller skating is an excellent choice, because it’s not only fun and social, but can also give you a great full-body workout. Skating strengthens your core and lower body, improves cardiovascular conditioning, and can even help you gain better balance and agility. Check out our schedule to see our open skating sessions. 

Strengthen your relationships. 

One of the most common regrets people express later in life is not spending enough time with loved ones. Whether it’s your spouse, your children, your siblings, your best friend, or even your parents, make it a point to spend some quality time together. Plan a date night with your spouse and enjoy skating to “your song” and holding hands like you did when you first met. Schedule a regular family fun night with your kids when everyone puts down their devices, unplugs, and just has fun hanging out. 
Whatever your self-improvement goals may be, we hope to see you soon at our Lanham skating rink!

If you are anything like us, those ASPCA commercials with Sarah McLachlan playing in the background get you every time. These commercials on the television or the person you see on the street corner make you feel compelled to help in some way.

With all of the hurricane destruction in the forefronts of our minds and televisions, many people are wondering how they can help. Well, there are tons of organizations to donate money, supplies and even blood to. However, why not do something different? Lanham Skate is the perfect place to host the most fun fundraiser yet! Sure, you can throw a bake sale or clothing drive, but doesn’t a skate party sound more fun?

4 Reasons why a skate party makes the best fundraiser

1. Excuse to get the family all together for a night of fun.
2. Ability to meet and interact with new parents in a social setting.
3. Skate parties do not take a lot of money up front or time planning.
4. Local businesses love supporting local organizations.

Here are some ways to make a skating fundraiser even more fun:

• Have a competition between grades, schools in the district, or sports teams to see who has the most attendees and monetary donations.
• Create a theme for the fundraiser.
  • You could do a unified theme like favorite sports jerseys, decades, luau, etc.
  • You could do a divided theme, like color wars, if you plan on doing a competition.
• Suggest costumes with the themes and have a costume contest.

There are so many different ways to get people involved while still having a blast. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions about your next fundraiser or party with Lanham Skate.

They say time flies when you’re having fun, but it’s still hard to believe that the first day of school for students in Prince George’s County will be in less than a month, on Tuesday, September 3rd! While you’re checking off those school supply lists, shopping for clothes and backpacks, and stocking up on hand sanitizer, don’t forget to make a reservation for your back-to-school party at Lanham Skate Center! 

Why host a back-to-school party at all? 

There are many reasons to celebrate the start of a new school year with a roller skating party, but these are a few of our favorites: 

• Keep the summer fun going – Returning to a rigid schedule full of catching the bus, homework, and all of the other school year responsibilities can feel like a lot for kids, especially if they’ve spent all summer with a less-structured schedule. A roller skating party will help them remember that the fun doesn’t stop just because school is in session. 
• Break the ice – Even more importantly, a back-to-school skating party can help new classmates break the ice and get more comfortable with each other. And it’s not just the kids who will benefit; parents and teachers will also appreciate getting to know each other outside of the drop-off/pick-up line. 
• Get the kids moving – Summer is a sedentary season for many kids, which can contribute to childhood obesity. Kick off the year with some physical activity by throwing a skating party. Roller skating is a great workout that doesn’t feel like a workout, even though you’re strengthening muscles, improving balance, and burning calories. 

No matter what kind of event you’re planning, we can help you make it a winner! Check out our group event info page to learn more, and give us a call to make your school group reservation today.