What Is a Good Size for a Backyard Ice Rink? (How to Choose)

TLDR:

• Check your yard first: Measure slope (aim for less than 10 inches) and make sure the rink fits comfortably in your space.
  
  

• Tailor size to your kids’ current skills: Buy for now, upgrade when necessary in the future. Smaller rinks work for beginners (mainly for skill development), larger ones suit hockey practice and pickup games.
  
  

• Plan for upkeep: Bigger rinks cost more, use more water, and require extra time for setup and maintenance. Prepare accordingly. 

Whether you’re dreaming of family skate nights or a spot for the kids to practice hockey, the right rink size makes all the difference. 

Too small, and it might feel crowded; too big, and it could be more work (and cost) than you bargained for. 

The good news? 

Choosing the right size isn’t as tricky as it sounds. 

We’re a leading backyard ice rink manufacturer that sells nearly 300 rink sizes, and in this post, we’ll walk you through what to consider when planning to build a rink that’s just right for your space, budget, and skating goals.

What Is a Properly Sized Backyard Ice Rink?

When it comes to choosing your backyard rink size, there’s no one-size-fits-all answer.

The perfect rink size for one family might be completely impractical for another.

There are common backyard ice rink sizes that work for a lot of families, such as our Starter Rink (17 ft x 35 ft, ideal for younger players working to improve skating and stick handling skills) and Standard Rink (26 ft x 53 ft, ideal for 3-on-3 games with players of any size).

Before you get there, though, let’s walk through the four questions you must answer before deciding on a backyard ice rink size.

4 Key Backyard Rink Size Questions to Consider

These questions will serve as your guide to choosing the best backyard rink size for your situation. 

1. Which Rink Fits Your Yard Best?

There are multiple things to consider when choosing the right rink for your yard, including:

• The amount of room you have for a rink - do you have enough space for the rink you’re imagining? 

You want the rink to fit comfortably within your existing landscaping. This will make it easier to maintain and won’t crowd your space.

Photo courtesy of Dave K., YardRink owner. See their family’s story here. 

You want to maximize the available area in your yard, so pick the spot that allows for the biggest rink.

If you have a uniquely shaped yard, the main backyard rink brands offer custom shapes and sizes you can explore to find the best fit.

These custom-sized kits will likely be more expensive with longer shipping times than pre-sized kits, but they are a solid option if you need a personalized size.

• The slope of your yard. If you have too much slope, you’ll have one end with very deep water/ice and one end with barely any coverage. Most backyard rink brands recommend no more than about 10 inches of slope in any direction across your rink.

Note: If your yard slope is greater than 10 inches, you can still consider buying a rink. But you will need to build your boards higher and add substantial bracing on the deep end. Please note that this is a risky undertaking given the amount of water pressure that accumulates on the deep end. Catastrophic blowouts have occurred with DIY rinks and certain rink kits as well.

• The amount of shade in your yard. A shady yard can help your ice stay frozen longer, but it might also mean dealing with extra leaves, pine needles, and debris.

• The surface you’re installing the rink on. Ideally, this is a level surface. You can generally install rinks on grass, dirt that is free of sharp rocks or material, pavement, sports courts (we recommend no more than 4 inches of slope on sports courts), etc. 

Photo courtesy of Parker Ross, YardRink owner. See the Ross family story here.

Your first action to see if your backyard can accommodate a rink is to measure the slope of your yard.

How to Measure the Slope of Your Yard (Step-by-Step)

1. Place one stake on the highest point of the area you want to use for your rink.
   
   

2. Place a second stake at the lowest point of that same area.
   
   

3. Tie a piece of string tightly from the high stake to the low stake.  At the high stake, the string should be tied at the ground level.
   
   

4. Use a level on the string to make sure it’s straight and even.
   
   

5. Measure from the string down to the ground at the low end with a tape measure (the measurement tells you how much slope you have).
   
   

6. If it’s less than 10 inches across the build area in all directions, your yard should be fine for a rink.

Here is a video demonstration of how to measure slope, along with other tips to prepare for a backyard rink:

You can also use a laser level to determine the slope of your yard. YardRink has a simple instruction sheet to help.

