Iceworld children practicing gliding on ice skates with penguin helpers.

Iceworld ice skating rinks Brisbane has been part of the landscape for close to 40 years and offers ice skating general sessions, birthday parties and ice sports opportunities. Iceworld™ caters to skaters of all skill levels, from complete beginners, where the only ice they’ve seen before comes in a drink, to experienced figure skaters and ice hockey players and everyone in between.

We visited Iceworld with our two Brisbane Kids to see what all the fuss was about and had an absolute ball! Read on to find out more about our experience.

Iceworld’s 2 hour public ice skate sessions

The 2 hour public skate sessions are a lot of fun and just the right length for most families to enjoy before leaving to defrost. It’s amazing to see how quickly even the youngest kids can develop new skills and independence in that timeframe.

Most young skaters start with a penguin – a large, heavy helper with handles for kids to hold and lean on as they figure out their balance and how to move their skates. Lots of skaters abandon their penguins as the session and their skills and confidence progress, with many skaters gaining the confidence to skate solo within their first session.

The skates provided as part of your admission fee are hard plastic (which protect feet from the blades of others), with easy to use buckles. It’s a good idea to know the shoe sizes of everyone in your group before getting to the skate counter, and to fasten the skates firmly and snugly on skaters’ feet – wobbly skates make it harder to balance. Thick, long socks are also recommended.

Inside Iceworld

There is also a handy cafe serving hot and cold food and drinks in each of the Iceworld™ ice skating rinks in Brisbane. The hot food is cooked fresh and is a great way to warm up in the cold ice rink. The cafe areas are also generally warmer than the surrounding ice rink, so you can often find people huddled in here nursing a hot drink and thawing out before returning to the ice.

There is a skate shop selling gloves and socks as well as other skate equipment, if you forget anything or decide to get a bit more serious about your skating career.

No matter the weather outside, the air inside the skate rink is kept very cold to help prevent the ice from melting, so, whether you’re skating or spectating, warm clothes are a must. The music is fun and upbeat and towards the end of the session everyone changes direction while the main lights go down and the disco lights come on.

Iceskating activities

Ice skating was an absolute hit with our young reviewers – both of them were asking to come back again as the session ended – they loved it! If your family finds they love it too, you could check out Iceworld’s Skate School for regular ice skating lessons. Ice skating is a fantastic year-round activity for Brisbane Kids and their families to enjoy at the only Olympic ice skating rinks in Brisbane.

Birthday parties are also a popular choice here for kids aged between 4 and 12 years old – each party gets their own party room, party food and skate hire and instruction for the party guests.

It’s also worth hanging around to the end of the session if your Brisbane Kid is fascinated by machines – the ice grooming machines are fascinating and not something you see every day in Brisbane.

Tips for visiting Iceworld

Rug up – Our reviewers were dressed warmly and had our little people in leggings with pants over the top, double pairs of socks, triple layers on top and either a warm hat or hoodie. If you dress in layers and start getting too warm, it’s easy to unzip or shed a layer or two, but in our experience cold kids aren’t having as much fun.

Hire a penguin for $5 – If your kids are new to ice skating, or haven’t skated in a while, these can mean more time skating and less time falling. Even if it gets abandoned part way through the session, a penguin will help Brisbane Kids to have some confidence and independence on the ice and reduce the number of falls and tumbles they take on the slippery surface.

Warm up in the cafe – With a hot drink or some hot food – it’s a quick way to get a bit of energy and warmth in the middle of your skate session.

Public skate sessions at Iceworld™ are priced at $23 for adults, $19 for kids aged 6-14 years and $10 for 3-5 year olds (prices valid from 1st July 2022).

There are public skate sessions every day of the week, check the Iceworld™ website for more details here: https://www.iceworld.com.au/. Bookings are not required.