We checked two places to ice skate with little kids in and around Minneapolis–St. Paul: one holiday or outdoor rink and one indoor rink with public skating. One posts skate aids for beginners, like Parade Ice Garden. 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.
Minneapolis
Natural ice, not refrigerated. Check the Rink Locations and Status Map before you go, especially after warm or wet weather. Warming room hours are on the same page.
Any season
Public skate sessions open to families. Session times change week to week, so the card links to the rink’s current schedule.
Minneapolis
Two full-size indoor rinks. Check the open skate schedule before you go.
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 Twin CitiesFree days, free events and places that never charge
Indoor play in Twin CitiesIndoor playgrounds, toddler times and museums, with prices
Library storytimes in Twin CitiesBaby, toddler and preschool storytimes by day and branch
Thanksgiving weekend in Twin CitiesParades, turkey trots and what’s open on Thursday
Noon Year’s Eve in Twin CitiesKid-friendly countdowns, home by nap
This week in Twin CitiesDated outings for ages 0–6, checked every ThursdayGood questions
Minneapolis park outdoor rinks (Minneapolis); Parade Ice Garden (Minneapolis). The holiday or outdoor rink is listed first; indoor rinks with public skating follow.
Minneapolis park outdoor rinks: Once the weather allows: rinks need at least ten straight days of below-freezing temperatures. We add the 2026–27 dates as soon as the rink posts them.
Parade Ice Garden: Skating aid $3. Rinks that don’t mention aids say Not listed on their card.
Parade Ice Garden: Adults and youth $5; 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 Twin Cities that weekend, rinks included.
