Toys: Kids these days have A LOT of them, and most parents will tell you that the toy tsunami is a real problem. The older your kids get, the more the toys start to take over the whole house, spilling out of your child’s bedroom or play space to the living room, kitchen, closets, yard, porch, garage, attic, and basement. After enduring the agony of stepping on a lego block barefoot, or tripping over yet another stuffed animal in the dark, you’ve had enough! But if you put the kibosh on toy-giving for your child’s birthday, what kind of gifts does that leave?  

Not to worry; there are actually lots of really fun, exciting non-toy birthday gift alternatives that will still put a smile on your child’s face… Without adding yet another soon-forgotten toy to the mountain of action figures, blocks, balls, stuffed animals, dolls, board games, and other gizmos in your kid’s toybox. Keep reading for some inspiration!

Non-Toy Birthday Gift Alternatives

Sports or Exercise Equipment

Any birthday gift that gets kids to be more active is a great toy alternative, so think about what type of sports or exercise equipment the birthday kid would enjoy. Whether it’s a jump rope, soccer ball, bike, trampoline, or roller skates, they’ll have a blast and burn off some energy all at the same time! 

If you’re in the market for roller skates, visit our pro shop. We’re always happy to help you pick out the right roller skates and equipment, whether you’re shopping for a gift or for yourself!

Subscriptions

What’s better than one birthday gift? 12 birthday gifts! Treating a birthday kid to a subscription is an awesome gift because it just keeps on giving. There are tons of options for kids’ subscriptions, from magazines and “book of the month” clubs to monthly sensory play or STEM activity boxes. 

DIY Kits

Speaking of activities, DIY kits are another fun and educational alternative to toys. There is a wide variety of options out there, from painting, sculpting, and drawing to jewelry crafts, model building, and engineering projects. 

Books and Music

It seems like kids these days are hooked on screens almost from birth, so why not give the gift of unplugging? Kids can never have too many books, and instilling a love of reading from a young age (even before they can read themselves) has been shown to have lots of benefits. 

Music is another important developmental tool for kids, not to mention the fun memories that often result from sharing songs. Gift the birthday kid with some cool music, their very own boombox or bluetooth speaker, or better yet, their very own instrument! 

If changing things up sounds good to you, check out our birthday cake alternatives that are just as delicious! 

Variety is the spice of life, and the same is true when it comes to birthday parties! While it’s nice to have traditions that stay the same year after year, there are some times when you just want to shake things up. Birthday cake is a perfect example, so check out these birthday cake alternatives that are creative, unexpected, and every bit as delicious. 

Let Them Eat Cake… Or Whatever Tickles Their Tastebuds!

Slice a Nice Birthday Pie

If you’re opting for a non-traditional birthday dessert for the first time, you don’t have to go full-on “out there.” Just turn to the cake’s humble-yet-equally-delicious cousin: Pie!
Pie is just as special and yummy, so if the birthday person prefers pie, go ahead and stick some candles into that crust and serenade them as usual. There are so many options, so make sure you know their favorite pies. Are they super into fruit pies like cherry, apple, or mixed berry? Or do they favor a creamy pie, like key lime, chocolate, lemon meringue, or peanut butter? If you want to make their birthday pie extra special, let your local bakery know that it’s for a birthday so they can add a little extra “wow” to the decoration. 

Donut Be Afraid to Change Things Up

Look, a platter stacked high with donuts might not be a traditional birthday dessert, but who wouldn’t be happy to have a platter stacked high with donuts regardless? For the best look, choose a variety of donuts iced in different colors. You can use bamboo skewers to stabilize your stacks, or create your own unique skewer birthday decorations. 

Give Them Their Just Desserts

For a truly unique and personalized birthday, give your loved one their favorite dessert—even if it’s not cake! The options are limitless: Cookies, brownies, banana pudding, flan, trifle, ice cream sundae, creme brulee, or even just an artfully-arranged plate of fruit!  

