Preparing for Your Program

Set yourself up for success on the ice! Review this preparation checklist before your first Learn to Skate lesson.

⛸️ Required Equipment

CSA-Approved Helmet (mandatory)
- Face cage is strongly recommended
- Can be purchased at most sporting goods stores
Hockey or Figure Skates
- Sharpened and properly fitted
- Can be purchased and sharpened at most sporting goods stores
Warm Outdoor Clothing
- Snow pants
- Winter jacket
- Gloves or mittens

What to do Before the First Class

Help your child feel confident and comfortable by preparing ahead:

Sharpen Skates before the first class, and regularly throughout the season.
Purchase Skate Guards optional, but helpful for extending the life of your skates.

What to Bring Each Week

Pack a small skating bag with these helpful items:

Bag to safely store skates and gear
Microfiber Towel or Cloth to dry skate blades after class
Skate Lace Tightener, optional but helpful tool for getting skates snug

Skating Lesson Conversions

Youth Skaters (3-13 Years)

If your skater...	Skating Level	Your skater will learn...
Is 3 to 6 years old and just starting out. Skaters at this level must be able to skate and are required to wear a Skate Canada certified helmet	Skating 1A (3 to 6 Years)	To stand up, fall down, march on the ice and weight transfers.
Is 3 to 6 years old and just starting out	Skating 1A (3 to 6 Years)	To stand up, fall down, march on the ice and weight transfers.
Can stand up on their own and take a few steps forward on their own	Skating 1B (3 to 6 Years)	To turn, stop, glide and take steps backwards.
Can glide for 2 seconds and can take steps backwards	Skating 2 (3 to 6 Years)	To jump, scooter push, backwards skate, crossover on a line, and snowplow stop.
Can skate forward and backward across the length of the ice, scooter on a curve, and crossovers on a line	Skating 3 (3 to 6 Years)	Be introduced to pushing and gliding, crossovers on a curve, stopping and skating backwards.
Can perform crossovers, snowplow stops and parallel stops, and backwards sculling	Skating 4 (3 to 6 Years)	Be introduced to backwards crossovers, hockey stops, backwards edges, backwards skating and backwards mohawk turns.
Is 6 to 13 years old and just starting out	Skating 1 (6 to 13 Years)	To turn, stop, glide and take steps backwards.
Can glide for 2 seconds and can take steps backwards	Skating 2 (6 to 13 Years)	Be introduced to jumps, scooter pushes, backwards skating, crossovers on a line, and snowplow stop.
Can skate forward and backward across the length of the ice, scooter on a curve, and crossovers on a line	Skating 3 (6 to 13 Years)	To jump, scooter push, backwards skate, crossover on a line, and snowplow stop.
Can perform crossovers, snowplow stops and parallel stops, and backwards sculling	Skating 4 (6 to 13 Years)	Be introduced to backwards crossovers, hockey stops, backwards edges, backwards skating and backwards mohawk turns.
Can perform forward and backwards edges and crossovers, backward skating and forward stops	Skating 5 (6 to 13 Years)	To further develop edges and backwards edges and crossovers, 180° jumps, and forward mohawk turns.
Preferred successful completion - Skating 5 (6 to 13 Years)	Skating 6 Figure Skating (6 to 17 Years)	Two foot spins, three-foot turns, power jumps, and T stops.

Teen Skaters (14-17 Years)

If your skater...	Skating Level	Your skater will learn...
Is 14 to 17 years old and just starting out	Skating Teen 1 (14 to 17 Years)	To stand up, forwards and backwards skating, snowplow stopping, and crossovers on a line.
Preferred successful completion - Skating Teen 1 (14 to 17 Years)	Skating Teen 2 (14 to 17 Years)	Be introduced to snowplow and parallel stopping, forwards and backwards crossovers, and turns.
Preferred successful completion - Skating Teen 2 (14 to 17 Years)	Skating Teen 3 (14 to 17 Years)	Be introduced to mohawk turns, forwards and backwards edges, and 180° turns and jumps.

Adult Skaters (18+ Years)

If your skater...	Skating Level	Your skater will learn...
Is 18+ years old and just starting out	Skating Adult 1 (18+ Years)	To stand up, forwards and backwards skating, snowplow stopping, and crossovers on a line.
Preferred successful completion - Skating Adult 1 (18+ Years)	Skating Adult 2 (18+ Years)	Be introduced to snowplow and parallel stopping, forwards and backwards crossovers, and turns.
Preferred successful completion - Skating Adult 2 (18+ Years)	Skating Adult 3 (18+ Years)	Be introduced to mohawk turns, forwards and backwards edges, and 180° turns and jumps.

PowerSkating

If your skater...	Skating Level	Your skater will learn...
Can perform forward skating, backward skating, and stopping. Preferred successful completion - Skating 3	Powerskating 1	To further develop forwards skating, agility, speed, stamina, lateral movements, basic axial and puck control movements. Full hockey equipment and CSA approved hockey helmet with full facemask are mandatory.
Preferred successful completion - Powerskating 1	Powerskating 2	To further develop backwards skating, agility, speed, stamina, lateral movements, with focus on speed and technique through hockey skills and drills. Full hockey equipment and CSA approved hockey helmet with full facemask are mandatory.
Preferred successful completion - Powerskating 2	Powerskating 3	To further develop backwards skating, agility, speed, stamina, lateral movements, with focus on puck control and more advanced skating. Full hockey equipment and CSA approved hockey helmet with full facemask are mandatory.

Age Conversion

The Brampton Learn to Skate Program offers classes for participants of various ages and skill levels. The chart below shows the various programs that are currently offered through the City of Brampton, the instructor to participant ratios and the length of each class.

Specialty Programs	Parent and Child (3 to 6 Years)	Learn to Skate Ages 3 to 6 years	Learn to Skate Ages 6 to 13 years	Learn to Skate 14+
Small Group (1:3) Thirty (30) Minutes	Skating 1A Parent and Child (1:12) Thirty (30) Minutes	Skating 1A (1:4) Thirty (30) Minutes	Skating 1 (1:8) Thirty (30) Minutes	Teen 1 (1:12) Sixty (60) Minutes	Adult 1 (1:12) Sixty (60) Minutes
Private (1:1) Thirty (30) Minutes		Skating 1B (1:6) Thirty (30) Minutes
Family Private (1:1 Family) Thirty (30) Minutes		Skating 2 (1:6) Thirty (30) Minutes	Skating 2 (1:10) Thirty (30) Minutes	Teen 2 (1:12) Sixty (60) Minutes	Adult 2 (1:12) Sixty (60) Minutes
School Group Lessons (1:10)		Skating 3 (1:8) Thirty (30) Minutes	Skating 3 (1:10) Thirty (30) Minutes	Teen 3 (1:12) Forty five (45) Minutes	Adult 3 (1:12) Forty five (45) Minutes
Powerskating (1:15) Fifty (50) Minutes		Skating 4 (1:8) Thirty (30) Minutes	Skating 4 (1:10) Thirty (30) Minutes
			Skating 5 (1:10) Thirty (30) Minutes
			Skating 6 – Hockey OR Figure Skating (1:10) (8 to 17 Years) Thirty (30) Minutes
			Skating 7 – Hockey OR Figure Skating (1:10) (8 to 17 Years) Thirty (30) min Lesson

Questions?

View a list of Frequently Asked Questions or visit our Contact Us page to find additional information.