Wheels Skating Center

1200 Odenton Road | Odenton, MD | (410) 674-9661 | P.O. Box 439

A-Z: Ways to Keep Kids Active This Summer

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summer funKids 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

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roller skatingSummer 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

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roller skatingJust 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

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roller skateRoller 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!

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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!

3 Reasons Why You Should Take Up Roller Skating As a Hobby

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friendsAre you searching for a fun hobby or new activity that you can do in your free time? The team at Wheels Skate Center suggests roller skating! Millions of Americans skate every year during their free time. And, for good reasons!

Check out a few reasons why roller skating is a great hobby:

It Builds Muscle Definition

Are you looking for a fun way to lose weight and build muscle at the same time? Roller skating is the answer! After skating regularly, you’ll notice a difference in your muscle definition and loss of unwanted weight. And, this is one of the best ways to lose weight without taking a serious toll on your joints! (Other fun ways to lose weight include jumping rope, hiking with friends, and swimming in the pool.)

It Will Boost Your Emotional Health

When you exercise, you are releasing feel-good hormones called endorphins. These endorphins actually help people feel more relaxed and happy. So, when you’re headed to Wheels Skate Center to boost your physical health through exercise, you’re also giving your emotional health a workout, too!

It Provides a Social Outlet

Do you have activities where you get to interact with people other than school or work? Strengthening a child’s social skills or improving your own is an important part of life. When you roller skate, you will meet other like-minded people that you have something in common with – having fun!

At Wheels Skate Center, we have fun events for the whole family – Wacky Wednesdays, Kids Fun Time on Saturdays, and Adult Nite on Tuesdays are just a few. Bring your friends, kids, spouse, neighbors, and everyone in between to the skate center! Contact us today with your questions.

Roller Skate Maintenance: Simple Tips & Tricks

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roller skatesSpring is here, and that means millions of people are cleaning their homes, cars, lawn, and more. The team at Wheels Skate Center suggests cleaning your roller skates, too! By cleaning and maintaining them, they will stay in top condition for years to come. Check out two simple tips:

Rotate Your Toe Stops

Your toe stops are incredibly important, as they are your roller skates’ brakes! Over time, it’s likely that they will loosen. Make it a habit to check your toe stops regularly, and if they are loose, simply tighten them. If they look worn down, replace them to ensure safety. If you want to increase their longevity, rotate the toe stops just like you would the tires on a car.

Check & Clean Your Wheels

Your roller skates’ wheels need to be tight to ensure a safe ride. So, after several uses, check your skates’ wheels to make sure they aren’t loose. You can even rotate your wheels so they get an even amount of wear and tear. Dust or dirt may cling to your wheels as you skate, and this can make for a difficult glide. After every skate session, use a damp cloth to clean your wheels.

Although this is not essential to improve the longevity of your skates, replacing your roller skates’ laces can make them look fun and fresh. (Did you know that adjusting your laces can actually help you skate better?) When you’re done cleaning your skates, come to Wheels Skate Center and have endless hours of fun! Check out our hours.

How to Increase Roller Skating Endurance

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stretchingDo you absolutely love roller skating but can’t roller skate for very long? Fortunately, there are ways to improve your endurance! These easy steps will help you increase your longevity and get healthy by roller skating.

Set Aside Time for Stretching

Stretching is the key ingredient to a successful roller skating experience. But, why is stretching so important? When you stretch, you are loosening your muscles, increasing blood flow, and improving your range of motion. If you exercise without stretching, your muscles are tight and an injury is likely to occur. Make sure to stretch before and after you roller skate. This will dramatically help your endurance!

Get Healthy in All Areas

To maximize your endurance while roller skating, your body needs to be filled with nutritious food. If you eat junk food and drink soda often, your body may feel sluggish and unable to exercise properly. Make it your goal to eat properly and exercise often – before and after you head to the skating rink! Creating healthy meals for you and your family doesn’t have to take hours. Take a look at these 30 healthy recipes that can be made in 30 minutes!

Practice Roller Skating in Intervals

Pacing yourself is key to increase your endurance. While you’re skating at Wheels Skate Center, try roller skating very fast for about one minute. Afterward, give yourself a five-minute break where you glide around the rink. Then, try roller skating fast again. Do this several times until you feel like you can increase your “fast” time. This will help your endurance grow (plus it’s fun)!

Check out our schedule, then skate with us today! We look forward to seeing you soon.

Skate Problems? Adjust Your Laces!

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How do your skates feel? Nothing will ruin your roller skating experience faster than uncomfortable feet! If you’re sure that your skates are the right size but still having some problems, you may be able to adjust the laces to fix them. We see a lot of this at Wheels Skate Center. Check out some common skate fit problems and how to correct them!

If you have high arches, you may find that the top of your skates press uncomfortably against the top of your feet. Relace your skates to alleviate this without sacrificing the stability your feet and ankles need.

If you’re having trouble with your heels slipping around, double-check the fit of your skates and the thickness of your socks. If you’re not sure about the size skate you need, don’t guess! Ask the staff at Wheels Skate Center and let’s make sure. If you’re wearing the right size, consider this slightly more complex method of lacing your skates to keep your heels where they need to be.

Finally, if you have problems with your toes, toenails, etc. you’ll want to try a totally different lacing pattern. It may seem a little bit crazy, but trust us–it works!

As with any fit issue, you may need to experiment to find out what works best for you. You might even find that you need to lace your skates differently on different days. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box to make sure your skating time at Wheels is fun and pain-free!

Skating 101: Dress to Impress

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Since it’s still near the beginning of the year, let’s go back to basics for some Skating 101! At Wheels Skate Center we see a lot of awesome styles, but we want to talk about how to dress for the skating rink.

Lesson One: Socks!

Always wear socks when you roller skate. For one thing, it will save a lot of wear and tear on your feet, prevent blisters, and help your skates fit better, which in turn will help prevent you from slipping. That’s not all, though. The inside of your skates is already host to a lot of moisture and odor. Skipping socks intensifies that and can cause some pretty gross funk. Plus, are you renting your skates? We clean each pair, but do you really want to share skates with someone who doesn’t wear socks?

Lesson Two: Dress the Part

You want to make sure that your pants or skirt aren’t so long that they’re going to drag the ground–this is a safety hazard, as it could cause you to trip and fall and really hurt yourself. Fitted clothes will probably serve you best, and with all that exercise you’re sure to work up a sweat, so skip the sweater or wear layers!

Lesson Three: Pick Your Skates

Do you want quads (i.e. the traditional skates with two wheels in the front and two in the back) or inline skates? That depends on you! Quads are easier for balance but inlines give you better maneuverability.

Now that you’ve got the basics, come join us for some open skating at Wheels Skate Center!