Get Wheel-y Creative

While birthday cake and its sugary counterparts are great for folks with a sweet tooth, some people just don’t love sweets. In that case, you can make their day with a savory, indulgent treat, like this towering cheese wheel “cake.” In fact, there is good precedent for ending a meal with a cheese course. European meals traditionally include a cheese course after the main course, which can actually help to balance out the acidity of the meal and aid in digestion.  

Savory Every Moment

If a tower of cheese isn’t sparking joy for you, there are plenty of other savory birthday cake alternatives. Just search your favorite recipe site for “savory cake ideas” and you’ll find plenty of options, from sushi cake (vinegared rice, seaweed, fish, and other favorite sushi fillings and toppings like roe, avocado, or sesame seeds) to cornbread cake (tender cornbread filled with jalapenos, bacon, etc. and topped with butter or cream cheese). 

The possibilities are endless, so let your imagination run wild! And if you’re looking for an exciting birthday party venue in Moore, Oklahoma, contact us to make a reservation at Skate Moore Skate Center!

We’ve all seen it: The seemingly perfect Instagram parents whose impeccably-dressed children celebrate their birthdays with elaborate, color-coordinated, #aesthetic parties that look like they belong in a magazine. While there’s nothing wrong with an elaborate party, most of us have neither the time nor desire to painstakingly decorate 100 Paw Patrol cookies with royal icing, or hand-stitch custom bunting from vintage fabric, or create a personally-branded photo booth. Fortunately for the more laid-back parents among us, we don’t have to fit a Pinterest board’s worth of ideas into every birthday. Just one or two simple birthday traditions can make your child feel special and spark memories that last a lifetime. 

Creative Birthday Traditions for Kids

Birthday Breakfast

Breakfast may not be the most important meal of the day, but it’s definitely the most fun! Treat your birthday kid to a special surprise by cooking their favorite breakfast—smiley face pancakes with chocolate chips, waffles with fruit and whipped cream, egg in a basket, or whatever else their heart desires! Cooking a special breakfast is so simple, but it’s one of those things your kids will look back on in 20 years and remember fondly. Maybe they’ll even carry on the tradition with their own kids one day! 

Balloon Wakeup Call

Another fun birthday tradition is to cover the floor of your child’s room in colorful balloons before they wake up. They’ll have a blast walking through the sea of balloons, and it’s sure to put a smile on their face to start the day.
If balloons aren’t quite your style, you could hang streamers all over the room or create a streamer curtain in the doorway. Better yet, why not make a balloon avalanche to great your kid when they open the door?

Time Capsule

Mark your child’s latest trip around the sun by creating a time capsule. This is a really fun tradition because you can look back at past years and see how much your child has grown and changed. Or fill out an “interview” like this one to have a record of their favorite color, book, song, etc. If your child likes to craft, you could even work together to create a collage or scrapbook page about the year. 

Birthday Mail

For an even more special birthday tradition/gift, write your child a letter on every birthday. You can include some fun memories from throughout the year, and when they’re older, they’ll be able to look back through the letters and take an incredible trip down memory lane. 

Of course, if you’re looking for a happy medium between a labor-intensive party and no party at all, we can help! Our Moore roller skating parties take the legwork out of party planning, so you and your child can have a great time without the stress and mess of hosting a party at home. 

Thanksgiving is almost here, and many families are wondering how to make the holiday special even though they may not be able to travel or host visitors due to the pandemic. While current circumstances may put a temporary hold on your normal holiday traditions, there are still plenty of ways you can have fun and make memories this year in Oklahoma City! Keep reading for some ideas for fun family activities in OKC this Thanksgiving. 

