Skiing With Kids: Tips Before Your First Ski Trip With Kids
Skiing is a such a fun family activity that can be enjoyed by everyone in the family! It combines physical activity with a bit of adventure and a whole lot of fun!
However, when it comes to skiing with kids, there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure that everyone has a safe and enjoyable experience. Skiing with kids requires a bit more planning and a lot more flexibility than your pre-kid skiing days but I’m here to tell you that skiing with kids is so worth it!
Packing The Right Gear
First and foremost, it is important to make sure that your children are properly outfitted with the right gear. This includes warm clothing, gloves, a ski helmet, and, of course, skis that are the appropriate size for their skill level and body type.
Renting gear is an option for some of these items and for some people that makes the most sense! If you’re coming from a warm-weather environment and likely won’t use winter clothes often before they grow out of it, then renting may be the way to go.
However, depending on how many days you’re skiing, the rental cost of some of these items may end up being similar to the cost of the going ahead and buying it!
Our Top Recomendations:
Location
Next, when planning your ski trip with kids, it’s important to find a ski resort that caters to families and children. Many resorts offer ski schools for kids, which can be a great way for them to learn the basics of the sport in a safe and controlled environment. Additionally, many resorts offer special programs and activities for kids, such as treasure hunts and scavenger hunts, that can help keep them entertained and engaged while on the slopes.
We decided to take our kids on their first ski trip to Ski Apache in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Ruidoso is a small ski resort which actually was nice for our kids first ski trip! While it doesn’t offer some things we would have loved, like a half-day ski school option, the smaller nature of the resort makes it a good option when skiing with kids!
Read more about skiing with kids in Ruidoso, here!
Building Up Their Confidence
When it comes to actually hitting the slopes, it is important to start small and work your way up. If your kids are new to skiing, it is best to start them on easy, beginner-friendly runs and gradually work your way up to more difficult terrain as they gain confidence and skill. We found that the kids picked up the skill of skiing relatively quickly! The bigger hinderance was actually just their confidence. The more we were able to help boost their confidence the better they skied!
We watched a variety of Youtube videos on teaching your kids to ski and ended up finding that it worked best whenever we skied behind them and let them ski between our legs. This way, we could scoop them up before they would fall but they also were skiing solo to help build up their confidence.
Have Fun!
Finally, it is important to remember to have fun! Skiing with kids can be a great bonding experience and a lot of fun for the whole family. So, don't stress too much about getting everything perfect, and instead focus on enjoying the experience together.
We had a talk with our kids before we even got out of the car about having fun! We tried our best to set the stage for a day of fun. We talked through their fears of their first ski trip, we explained what the ski-lift would be like and we showed them videos from different ski resorts to help give them context for what the day would look like.
Then we talked about how your first ski trip can be hard and there will be lots of falling but that we have a choice to get frustrated when things are hard or to have fun! I think this really helped to create a foundation for the day and a direction for things when they did get hard and overwhelming.
In summary, skiing with kids can be a fun and rewarding experience for the whole family. By keeping good gear in mind and finding a ski resort that caters to families, you can ensure that everyone has a great time on the slopes. So, pack your bags and hit the slopes for a winter adventure with your kids!