An Ice Rink in your back yard is a fantastic source of fun for kids.  And, it's not as difficult or expensive as you might think.

Here's a picture of the ice rink in the spring after a full winter's use.  This rink is 30 feet wide by 60 feet long.  It is about 6 inches deep at it's deepest point and 3 inches deep at it's shallowest point.  The rink I build in the rest of this manual is smaller, about 18 feet by 30 feet, but it can be enlarged fairly easily.

I poke hole in the rink with my rake to let the water meter out slowely.  Most of the water is soaked up into the ground this way.  My liner is cheap and disposable, so there's no storage throughout the summer and no worries about keeping it tear free.