Phone: (281) 479-2816

It’s hard to believe that 2019 is drawing to a close and Thanksgiving is just around the corner. As the holidays approach, remember that the best way to give thanks is by giving back! 

Community service is so important; it can help you connect with your neighbors and people in your community who you may not have crossed paths with before; it can remind you how much you have to be thankful for; and most of all, it can make a real difference in someone’s life who needs a helping hand. Read on to see some ways to give back to the community in Deer Park this holiday season, and have fun with your family while doing it! 

Raise Money for a Good Cause

If you’re passionate about a charitable organization or cause, hosting a fundraiser can be a great way to raise money and awareness among your social circle. At Skate World Deer Park, we make hosting group events easy with public and private party packages to accommodate any type of event. 

From something as small as collecting canned food donations at a birthday party to renting out our entire skating rink for a private fundraiser party with food, entertainment, raffles, and silent auctions, don’t be afraid to step up and be the change you want to see in the world. 

Roller skating fundraisers are a great way to attract attention and get your supporters excited about the event, not to mention the fact that people are more likely to feel generous when they’re having a good time! 

Help End Hunger 

For most of us, Thanksgiving is a “stretchy pants” day when we indulge in favorite foods with our closest family and friends. However, for many people the holidays are a time of added food insecurity. While it’s hard to believe that anyone could be going hungry in our communities, the sad truth is that over 724,000 people struggle with food insecurity in the Greater Houston area. The food insecurity rate is actually 4% higher than the national average, clocking in at 16.6%. 

With that in mind, why not enlist your family, friends, and neighbors to lend a hand in the fight against hunger this holiday season? There are lots of ways to get involved, from collecting and sorting canned food donations, to preparing meals for seniors, to serving food at shelters. Find your nearest food pantry and learn how you can volunteer as an individual or with a group.

Spread the Love

As important as monetary donations and physical gifts can be, one of the best ways to give back to the community is by sharing your time and energy. These are some fun and fulfilling ways to spread the love this holiday season by volunteering.  

• Read to kids at the library or elderly patients in nursing homes. 
• Help out at the local animal shelter or rescue. You don’t have to be able to adopt or foster; even just taking shelter dogs on a walk or playing with kittens can make a big difference in their socialization and adoptability. 
• Join a mentoring program like Big Brothers Big Sisters Houston. 
• Enlist your band, choir, improv group, or interpretive dance troupe to perform at a nursing home, children’s hospital, or domestic violence shelter. 

Roller skating has been around in some form or another for hundreds of years, but thanks to technological and social innovations it has exploded in popularity over the last century. Now it’s even celebrated with National Roller Skating Month! If you love to skate, or just have fond memories of hanging out at the skating rink as a kid, check out these fun facts about roller skating from the skate fanatics at Skate World Deer Park. 

Stars, They’re Just Like Us! 

Plenty of celebs have been seen roller skating over the years, including Patrick Swayze in his film debut, Skatetown USA. Other celebrities that have been known to roller skate include Cher, Prince, Grace Jones, Jodie Foster, Hugh Hefner, Marilyn Monroe, Andy Warhol, Diana Ross, and Donna Summer. 

Roller Skating is Still Cool

While it may not have as high a profile now as it did back in the days of roller disco, celebrities still love hitting the rink and even using roller skating in music videos! Beyonce is known to be a huge fan of roller skating, as well as celebrities including Drake, Tiffany Haddish, Kevin Hart, Kristen Bell, Katie Perry, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, Lauren Conrad, Dax Shepard, and various Kardashians, just to name a few. Check out Chet Faker’s Gold music video to see some awesome roller skating in action. 

Skates on the Silver Screen

Music videos aren’t the only place where roller skating gets showcased. There are quite a few roller skating movies dating all the way back to 1916! That’s right, over a hundred years ago Charlie Chaplin starred in the first-ever roller skating movie, a black and white silent film that ends with Chaplin hooking a cane onto a moving car and skating away from the scene of a roller rink riot. Other notable roller skating films include Xanadu, Roll Bounce, Whip It, Skateland, Brink, and ATL. 

Roller Skating is Universal

Here in the United States, roller skating birthday parties and school fundraisers are a common part of childhood. However, skating rinks can be found all over the world, from Pakistan to Chile to Japan and many places in between! In Europe, skating is quite popular in the UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany, and The Netherlands. Even the Amish love roller skating! 

Skate Bod is Real

Roller skating is known for being one of the most fun ways to work out, but it’s actually a really effective workout in its own right! Skating not only gives you a cardiovascular workout, but also engages muscles throughout your body, not just your legs. While skating regularly will certainly help you tone your shins, calves, hamstrings, and quadriceps, it also strengthens your core abdominal muscles, back muscles, and glutes, aka your butt! If you’re working on building a booty, take a break from squats at the gym and hit the skating rink.