Fun Thanksgiving Activities in OKC

It’s still important to wear masks and observe social distancing, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the holidays this year. Look for activities that are outdoors or in large spaces that don’t force visitors to be close to each other during their visits. Here are some examples to get you started: 

Let the Good Times Roll

Looking for a family activity that works for multiple ages of kids and adults?  Here at Skate Moore, our skating rink offers a place for skaters of all ages to have fun in a safe, family-friendly environment. With great music, a fun atmosphere, and free skate rental included with admission, roller skating is perfect for getting everyone active after a big meal like Thanksgiving. Not only is it a fun, socially-distant activity; it’s also an excellent workout for your core, lower body, and abs. Even young kids typically get the hang of it pretty quickly, and skating can help them develop their balance, coordination, strength, and stamina! It’s also low-impact, so it’s easy on the joints for us grownups. Remember to bring your masks, as they are required at all times for skaters and spectators. (If you forget, we do have masks available for purchase at the door.)

Hit the Trail

Another fun way to get off the couch and have some fun after Thanksgiving is to go on a hike or nature walk. It can be as easy or intense as your family needs; a leisurely stroll around the neighborhood park with plenty of stops for admiring leaves, watching birds, or picking up pretty rocks, or a more adventurous outing to one of Oklahoma City’s many awesome trails. Did you know that we even have a mountain biking park in the area? 

Get Festive

These days, Thanksgiving is basically the unofficial start of the holiday season… So why not dive right in with some fun, festive holiday activities? There are plenty of outdoor holiday activities and events in OKC, as well as virtual events. These are just a few ways to celebrate while staying safe!

• Lights on Broadway will be lighting up historic Automobile Alley on four separate Saturdays to reduce crowds and give everyone a chance to enjoy the event. The planned activities include free carriage rides, visits with Santa Claus, a free photo booth, outdoor movie screenings, live music, and more. 
• The annual tree lighting festival is a beloved tradition here in OKC, so no pandemic is getting in the way! Necessity is the mother of invention, as the saying goes, so this year the tree lighting festival will take place online and on the local news. Make some cocoa or a hot toddy and settle in to watch the magic happen on News 9 or streaming on your phone, TV, tablet, or computer. 
• Take a drive through a winter wonderland at Yukon’s free Christmas in the Park! As the state’s biggest drive through lights display, this is a must-see, with 5 million lights and hundreds of lighted displays. In addition to driving through the display, you can also park and take part in the outdoor activities like ice skating or riding the Santa Express. 

It’s officially Spooky Season, and if you haven’t started planning your costume yet… Well, what are you waiting for?! While it may look a little different this year, but there are still socially-distant and safe ways to celebrate Halloween, even in a pandemic. Keep reading for some Halloween costume ideas you can wear while roller skating. 

Roll Out in These Creative Halloween Costume Ideas

There’s only one thing that can make the Halloween season even more fun, and that’s roller skating! Whether you skate outside to enjoy the fall weather or join us here at Skate Moore for family-friendly fun at the skating rink, everything is just more fun on wheels. (Check out our skating sessions to plan your visit.) 

Wondering what type of costumes go with roller skates? Here are some fun ideas:

1950s Carhop, Greaser, or Sock Hopper

You can’t go wrong with a 1950s themed costume, especially if you want to incorporate your skates. The great thing about these costumes is that you can “shop your closet” for some of the pieces. For instance, jeans, boots or Chucks, and a leather jacket will have you well on your way to a respectable James Dean look. Saddle shoes are a must for any sock hop look, and in addition to the iconic poodle skirt, you could also rock pedal pushers with a neck scarf and high ponytail, or rolled up jeans and a bowling shirt. And of course, we can’t ignore that iconic 1950s character, the carhop! These servers-on-wheels could be found wearing an apron, a jaunty “soda jerk hat,” and rolling by with a tray full of burgers, fries, and milkshakes. 

1970s Roller Discothequer

The 70s is another go-to era when it comes to roller skating costumes. How can you resist the over-the-top fashion of the disco era? Tall socks, shiny fabrics, big hair, and lots of glitter will give you that disco look. You could even dress up as one of the era’s many iconic celebrity skaters, like Cher, Diana Ross, or Hugh Hefner! 

