Family fun in the winter means hockey and ice skating for dozens of Moorhead families with backyard rinks and ponds. “It’s fun for the family in winter,” Byron Pool said, adding his kids, Harper, 7, and Curran, 5, are excited every year.

“There’s just something about outdoor hockey,” Rob Gramer said. He’s been making a backyard rink for at least a decade and plans to add another decade while his kids grow up. His three boys and he like to slap the puck around. Recently, when his youngest, Josh, 6, chose his team partner he chose his big brother, Luke, 14. That meant, dad says, that Josh thinks his brother is a better skater. Not minding at all, Gramer and son, Joe, 11, took to the ice. They all won.

There are options for indoor hockey but outdoors is different. Moorhead Youth Hockey has 570 youth, ages 4 to 18. “Kids skate from 6 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. lots of days, outside of school hours. Ice sheets are open seven days a week,” Gramer, executive director of Moorhead Youth Hockey said.

However, it’s the outdoors, the fresh air, building the rinks together, having a cold nose and numb toes and not caring because it’s so much fun.

Family and fun are the key words.

Pool says they “have a blast. There is a new story every night. The kids make up their own ice shows. They can pretend to be anyone, even Matt Cullen. They use their imaginations. It’s free time in the backyard with no structure.”

It is fun for dads and moms to be kids again, too. As associate head coach for the Fargo Force, Pool spends lots of time at rinks. “At home, it’s playtime. I love getting on the ice. It’s fun to be a kid again.”

Kay Pool is from a “big ice family.” She started figure skating when she was 5 and coaches part time for theRed River Valley Figure Skating Club. Husband Byron appreciates the efficiency of figure skaters and their edge work.

Chris Triggs grew up in Manitoba and was always playing hockey on teams and for fun. “Being outdoors is part of what we have here,” he said, adding it’s great.

The rink he made in his backyard gets bigger as his kids grow. This year it is 72 by 36 feet and takes up the entire backyard. “The neighbors build it together. We have a neighborhood group. We have spotlights so the rink is used a lot. During the Christmas holiday it was really busy.”

Sara Triggs makes sure everyone is bundled up while they work on skills, shooting and just skating.

Nate Wright grew up playing hockey, too, including at St. Cloud State University. His two boys and one girl all play hockey in the youth programs.

Their rink is 18 by 50 feet – “Just big enough for little skaters.” They have a 4 by 8 plywood wall on one side that the kids painted. Orange and black designs, and hockey sticks were favorite art choices.

“We love to see the rink go up in the fall. The first year I had to guarantee my wife it wouldn’t wreck the lawn. It didn’t. There has not been any basement flooding either, he said. Dani Wright grew up in a basketball community in southwest Minnesota. “We’re converting her, though. We’re working on it.”

Alyse Cullen traveled the United States and Europe while her husband, Joe, skated professionally for 11 years. “Hockey showed us the world,” she said.

They build their rink for family memories. Their two kids and relatives from as far away as Texas all skated at Christmas. They have campfires in the backyard and enjoy each other.

She grew up near Lake Harriet in the Cities and skated there. Alyse and Kay Pool are the toe pick skaters. Hockey skates do not have toe picks.

Tom and Rachel Alderson and Tim and Michelle French are two of the families who share a big pond that freezes in several backyards in the Johnson Farms addition.

Tom cleans snow off the pond, Rachel said. “The kids spend hours having fun and practicing. They just enjoy being on the ice. Even after a long weekend of hockey, they will go to the pond just for fun. The kids invite their friends, too. I’m thinking they’re freezing and they say they’re fine.”

“So far this year we have had several games with kids as young as 3 up to adults. It helps neighbors get to know each other and share the love for Minnesota hockey. Having these friends and family gatherings creates many memories with the kids.

“On the chilly days, we bring out a portable ice house and heater so the little ones can warm up. The best is playing games at night. We have three sets of lights with hundreds of feet of extension cords and two nets. After the game, the kids huddle for hot chocolate and talk about all their goals,” Michelle said.

Backyard rinks, ponds formed in developments, bonfires, hot chocolate, having and making memories – family fun for hundreds of Moorhead ice families.