We checked three places to ice skate with little kids in and around Madison: two holiday or outdoor rinks and one indoor rink with public skating. One posts skate aids for beginners, like Madison Ice Arena. Each card has season dates, prices, skate rental and aids from the rink’s own page.
Holiday season
Seasonal and pop-up rinks, soonest first. Outdoor rinks can close for warm or wet weather, so check the rink’s page the morning you go.
Citywide
The Edgewater · Downtown
Reservations open 14 days ahead once the season starts.
Any season
Public skate sessions open to families. Session times change week to week, so the card links to the rink’s current schedule.
Madison
Before you go
SafetyBring a helmetFalls are part of learning. A bike or hockey helmet protects little heads, and some rinks ask for one.Skate aidsAsk about skate aidsA walker-style aid lets new skaters push and glide on their own. Each card says whether the rink posts them.
FitThin socks, warm mittensOne pair of thin socks fits rental skates best. Waterproof mittens keep hands dry after a tumble.Keep planning
Free things to do in MadisonFree days, free events and places that never charge
Indoor play in MadisonIndoor playgrounds, toddler times and museums, with prices
Thanksgiving weekend in MadisonParades, turkey trots and what’s open on Thursday
Noon Year’s Eve in MadisonKid-friendly countdowns, home by nap
This week in MadisonDated outings for ages 0–6, checked every ThursdayGood questions
City of Madison park rinks and lagoons (Citywide); Edgewater Ice Rink (Downtown); Madison Ice Arena (Madison). Two are holiday or outdoor rinks, listed first; indoor rinks with public skating follow.
City of Madison park rinks and lagoons: Once the ice is safe, usually from mid-winter; each rink’s status is posted online. Edgewater Ice Rink: Winter season; 2026–27 dates not posted yet. We add the 2026–27 dates as soon as the rink posts them.
Madison Ice Arena: Seal $4; crate $2 (good for younger kids). Leave an item like car keys as a deposit. Rinks that don’t mention aids say Not listed on their card.
City of Madison park rinks and lagoons: Free skating at 20 rinks and lagoons in 14 parks; skate rental Youth (15 and under) $3 for the first hour at Door Creek, Elver, Tenney and Vilas when staffed. Madison Ice Arena: Adults $6; skate rental $3. Prices are the rink’s own and can change on holidays.
Each listing comes from the venue’s or organizer’s own page and links to it. We only list a date, time or price when that page shows it, and anything we can’t confirm stays off. These were last checked Oct 20, 2026, and we recheck them every week from November through February. How we choose and check.
Littles Weekly
One short email every Friday morning with the best things to do with little ones in Madison that weekend, rinks included.