1990s Roller Blader

If you’re more of a 1990s fan, you can also create some great roller skating looks just by shopping your closet. Bonus points if you’re wearing roller blades instead of the traditional quad skates. After all, the 90s was prime time for “extreme” sports! Tie a flannel shirt around your waist for a grunge look, or apply some butterfly hair clips, “frosted” lipstick, and body glitter for a dash of mall culture. If all else fails, an alien head babydoll tee and tattoo or yin yang choker will like, totally give you a nineties vibe. 

What Not to Wear

Pretty much any costume is cooler on skates, but there are some things you should NOT include in a roller skating costume: 

• Long capes, robes, skirts, or anything that could get caught in your (or someone else’s) skates or cause them to trip and fall. Ditto for long cords/belts/tentacles, fringe, etc.
• Hats or costume masks that impede your peripheral vision.
• Anything uncomfortable or hard to move around in. 

If you know about Skate Moore, you know that our goal is to provide a safe, clean, and FUN place for the best sport in the world—roller skating. While we might be biased, we really do think that roller skating is an awesome activity for kids, teens, and adults alike. It’s social, it’s active, and you can’t beat the music. Skate jams forever! 

Of course, like any sport or physical activity, roller skating requires some safety guidelines for an optimal experience. Keep reading to learn the skating rink safety rules you need to know to make your next visit to Skate Moore a success!

Skating Rink Safety Rules

Do your part to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

We’re so glad to be open and able to give local families a fun, socially distant place to skate during these unprecedented times. Please help us ensure the safety of our employees and other guests by following these rules:

• Wear your mask. Masks are required for all visitors to Skate Moore at all times. If you don’t have a mask with you, you may purchase one at the door for $1.00. 
• Practice good hand hygiene. 
• Stay home if you have a fever, are experiencing coronavirus symptoms, or have been exposed to anyone who is exhibiting COVID-19 symptoms. 
• Maintain at least 6 feet of distance from people outside of your own household. 
• Wear your mask properly. It should cover your nose and mouth at all times while in our facility. 

Pay attention to your surroundings.

• Always go with the flow of skaters, usually in a counter-clockwise direction. It’s very important to skate with the crowd, because skating against the flow can cause you or someone else to get hurt. 
• Don’t cut through the middle of the skating rink floor; that area is typically full of people doing tricks or dancing. Respect their space and skating rink etiquette and stay to the outside “lane” of skating traffic. 
• Pay attention to the other skaters around you to prevent accidents. You should already be social distancing, but keep an eye out for each other to avoid collisions.
• Falling is totally normal, but remember to keep your hands OFF the floor and get back up as quickly as possible. Skating traffic doesn’t stop, so pay attention and try not to trip another skater or get yourself run over in the process of getting back up. Learn how to safely fall and get up on skates with this quick video. 

Skate unto others as you would have them skate unto you. (Just be nice!)

• Roller skating is all about good vibes, so just be nice and considerate when skating. Don’t skate so fast that you’re out of control, so you don’t accidentally wipe out and take other skaters with you.
• Pay attention to the skaters around you and be careful when “changing lanes” and when stepping on or off of the skate floor. 

With these simple roller skating safety tips, you can have a blast at the skating rink! We’d love to see you, so come on out to one of our skate sessions and get your fun on a roll.

For many kids, summer means sleeping in, freedom, having fun, and being lazy. School has its own type of fun, but the early mornings, structure, and academic pressure can be a rude awakening after months of summer vacation. Throw in a global pandemic, add multiple Moore students testing positive for COVID-19, and it’s clear that this school year is going to be a little more challenging for everyone involved. 

While there’s no silver bullet for these unprecedented challenges, we hope these tips will help you and your family navigate the transition back to school a little easier. And when you need to de-stress, just mask-up and come skate with us at Skate Moore!