Keeping kids engaged with the material is one of the hardest parts of teaching, but today teachers are using so many exciting ways to make learning fun and help students retain information. One of the best ways to add some excitement and out-of-the-box learning to your curriculum is by planning a field trip. At Skate World Deer Park, we’re proud to offer a STEM field trip program that can help your students learn important concepts on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) test. Take a look at the basics of our field trip program below to see if it’s right for your class!

The “Rolling with Science” STEM Program

When kids get the chance to experience hands-on learning, they’re more likely to remember those lessons. Our roller skating STEM field trips can teach your students about a variety of concepts, including these: 

• Sir Isaac Newton and the laws of motion
• Forces (centrifugal, radial) and friction
• Balance and counter balance
• Physics-based mathematics
• Solar system movement, including Earth’s rotation and orbit

We’re committed to providing a good value to the schools we work with, which is why our roller skating field trips include a 45-minute STEM presentation on a teacher-selected topic, 1 hour and 45 minutes of skating, and free skate rentals. We also offer the option to add lunch to your visit. 

Ready to get your students excited about science, math, and physics? Give us a call at 281-479-2816 or email Morgan.Malone@skateworlds.com for more information. 

The roller skate is a familiar object, probably conjuring up images in your head of roller disco, school parties at the skating rink, or maybe even drive-in carhops, depending on your age. But while the humble roller skate has looked fairly similar for the last century or so, you might be surprised how much skate technology has changed over the decades!  

Check out a brief history of the roller skate below, then come experience the fun of modern roller skating at Skate World Deer Park! 

1760: Roller skates crash onto the scene.

The first documented pair of roller skates (or “skaites” as originally spelled) was invented by Joseph Merlin. In an attempt to bring ice skating to dry land, he substituted two in-line wheels for the blade. Unfortunately there wasn’t much more to the design, including a notable absence: brakes. When Merlin attempted to debut his invention at a posh event, he lost control of his skates and crashed into a very large and very expensive mirror. While not an auspicious start, roller skating had nowhere to go but up! 

1819: An attempt was made.

By 1819, another inventor had filed a patent on his version of roller skates. Monsieur Petibledin upgraded skates with a wood sole and up to four rollers on the bottom of the boot arranged in a line from toe to heel. Unfortunately these skates had the same problem as Merlin’s version – there was really no way to steer or brake in them. 

1863: Getting closer. 

One of the most important developments in roller skate history occurred in 1863 when inventor James Plimpton released his newly designed skate – the quad roller skate. Rather than positioning them in a straight line, Plimpton placed the wheels in pairs, one set towards the front and one towards the back. They also included springs, allowing the wearer to skate in a curved path by shifting their body weight, as opposed to previous models which only allowed for straight forward/backward movement. 

Then and now.

These days, skates have come a long way! Today’s roller skates are available in a myriad of colors and styles to fit whatever activity they’ll be used for, from roller derby to speed skating to jam skating. You can customize your skates with wheels, toe stops, laces, bearings, plates, and so much more to arrive at your own personal “perfect” skate. 

Come see how fun roller skating can be! (Especially when you can steer and brake.) Our Deer Park skating rink is open 5 days a week for public skating sessions!

The first day of school for Deer Park ISD is almost here! As you shop for back-to-school clothes, backpacks, and all of the other fun school supplies for the new academic year, don’t forget to make your back-to-school party plans! There are so many reasons to plan a back-to-school party. Here are our top three:

1. Socialization

Just like adults and teens, kids can experience social anxiety, especially after the summer break. A class skating party is a smart way to break the ice and get the kids talking and laughing, so they’ll feel more comfortable with each other when they’re back in the classroom. And the social benefits aren’t just for kids! A class party gives parents and teachers the opportunity to get to know each other a little better as well. 

2. Fitness

For a lot of kids, summer is a mostly sedentary season filled with hours of playing video games or watching TV. Roller skating parties aren’t just a ton of fun, they also get kids active. Skating is a good workout that tones muscles, builds endurance, and improves balance, among other physical benefits. 

3. FUN!

The academic year can get pretty stressful, with school, sports, clubs, and all of the other activities that keep your family running non-stop. It’s important for everyone to take some time for fun and relaxation; to recharge their batteries so they can go back to school, soccer practice, or debate club full of energy and excitement. 

If you’re interested in planning a skating party in Deer Park, contact us to learn more about our party packages and group rates. Give us a call at 281-479-2816 or email Morgan.Malone@skateworlds.com.