A sea of skating Santa hats

The room was lit by a disco ball as students put their right feet in and took their right feet out, but the Hokey Pokey was abandoned as Santa Claus rolled across the floor in his red suit, sunglasses and a pair of roller skates.

The students, from kindergartners to middle school-bound fifth-graders, skated over to the big guy as he passed out miniature candy canes at the end of Circle View Elementary School’s holiday Skate Party.

The event is put on by the school’s Parent Teacher Organization at the Fountain Valley Skate Center about once a month for the kids to get out, get some exercise and have fun. The center also donates a portion of the proceeds back to the school — nearly $1,000 so far this year.

“It’s fun for the kids, it’s exercise — it’s a win-win situation,” said Linda Tait, the PTO Skate Party coordinator.

Every party has a different theme, and this month’s was holiday hats. The rink was a sea of red velvet Santa hats, some even had reindeer antlers or Mickey Mouse ears. Emma Tait was wearing a special hat shaped like a giant birthday cake with candles for her birthday.

The fourth-grader was excited to spend her birthday skating, and even got to stand in the middle of the rink as the birthday song played.

Emma said she learned to skate at the center, skating up and down on the carpet until she was ready to try skating in the rink. Emma now uses her skating prowess at home with her pet, Zeke.

“I like to skate with my dog,” she said.

Not all the skaters were as confident in their abilities as they moved across the floor. Some slowly scooted within arm’s length of the wall or held on safely to a parent’s hand, while a daring bunch raced around the rink falling, sliding or crashing into the walls.

“I fall every time. I need Mom to help,” 6-year-old Cierra Escamilla said.

Hayden Bates, 8, said he sometimes falls, but he isn’t nervous about it.

“I fall, but I’m not worried because I’m good,” Hayden said.

Kids weren’t the only ones invited to the party. Parents helped their kids around the rink, a few even skated, and most stood off to the side watching their kids zoom by.

“We usually come to all of [the Skate Parties],” Lisa Wold said of her fourth-grade daughter. “She likes to hang out with all her friends.”

Wold also said it gives her active daughter something to do during softball’s off-season.

“It was just a good opportunity,” Wold said. “I don’t like her just sitting in front of the TV.”