Back to School Tips 2020

Get your routine on track. 

Getting back on a school year schedule is always important for starting the year off on a good foot, but it’s even more important in the midst of coronavirus. Being well rested is incredibly important for kids; being tired can affect their ability to pay attention, retain information, and participate fully in school. But aside from the mental and cognitive effects of not getting enough sleep, it can also lower immunity, making the body more vulnerable to viruses. That’s obviously the last thing you want when your kids are attending school in a pandemic!

Get organized.

Kids have a lot to keep track of these days, so set them up for success by creating an area to store their school things. For some families, a row of hooks by the door for bookbags is sufficient, while others prefer a cubby system where each kid can stash their homework, books, etc. Browse Pinterest or your favorite DIY site for ideas by searching for “backpack station” or  “kids command center.” 

Harness technology.

As the saying goes, “We have the technology.” So use it! There are tons of great apps to help your family stay connected, organized, and on track. These are some of the top apps for parents in 2020: 

• Chore Monster
• Cozi Family Organizer
• Picniic
• Forest – Stay Focused

Make time for fun.

With so much stress and uncertainty in the world right now, it’s more important than ever to check in with your kids, spend some quality time together, and stay active. Roller skating is a great way to do all three, so come visit us at Skate Moore for Thursday Cheap Skate or one of our other public skating sessions. 

Remember to bring your masks, practice good hand hygiene and social distancing, and wear above the ankle socks. (If you forget, we sell masks at the door for $1.) And of course, if you feel sick, have a fever, or have been exposed to someone who may have COVID, please stay home! We promise we’ll be here for you when you get back.

We’re open and skating safely here at Skate Moore! After the way 2020 has gone so far, we all need to have some fun and reconnect with friends—even from 6 feet away. Check out these roller skating games to try out with your friends next time you meet up at the rink. 

Roller Skating Games

Freeze Skate

This roller skating game is sort of like a combination of freeze tag and musical chairs, or maybe “not it.” If you’ve ever played freeze dance, you’ll get the idea. To start out, everyone skates around, doing their favorite moves and just grooving to the music. Suddenly, the music stops. All players have to “freeze” in place, in whatever pose or position they happen to be in. (Doing this on wheels adds a new level of challenge!) Whoever freezes last, is out, and the music resumes while players continue to skate. Repeat this process until there’s only one person left … The winner! 

Glide Off

This is a super fun game to play with your friends, sort of like a mini tournament. Two players start at the same place (but 6 feet apart). Each is allowed to take a certain number of strides (usually 2 or 3, depending on how much room you have) and then must glide as far as possible using only the momentum from those strides. You can battle it out this way until half the group has been eliminated, then go to the next round of eliminations. If you want to spice things up a bit, try adding a new challenge to each round, like gliding on one foot or backwards!

Follow the Leader

This game is a classic, and it’s even more fun when you play it on roller skates. To play, designate one person as the leader. This person will do a skate move (spinning, jumping, dancing, etc.) and all of the other players must copy them as closely as possible. 

If you can’t reproduce the leader’s moves, you’re out! If all of the players are able to perfectly reproduce the leader’s moves, the leader loses the title and becomes a player. Another leader must be chosen, and the cycle starts all over again. 

A (Kinda Sorta) Conga Line

Who doesn’t love a good conga line at a party? While grabbing each other’s waists is off limits at the moment due to social distancing guidelines, you can still have some fun with a socially-distanced line of dancers. Free-form your way around the rink, or play a line-dancing song like the Cha Cha Slide, Cupid Shuffle, Macarena, or Electric Slide and enjoy busting a move with your besties! Just remember to maintain at least 6 feet between each skater, and remember to wear your mask at all times. 

Drop a comment if you play any of our roller skating games!

Whether your child’s birthday is coming up, or they’re patiently waiting to cash in that rain check for their corona-cancelled party earlier this year, we’ve got you covered with the best birthday parties in Moore, Oklahoma. Keep reading to learn more about how to make your child’s summer birthday party a success, and check out our birthday party packages to make planning a breeze.  

