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Before and After School at Wheels

September 20, 2018 by Writers

Are you looking for a cool, fun new way to keep your kids busy before and after school? At Wheels Skate Center in Odenton, MD, we now offer school-age child care! Skating is fun, affordable and so good for you, so it was only a matter of time before it became a child care craze.

The child care program at Wheels allows your children to stay physically active, make new friends, and learn every single day before and after school! Check out some of the program details below and give us a call to find out more.

Before and After School Program

Our program includes the following perks for your kids:

Daily Roller Skating and Weekly Roller Skating Class Instruction
Weekly Tae Kwon Do Instruction
Before and After-School Snacks
Organized Programs every day
Homework Quiet Time

Choose What Works for You

We offer two separate programs here at Wheels. Our morning program starts at 6:15 am and will provide transportation to school from our skating center. The morning program is available every weekday for only $50 per week.

Our after-school program is $150 per week and includes skating, homework time, snacks, and more! Our after-school program runs until 6:15 pm every weekday. You can also sign up for both morning and after-school programs for only $125 per week!

Serving the Entire Odenton Area

Our before and after-school programs are available for elementary school-aged children throughout the entire Odenton area. Participating schools include:

Odenton Elementary
Piney Orchard Elementary
Waugh Chapel Elementary
Four Seasons Elementary
Seven Oaks Elementary
Monarch Charter School

Have Fun and Save Money with Our Weekly Specials!

September 13, 2018 by Writers

Raising kids can be expensive, but that doesn’t mean that you and your family can’t have a little fun. With a little planning and some frugal living tips, you can still have a ball with your family.

In fact, Wheels Skate Center has lots of weekly skate specials so that you can enjoy inexpensive family fun in Odenton! Check out them out below:

Beginner Skate Lessons – Each Tuesday, we offer beginner skate lessons from 6:00-7:00 pm. This is a great way to teach your children to skate and admission is only $5!
Adult Skate – Family-fun is important, but don’t forget to make time for yourself. Each Tuesday Night we offer adult skate (21 and up only) from 7:30-9:30 pm. It makes a great date night or moms’ or dads’ night out! Admission is only $5.
Dollar Night – Each Wednesday night from 7:00-9:30 pm, we have a special dollar skate night. Admission is only $1 (this does not include rental, but you can bring your own skates).
Kid’s Fun Time – Each Saturday from 11:00 am-12:30 pm is Kid’s Fun Time! This special morning skate session is for kids 10 & younger (plus their parents) and includes a free 15-minute balance skate lesson. Admission is $5 and skate rentals are included.
Family Skate – Every Saturday night we offer free admission for Mom and Dad with a paid child admission. Admission is only $8, and skating runs from 8:00-11:00 pm.

So make your plans for a little Odenton family fun today! And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook to stay up to date on our all our specials and our special events!

Ready to Roll on Your Own Skates?

August 23, 2018 by Writers

If you love skating as much as us, you’ve probably considered buying your own skates. If you’re still on the fence, check out the pros and cons of buying skates below.

Renting

Renting is a great way to try out quad skates and inlines without needing to make a costly investment. When you rent from us, you don’t have to clean, maintain, or store your skates. If you’re considering getting skates for your children, renting is a great option so that they don’t outgrow their skates as fast as you can buy them!

Of course, when you rent, you’ll be more limited by what’s available, and you’ll have to pay each time you use them.

Buying

If you skate a lot, buying your own pair of quads or inline skates might be right for you. When you buy from our Pro Shop you can get the exact size, look, and features you want. This freedom is great for more seasoned skaters looking for more precision and customization.

The major downside of renting is that buying might be more expensive than renting (depending on how much you skate). There is also a time and cost commitment to maintaining your own pair of skates.

Do you think the rewards of skate ownership are right for you? Then come visit our Pro Shop!

We carry a ton of skates and skating accessories for sale, including many from Riedell and Southeastern Skate Supply. When you visit our Pro Shop, we’ll help you with fit and sizing. Plus, you can check out the many different styles and features available. And if you don’t find exactly what you are looking for, we’re always more than happy to order what you need!

Don’t Miss Out On Our Summer Camp

August 2, 2018 by Writers

Summer’s not over just yet and at Wheels Skate Center in Odenton, MD, we’ve still got some serious summer camp fun going on! Don’t let all those back-to-school commercials get you down. There’s plenty of time left to get your skate on.

2018 Summer Fun at Wheels

Are your little ones ready to skate the rest of summer away? At Wheels Skate Center, our summer camp is still going strong. Take advantage of our summer camp deals from now through Friday, August 31st.

We’re offering summer camp Monday through Friday for three more weeks! Check out the different options and figure out what works best for your kids while summer is still here.

