Skate N Play in LaFayette is opening the door to its new attractions the first weekend in June.

Owner Rex Ellison has been working for the past few months to perfect a miniature golf course and a enclosed outdoor play area to make the local arcade more attractive to family groups.

An 18-hole putt-putt golf course is nearly complete and ready to open. Furthermore, a series of themed play houses — a pretend schoolhouse, boat and general store, among others — will cater to early elementary-age children. Picnic tables will be installed under a pavilion next to a large covered sandbox and an outbuilding will be fitted with inflatables appropriate for toddlers.

“LaFayette hasn’t had a putt putt since the early ‘80s,” said Ellison. “It gives them something to do outside, because in the summertime, we are extremely slow.”

The outdoor play area will be complexly enclosed in a kid-safe fence and accessible only through a door from the inside of the Skate N Play arcade. Children will not be able to enter or exit the area from outside.

In addition to the new attractions, there are a few scheduling changes that will take effect at the Skate N Play the first weekend in June. Friday will become exclusively a family or group night, with church or Scout groups encouraged to attend en masse. Individual drop-offs will no longer be allowed on Friday evenings, though they will still be more than welcome on Saturdays.

“We are really wanting to try to build up the churches and the family nights on Friday nights,” said Ellison.

The atmosphere of Skate N Play will likely change on the weekends within the next few months, as more and more roller derby tournaments come to LaFayette. Ellison is particularly excited to see more of this sport take place, and is hopeful that some local students might also wish to get involved.

“We are definitely making plans to make a lot of renovations to gear up for the roller derbies,” said Ellison as he pointed out a few things throughout the arcade that need a touching-up. One of the first on his list is removing four of the rink-side pool tables and replacing them with bleacher-style seats, so that audiences will have a more comfortable viewing area.

“It’s a family thing and for the roller derby, too,” he said.

Skate N Play new summer hours

Friday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for public (no drop-offs); 7-11 p.m. for private groups

Saturday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and 7-11 p.m.

Sunday: 1-5 p.m.