When water hits 32 degrees Fahrenheit, magic happens. Well, not magic, really, but a transformation: The cold slows down hydrogen and oxygen molecules until they lock into a hexagonal structure. Its volume increases, its density decreases, and ta-da! It turns into ice.
Vermonters see ice as both a bad and a good thing. Too much can kill winter’s vibe. Driving is difficult. Power lines snap under its weight. The thrill of skiing and snowboarding is gone. But in the right places, used the right way, ice can be downright fun.
As winter approaches, here are a few ways families can turn the ice into hours of adventure and entertainment.
Sweeping Success
The Green Mountain Curling Club is the only American curling club with its home ice in another country. Since a Morrisville rink closed in 2013, the Vermont club has been sharing the Bedford curling rink in Québec, just a few minutes’ drive from the Highgate and Morses Line border crossings.
Burlington’s Bill Germer serves on the boards of the Green Mountain Curling Club and Club de Curling de Bedford. In both roles, he has introduced Vermonters of all ages to a sport that requires balance, touch and enough strength to slide a 40-pound stone across the ice.
To help pay its rent at the Bedford facility, the Green Mountain Curling Club will host five “Learn-to-Curl” sessions this winter. Starting on December 6 and continuing on the first Sunday of every month through April, the three-hour afternoon sessions require little more than a positive attitude, a willingness to learn and the ability to cross the border. At $25 per person, they’re for anyone from age 6 to adult.
“Six is a good age to introduce kids to curling,” Germer said. “Since a 40-pound stone can weigh more than they do, they obviously don’t throw it the whole length of the sheet.” The Bedford facility has practice target areas set at various distances on the curling sheets so that young players don’t have to push a stone the entire length of the ice.
As an alternative to the Sunday sessions, the entire Bedford club is rentable for five hours on available nights for 460 Canadian dollars. Germer said the ideal group size is 25 to 30 people, making it an attractive option for birthday parties or family reunions. The price includes curling instruction, all the required equipment, use of the facility’s full kitchen, a communal area and a bartender. Some groups even have food delivered from nearby Bedford restaurants, about which Germer raved.
“You could totally rent the facility with kids,” he said. “They’re not going to want to curl for the entire five hours, but you’ve got the time and space to do whatever you want.”
For Germer, whose children were competitive curlers, the sport contains valuable life lessons.
“It’s a social game, and it’s an honorable game,” he said. “After you play on the ice, you sit down and talk and laugh with the people you just played with and against.”
Adventures With Puck
In the 1990s, when the uvmathletics.coms star-studded men’s hockey team garnered national attention, Gutterson Fieldhouse in Burlington was the trendy place to be. The barn was constantly sold out, and season tickets had a long waiting list.
These days, for various reasons, it’s easier to get UVM hockey tickets for both the men’s and women’s teams so that young skaters can get face time with some of the nation’s top collegiate athletes.
Each winter, both UVM teams host a “Skate With the Cats” event, inviting kids of all ages to skate for free on the Gutterson ice after a game.
The men’s hockey team will host “Skate with the Cats” on December 5, right after the Catamounts’ game against nationally ranked Providence College. The women’s team, which has garnered some votes in early season national polls, holds its at 2 p.m. on February 6.
Kids don’t need to be in a hockey or skating club to take part — just bring their skates and a helmet.
Hard-Water Angling
Stowe-based fishing guide Willy Dietrich thinks ice fishing might be the perfect winter-day activity for kids and families who want fresh air and a day unplugged from screens.
“As a fishing guide, I’m in the fun business,” said Dietrich, who leads ice-fishing excursions on water bodies all across northern Vermont with his Catamount Fishing Adventures. “It’s not like you need a specific skill set to ice fish. You just need to dress warmly and want to be outside.”
A fully guided ice-fishing trip with Dietrich, including a warm shanty, all the fishing gear, bait, snacks and extra winter gear, costs $350 to $450 for a half day, depending on party size.
As an alternative to a guided trip, you can rent heated ice shanties at Martin’s General Store in Highgate Springs as soon as ice conditions are safe. Fees range from $85 to $125 a day. A Vermont fishing license runs $28 for residents, though kids under 15 fish for free.
For DIY anglers, Vermont’s Free Ice Fishing Day — no license required — is January 30.
A Great Skate
If you really want to tucker out the family one day this winter, pack up your skates and head to Lake Morey in Fairlee. Home to one of the longest public outdoor skating tracks in the U.S., Lake Morey maintains a 4.5-mile trail that provides a unique outdoor skating experience.
The trail typically opens in mid-to late January, when the lake is fully covered with safe ice, and closes by late February as the ice begins to melt. The Town of Fairlee monitors ice safety throughout the winter.
The nearby Lake Morey Resort offers rental Nordic skates and other equipment, but you can also use hockey or figure skates. The skating trail is publicly accessible at the Fairlee Town Beach.
This article appears in Kids VT Winter • 2026.
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