If you are unsure about the slope of your yard, please e-mail us at CustomerCare@YardRink.com to learn more.

2. How Will Your Rink Be Used?

After you’ve assessed your yard, you’ll next want to determine your goals for your rink.

Are your kids young and just learning how to skate? 

If so, you’ll likely want to buy a small rink size, like our Junior Rink, first. 

Note: Our Junior Rink includes best-in-market pricing you won’t find anywhere else for a small, pre-assembled kit ($999). If you’re looking for a beginner-friendly size, you won’t find a better price for the performance you get. 

Smaller or medium rinks work well for beginners/younger hockey players, and as we’ll touch on later, you can always upgrade your rink as they grow their skills.

Are your kids older and ready for serious hockey practice and pickup games?

A bigger-sized rink, like our Standard or Large Rink, will give them more room to play and hone their skills:

3. What Can You Afford? 

Backyard rinks are not inexpensive. 

For a quality rink kit, you’re typically starting between $2,000-$10,000, depending on the size and brand.

You can go the DIY route and save some money upfront. However, this is often paid for later by the amount of effort required to build one and the compromised playability of a DIY rink.

When assessing what you can afford, think about where your kids are right now with their skating/hockey skills, and purchase accordingly. 

You can always upgrade your rink in the future if you buy a pre-assembled kit (it’s more difficult to do on a DIY rink). 

For a YardRink, the rinks are modular, and can be expanded simply by purchasing additional Straight Panels, a larger tarp, and possibly additional stakes.

Other brands provide upgrades, but this can involve mixing component versions, which adds additional complexity to the process.  

Pro Tip: Buy a good-sized rink for your kids at their current skill level. You don’t have to spend all your money on a rink now. Your rink can grow with your family and your yard. If their skills and love of skating advance, upgrade in the future. 

Photo courtesy of Jessa McNamara, YardRink owner. See their family story here.

4. How Much Time in Setup/Maintenance/Take-Down Are You Willing to Spend?

The last major factor in determining what is a good size backyard ice rink for you is the setup/takedown/maintenance consideration.

Assembling a bigger rink will be more time-consuming than assembling a smaller rink. The same is true for the disassembly process when the skating season is over.

With a bigger rink, you should expect more maintenance. This could include clearing snow after each snowfall, spraying thin layers of water to resurface, and filling in cracks.

You’ll also want to ensure you have a secure area to store the rink when not in use. 

Another thing to consider is the amount of water the rink will take.

Bigger rinks require more water. If you are on a well or have to pay for water to be delivered, this could increase costs. 

Here’s an example of how many gallons of water you might expect to use (and how long it will take) during the initial fill of a rink: 

Starter Rink (17' x 35')

• Level yard: 1,470 gal / 2.5 hours

• Max slope yard: 2,600 gal / 4.5 hours

Starter Rink (26' x 53')

• Level yard: 3,400 gal / 6 hours

• Max slope yard: 6,000 gal / 10 hours

What Is Your Ideal Backyard Rink Size?

Size is a crucial consideration when buying a rink, and we don’t want you to waste money or deal with the frustrations that come with buying the wrong size rink. 

To summarize:

• Envision the space you’d like to place your rink, and measure the slope of your yard using the steps outlined in this article.

• Assess your kids’ current skating goals, and buy the backyard hockey rink size that fits best at their current skill level. You can upgrade the rink in the future, if necessary.

• Understand the maintenance requirements that come with bigger rinks, and make sure you’re prepared. 

Here’s a quick backyard ice rink size comparison chart to use for reference:

Where Should You Look to Find the Best Backyard Ice Rinks?

If you understand backyard rink sizes, you’ve crossed off a major checkpoint on your journey to the ice.

Next, you must figure out which rink best meets your goals.

We objectively analyzed the market and put together the “3 Best Backyard Ice Rinks for 2025 (Honest Analysis)”. 

Read through it carefully to see the pros and cons of the major brands’ rink kits. 

If you have any general rink questions or want to explore YardRink more, drop us a note - we’d love to help guide you to the joyful times that await your family on the ice!