Half-Days

We are offering skate camp from noon until 3 pm every weekday until the last week of August. For just $5 your little skaters will get three hours of rink time with skate rentals included.

All-Day Skate Party!

We also offer all-day camp from 7 am to 6 pm for just $25 a day. That includes skate rentals, breakfast, afternoon snacks, and activities all day long! But parents, remember that you need to pre-sign for the all-day skate.

Fun and Good for You

Skating isn’t just a blast for kids of all ages, it’s also a great way to help the little ones stay in shape while school is out. Skating can burn up to 600 calories an hour and coming to our summer camp even twice a week will keep your kids in great shape all summer long! Plus skating improves balance, increases stamina and is a great way to make new friends. Seems like a no-brainer to us!

Drop by and make the rest of this summer break something to remember.

Tips for a Better Summer Birthday Party

July 18, 2018 by Writers

No matter the time of year, birthdays can be so special. It’s a whole day that is dedicated completely to celebrating the life of a single person! So, if you’re looking for a birthday party venue in Odenton, MD, for your child’s birthday party – you’ve come to the right place. Wheels Skate Center is one of the best birthday party venues around! To make your little one’s birthday so special, consider these tips:

Change Up the Venue

Since summer gets so hot, summer birthdays are often hosted at the pool. While pool parties are always fun, they get a bit repetitive. So, why don’t you change up the birthday party venue? We suggest booking a birthday party at Wheels Skate Center. Your birthday girl will love the environment, fun music, and flashy lights. And, we know you’ll love our unbeatable prices connected to our birthday party packages!

Make the Invitations

A great way to get your child hyped about her birthday is for her to help you make the invitations! You can ask her to decorate the outside of the invitation; or, if she’s old enough, she can fill out all of the information. You can also teach her how to address an envelope and where to correctly place a stamp!

Celebrate Your Child for a Week

One of the best ways to get your child excited for her birthday party is to make small gestures leading up to the party. So, for the week leading up to her birthday, do something sweet once a day. Here are a few examples: make a kid-friendly breakfast, take her to her favorite ice cream shop, decorate her room with balloons, bake a cake together, and make her favorite home-cooked meal.

If you’re ready to book your child’s birthday party at Wheels Skate Center, contact us today! We can’t wait to celebrate your birthday girl!

A-Z: Ways to Keep Kids Active This Summer

July 5, 2018 by Writers

Kids are used to being around other kids their age eight hours a day, 180 days a year. So, when summer rolls around, they may easily get bored or quickly start picking on their siblings. Fortunately, there are plenty of things to do in the summer! That’s why the team at Wheels Skate Center has put together an A-Z list of things to do that will keep them active and occupied. Pick your favorites or try them all!

Advertise for your own garage sale
Blow humongous bubbles
Create a lemonade stand
Drive to a new park
Educate them about the history of roller skating
Find a new favorite restaurant
Go to Wheels Skate Center
Hike local trails
Initiate a pillow fight
Jump on the trampoline
Knit hats for cancer patients
Look for geocaching hotspots
Make different types of dessert
Nickname everyone in the family
Organize the basement
Paint a pretty picture
Qualify for a 5k in the community
Restore old furniture
Stare at the stars
Take a trip to the nearest beach
Unbox buried treasure (or bury treasure for next year)
Visit a local farmer’s market
Watch a movie in theaters
Xenium (give a gift to a stranger)
Yodel with friends
Zig-zag through a corn maze

Some of these activities may take days, and other activities may take a few minutes. But, one activity you can be sure will give them hours of endless fun is time spent at Wheels Skate Center! Let them invite their friends to the rink and watch the fun unfold. Check out our hours. We can’t wait to see you soon!

4 Roller Skating Etiquette Tips Every Skater Should Know

June 15, 2018 by Writers

Summer has arrived! And, we can’t wait to welcome all the new and seasoned roller skaters to the rink. We know that many people believe roller skating is a fun activity in Odenton, Maryland, and we couldn’t agree more. To help all skaters have a good time, check out these roller skating etiquette tips before heading to the rink:

Know Where to Skate

You can skate anywhere you’d like on the roller skating rink. But, most skaters who want to practice their tricks and dance moves do so in the middle of the rink. Skaters who want to race around the rink or just glide with ease do so near the rink’s edges.

Don’t Stop on the Rink

Whether you’re trying new roller skating tricks or speeding around the rink, it’s important not to stop on the rink itself. If you do, you become an obstacle that other skaters must go around. If you need to take a break, tighten your laces, or just need to stop, hop off the rink.

