Not many people can play hockey right at home.

But for the last six years, Plainfield’s Sullivan family has done just that after installing a homemade hockey/ice skating rink in their Indian Boundary Road backyard.

Mom Dawn Sullivan said her husband was inspired to create a hockey rink after his boss built one eight years ago.

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“My husband is a carpenter by trade,” Sullivan said, adding the rink is built out of plywood and wooden 2-by-4s, plus some home wrap to allow the family to fill it with eight to 10 inches of water.

“The water bill is not fun, but it’s worth it,” Sullivan said with a laugh. “It’s a lot of fun in the winter.”

Typically, the Sullivan’s kids — ages 11, 13 and 15 — and their friends can be found skating or playing hockey on the rink.

Last week’s unseasonably warm weather but a cramp in the family’s rink time, but a predicted drop in temperatures left the kids hopeful that they could resume their winter activities soon.

“Right now it’s a pond,” Sullivan said last week. “If it’s cold enough, they skate … Last year, I think we were still skating in April because it was really cold. It’s like a swimming pool — you use it when the weather is right.”

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