LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON - When this year's crop of kindergarten students at Bompas Elementary School moves on to Grade 1 they'll have more than just beginner literacy and numerical skills, they'll also know the basics of hockey.

Every year as part of the school's physical education program, kindergarten teacher Val Gendron teaches her students how to skate.

Mikayla Lafferty, left, and Tyrone Lennie strike their best face-off pose during a Rugrats Hockey practice at the Fort Simpson arena. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

"It's a motor skill and all kids in Canada should learn how to skate," Gendron said.

This year she decided to take things one step farther and introduce her class to rudimentary hockey through a program she calls Rugrat Hockey. The class' gender division was partially behind the decision. Out of 18 students, 13 are boys and they need to do a lot of activities, she said.

Gendron is also looking to foster an interest in the sport to bolster the village's minor hockey program, which has had declining participation over the past few years. The students have already learned some important hockey basics.

When the kindergarten students started skating in December they had a minimal skill level.

"(There was) lots of crawling on the ice and barely walking," said Gendron.

More than two months later they can all get back up off the ice if they fall down and at least walk on the ice in their skates. Some of the students can skate quite quickly and stop. Their hockey skills, which they started learning in January, include passing and shooting pucks.

The improvement all comes down to "practise, practise, practise," said Gendron.

The class practises hockey twice a week at 1 p.m. Parents help dress their children in complete hockey gear, including jerseys, and get them on the ice.

"Parents are very supportive of the program and pleased with the results in the skills," Gendron said. "People are saying, 'I can't believe my kid can skate!'"

The students spend an hour on the ice working on their skating and hockey skills. Most of the gear they wear was purchased with donations from local companies.

Rugrats Hockey is proving to be good for more than just developing hockey skills. Gendron said she can see a difference in the students in the afternoons after they skate.

"It's really good when they come back here because they're a lot calmer," she said.

The students clearly like being on the ice.

Jamie Deneyoua-Nahanni, 5, said she likes skating fast. Rugrats Hockey is a lot of fun, she said.

"I like hitting the puck into the net," said Deneyoua-Nahanni.

Ryder Hardisty, 5, said he likes skating and hitting the puck hard. Hardisty said he's enjoying hockey and plans to keep playing the sport as he gets older.

Azayah Hardisty, 5, who already participates in minor hockey, said his favourite part of the sport is putting the puck in the net.

"When I get big I'm going to score 100 goals," said Hardisty.