Respect the Space of Others

Collisions occur when skaters get too close. To prevent this painful occurrence, give the skaters around you plenty of space. If you do accidentally trip and fall, pull your fingers and arms in close so they don’t get squished by roller skates. Get up as quickly as possible to prevent an injury.

Have Fun with Friends

At Wheels Skate Center, we have upbeat music, an enthusiastic ambiance, delicious snacks, and much more. So, enjoy this time with your friends! Your good attitude will be contagious and everyone around you will have a blast.

Now that you know roller skating etiquette tips, head to Wheels Skate Center! Check out our schedule, and enjoy hours of endless fun.

Discover the Interesting History of Roller Skating

June 1, 2018 by Writers

Just like your favorite story, roller skating has a unique and interesting tale to tell. Dating back to the 1700’s, roller skating has transformed and grown exponentially since its first years. Lucky for us, we are living in an age where roller skating safety and having fun are both very important! Discover the interesting history of roller skating (and a few fun facts):

1760 – Before America officially declared independence from England in 1776, John Joseph Merlin created a very primitive set of inline skates. (Supposedly, Merlin wore his skates to a masquerade party. But, because he was not a good skater, he crashed into a large mirror and got very hurt!)
1863 – It took over 100 years for roller skates to finally be designed that had impressive maneuverability. Before James Leonard Plimpton designed the quad skate in 1863, many men had designed other skates that could only be used if going forward. Fortunately, Plimpton’s new design revolutionized the roller skate.
1902 – A public skating rink was opened at the Chicago Coliseum in 1902. By the early 1900’s, skating was a fascination among Americans, and over 7,000 people attended opening night at this public skating rink! This was not the first skating rink to surface, however. Rinks all over the world, including in England and Brussels, were opened decades before this one.
1993 – Dating back centuries before, safety had always been an important aspect of the roller skate design. In 1993, Active Brake Technology was invented and implemented to increase safety for the skater. This revolutionized skating increased its popularity even more.

Roller skates continue to improve and exceed expectations. If you’ve never given this fun activity a chance, you need to try it today! Head to Wheels Skate Center for a good time. Check out our schedule.

How to Choose Between Inline Skates & Quad Skates

May 16, 2018 by Writers

Roller skating is an awesome hobby to choose. It provides a social outlet, boosts emotional health, contributes to weight loss, and builds muscle definition. If you’re just now getting into this awesome pastime, you may be wondering if you should skate in quads or inlines.

Fortunately, there’s a simple way to figure out which one you should start skating with and when to move onto the other skate. Check out the details:

Quad Skates

If you’re a beginner, quad skates are always a good choice. Quad skates, better known as roller skates, help beginners perfect their balancing skills and get used to moving on wheels instead of on their feet. The stability and balance that quad skates offer can even help you skate better. This occurs because you won’t have to work so hard to balance and stay upright. You will quickly be confident in your ability to skate! Once your skating skills grow, you’ll be ready to try inline skates.

Inline Skates

Inline skates, commonly referred to as rollerblades, are boot-like skates that have four wheels. These wheels are arranged in a straight line. Because of this design, inline skates are able to maneuver much easier than quad skates. Skaters can whip around corners or around obstacles easily. Probably the most important aspect of inline skates is speed! Skaters love the speed associated with roller blades. And, if you want to skate for hours on end, you can try different things to increase your endurance.

Summer at Wheels Skate Center is an absolute blast! Don’t miss out on the fun. Check out our schedule today.

Celebrate Summer at Wheels Skate Center!

May 3, 2018 by Writers

It’s time to celebrate the end of the school year with a party! With the end of the school year approaching, deadlines and events are piling up and everyone’s feeling the pressure. Why would you want to add something new to the to-do list by throwing an end-of-the-year party? We’ll tell you why!

First of all, it’s time to let loose and celebrate! Kids, parents, and teachers have worked hard for many months and accomplished a lot. Celebrate your successes and reward yourselves for getting through it in one piece. Say goodbye to friends, share memories, and keep friendships strong by staying in touch during the break. And don’t forget that skating is a great way to stay active and fight summer brain drain.

A party doesn’t have to be stressful or expensive. Book your celebration at Wheels Skate Center and you’ll find we do all the heavy lifting. You won’t need to worry about setting up, cleaning up, planning activities, or providing food (except a party cake, if you’re celebrating a special event). Birthday party packages include paper goods and food options. For other groups, you can take advantage of our snack bar or bring your own food and drinks for just a $50 fee. Not many venues let groups bring their own food! Our packages are affordable and designed to meet your needs.

Don’t forget: when you’re planning a group event, early is better. Fill out our party/group request form and someone from the staff at Wheels will get back to you to begin planning yours!