Math in Skating Budgeting for a Family Trip to the Roller Rink

Roller skating isn’t just a fun way to stay active—it’s also a great opportunity to teach kids financial literacy! Planning a family trip to the roller rink provides a hands-on lesson in budgeting, addition, and subtraction. Breaking down costs and making spending decisions helps children learn valuable money management skills they can use in everyday life.

Planning Your Roller Rink Trip

This activity is geared for children ages 7-12, but can be adapted for younger or older kids. Before your trip to the roller rink, sit down together and create a budget worksheet. You can either use the template below or create your own. Here is a pdf if you prefer: rollerskatingbudget.pdf

Step 1: Research Real Costs

Kids can research the actual costs at your local roller rink. This might involve:

• Checking the rink’s website
• Making a phone call to the rink (great for communication skills)
• Comparing weekday vs. weekend prices
• Looking for any special family discounts or Homeschool Skate Days

Step 2: Calculate Person-by-Person Expenses

Multiply individual costs by the number of people attending:

• If admission is $8 per person and 4 people are going, what’s the total admission cost? (8 × 4 = $32)
• If skate rental is $3 per person, how much will rentals cost for everyone? (3 × 4 = $12)
• Do inline skates cost more than quad skates?
• Does anyone need to use a Skate Mate? What is the cost of that?

For transportation, divide the total cost by the number of people to calculate the shared expense.

• If gas costs $15 round trip, what’s the transportation cost? ($15) The cost is divided by the number of people for shared expenses.

Step 3: Estimate Snack Costs

• Estimate how much each person might spend on snacks
• Compare that to a predetermined snack budget
• Discuss choices and trade-offs (one large pretzel vs. two small drinks)

Step 4: Add It All Up

Have the kids add all the category totals: Total Admission + Total Rentals + Total Snacks + Transportation = Grand Total

Step 5: Compare to Available Budget

If your family has a set amount to spend on entertainment:

• Is this trip within budget?
• If not, what could be adjusted? (Bringing snacks from home, going on a discount day, etc.)
• How much would each adjustment save?

Mathematical Concepts Covered

• Addition and multiplication (calculating costs)
• Division (sharing transportation costs)
• Estimation (predicting snack expenses)
• Comparison (evaluating options)
• Financial literacy (understanding the importance of budgeting and prioritizing expenses)
• Percentages (if you incorporate discounts)
• Decision Making (learn to adjust spending to stay within their means)

Taking It Further

For older children, you could extend this activity by:

• Calculating the cost per hour of entertainment
• Compare other nearby rink prices
• Comparing the roller rink to other family activities based on cost
• Creating a monthly entertainment budget

Discussion Questions

• Did we stay within our budget? Why or why not?
• What surprised you about the costs?
• How could we save money next time?
• What strategies can you use to make future trips more affordable?

By turning a fun skating trip into a budgeting lesson, kids gain real-world financial skills while enjoying quality family time. Who knew math on wheels could be so exciting?