Children kicked off their shoes and glided across a sock skating rink at the Long Island Children’s Museum, trading sneakers for soft booties and hockey sticks for foam pucks — all while getting ready for the holidays.
The museum’s traveling exhibit features a unique sock-skating rink, where the youth can glide across a smooth polyurethane floor in their socks. Set within a winter-themed gallery, the exhibit includes a snowman, a gingerbread house, and arts-and-crafts stations — creating an interactive environment for children to explore and play.
“It’s become kind of a family favorite and a family tradition to come to the museum and skate, ‘quote unquote,’ on our rink,” said museum president Erika Floreska, highlighting the exhibit’s blend of fun and engagement.
On Dec. 14, the museum partnered with the Long Island Warriors Hockey Club to host the fifth annual Snowflake Sock Skating, bringing together dozens of families for fun, learning and a little giving back. And a surprise guest was Sparky the Dragon, the New York Islanders mascot.
“It’s one of our things — we want to do more for the community,” said Jeremy Feldman, chief executive of the Warriors. “We volunteer at soup kitchens and food drives, and Toys for Tots is our Marine organization.”
The idea for the event came from Feldman’s wife, Marissa Feldman, public program manager at the museum, who helped bring the two groups together. The goal: to blend the team’s service-minded mission with the museum’s focus on children’s development through play.
“Sports are play, and play is how kids learn,” Floreska said. “This clinic brings physical movement, teamwork and joy together in one space.”
Feldman said it’s a joy to teach children the game. “Some people aren’t used to playing hockey and some never have,” he said. “Kids might see their parents as fans, so they think it’s fun — especially with the little sock booties that make you feel like you’re skating on ice. They love it.”
Kids practiced slapping the puck, aiming for the net, and learning to hold and control the stick — all coached by the Warriors.
For many, the highlight came at the end: donated toys of all kinds — plush animals, trucks, Legos, dolls, and role-play sets — handed out to as they left. The toys were collected by the Warriors in the weeks leading up to the event.
