Pupils at a Rotorua school had sore bottoms but big smiles this week after a portable ice skating rink was installed in their school hall.
Ice Skate Tours installed the state of the art, artificial ice rink at Lynmore Primary School on Sunday so it was ready for pupils to use on Monday morning.
The rink is open to the public after school and will be open from 10am to 5pm this Saturday. Twenty per cent of the money from public admissions is donated back to the school.
Operator Robin de Goeij said it had not taken the children long to become ice skating pros.
"The first 10 minutes is absolute chaos and all the children are on the ground but once they have got their balance they're away.
"Ice skating is not something many Rotorua children would get to practise, especially not in their own schools, so it's great we are able to bring the ice to them.
"This is the first school in Rotorua we have gone to but we are definitely keen to approach more. There's no cost involved and gives the kids a chance to try something a bit different."
Year Two teacher Linda Beck said her class was excited for their turn on the ice rink.
"They loved it. They were particularly interested in the bubble machines. There were a few falls but they all had so much fun.
"The girls seem far more skilled than the boys but I think that came down to the boys being a bit gung-ho and going hard at it straight away."
Corey Martenauld and Sasha Backer, both 7, said they were excited to go ice skating.
"It was really fun and in the end I got the hang of it. I've been skating before but never at school," Sasha said.
"I was very excited when I heard we were getting an ice skating rink but also nervous because I didn't know how it was going to be installed," Corey said.
Sasha's favourite part about ice skating was when just the girls were allowed on the rink while Corey's was helping out his friends so they did not lose their balance.