Summer Birthday Parties: Tips and Tricks from the Pros

That’s right, we’re not just pros in the pro shop—we’re also experienced at hosting all kinds of group events, from birthday parties to fundraisers and beyond. Summer birthday parties can be particularly tricky, especially now that we’re all trying to stay safe from the coronavirus pandemic. 

Be cool. 

The first and most important step in hosting a successful summer birthday party is to keep it cool! It’s HOT outside, and no one wants to spend hours roasting outside under the sun. If you’re looking for a way to party while also being active, you can have the best of both worlds at Skate Moore. Our skating rink is blissfully air conditioned, so your kid and their friends can skate their hearts out (instead of sweating them out). 

Stay safe.

Partying in a pandemic is riskier than usual, so it’s important to take precautions to keep you and your guests safe. But just because you’re focused on safety doesn’t mean you can’t keep the party attitude going! Instead of gift or goody bags given to guests at the end of the party, prep them for the party ahead of time by sending some goodies like a fun mask and a mini hand sanitizer on a keychain. You can even keep them in line with the theme of your party; just search for “kids mini hand sanitizer keychain” and you’ll find pretty much anything, from dinosaurs to unicorns. 

Give guests a heads up.

Summer is generally a tough time to throw a kid’s birthday party thanks to family vacations, summer camp, etc. To maximize your attendance, send invitations out as early as possible. This will help other parents plan ahead and put you on their calendar before something else comes up. 

Whether you plan to host a private birthday party or a public one, our party packages have something for everyone, with skating admission, pizza, drinks, and more. Don’t wait too long to book your summer birthday party; spots are going fast. Give us a call at 405-794-4644 to discuss your event!

Like most of the rest of the country and even the world, Oklahoma families are grappling with the challenges brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. While we’re sad to be temporarily closed, we know this period of isolation is necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19, and our thoughts go out to all of the patients, medical workers, other frontline workers, and their families affected by the pandemic. 

For parents who are lucky enough to still have jobs and work from home, the situation is less dangerous, but still a lot to handle. It’s tough to focus on spreadsheets or emails when your kids are right next to you, restless and struggling to learn all of the tools needed for successful distance learning! We hope that these at-home quarantine activity ideas for kids will help even a little bit to take your family’s minds off the stress and bring some much-needed smiles to your faces. Stay #MooreStrong and we will see you when it’s safe to skate again!

At-Home Quarantine Activities to Keep Your Kids Occupied During COVID-19 Isolation

Take a virtual field trip… Or several!

While the internet has its pros and cons just like anything else, it’s really coming in clutch right now. This is a great time to take advantage of all the incredible virtual field trips out there, many of which are free! There are so many out there that we can’t list them all, but here are some fun ones to start with. 

• Google Arts & Culture has an incredible array of virtual experiences available, including tours of some of the world’s best museums, like the Musee d’Orsay, National Gallery of Art, the Van Gogh Museum, and MoMA. 
• The Center for Puppetry Arts has a ton of excellent content for kids, from puppet shows to workshops where they can make their own puppets with stuff you probably already have laying around the house!
• The San Diego Zoo lets you get up-close-and-personal with animals thanks to their live zoo cams. Watch elephants, koalas, tigers, giraffes, polar bears, and more. 

Hold P.E. class right in your backyard.

No gym, no equipment… No problem! Staying active is important for both mental and physical health, so check out these backyard P.E. at home ideas to get you and your kids off the couch and burn off some of that pent-up energy. 

Feed the belly and the soul with homemade treats.

Baking is good for the soul, so why not use the time at home to teach your kids how to make some family favorites or try a new recipe? With easy, kid-friendly meal ideas like this, you can even enlist your kids to make (or at least help with) their own lunches!

Drop us a comment if you tried any of our quarantine activities for kids!