Skating instructions?

[mamapjama]

I have taken my son skating once a week during the fall/winter months for the past two years (4-6 yo). I am a shaking skater myself at best so he is ready for more advanced instruction. Registration for group skating is tonight and the cost for ten weeks is very expensive. I think it is also going to conflict with indoor soccer night and my son does not want to miss this.

Any ideas on a cheaper method of instruction? Are there any good videos or would that even work do you think? I don't know any teens/tutors etc. and private instruction would be even more expensive.

Hockey is huge here (Can.) and though I am not interested in him playing hockey (gasp!) I do want him to be a competent skater.

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

Just a quick search on Ice Skating Lessons and I found lots of videos.

hth
K

[Soph the vet]

I'll give you my two cents. I have skated since I was 4 or 5, never had a lesson. I play competitive hockey at almost 41 now. Our homeschool co-op goes on indoor ice weekly for $1 per kid for an hour and a half. Some of the kids open skate and some play a loose game of hockey on one end of the rink. I have watched all kinds of kids skate and go from falling down all over the place to skating well. I have also coached pee wee hockey.
The best thing you can do is make sure your dc have a decent pair of skates and sharpen them when they need it (yearly at least). Get them on the ice as much as possible. I am not sure where you are but here we can skate outside for four months in the winter and the local rinks are free. Indoor ice is spendy that is why your hockey program costs so much.
Kids are amazing in their ability to learn to skate without much formal instruction in the beginning. Start with something to push around if they fall a lot. We used our plastic desk chairs initially. Some rinks have PVC pipe things that unsteady skaters can use. Or put an appropriately sized hockey stick in their hands to use as a third leg...believe it or not it will not become a crutch. When they have their skates on the hockey stick should come up to their chin, from ice to chin, no longer or they will have trouble. Get rubber pucks, soft pucks, and put two cones on the ice for a "goal" and let them at it.
The more they skate the better they will do. A good helmet and mouth guard will prevent tooth loss and concussions.
If they have a great interest and show some ability then think about formal instruction at that time.
And if you are skating too they will skate longer!

[TrixieB]

See if your rink would offer homeschool lessons during the day (assuming you have enough homeschoolers in your area to make this workable). The rink here has morning homeschool lessons and the cost is less than the regular evening/weekend lessons.