Skiing with kids

NotAGolf

NotAGolf

NotAGolf

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My kids are 6 and 4. Is that too young to take them skiing? Well, technically you can take them skiing at any age, so I guess I should rephrase... Is it a waste of time/effort taking them at that age?

I've never been skiing, and my wife hasn't been for years, so we'd all be beginners. Note sure if you that makes things better or worse!
 
During school holidays there's always young children out on the mountain. So I'd say absolutely.

But if they've never been before then I'd suggest finding your local indoor snow slope for a few lessons. If they don't like it then at least you haven't ****** ££££ up the wall.
 
Semple said:
During school holidays there's always young children out on the mountain. So I'd say absolutely.

But if they've never been before then I'd suggest finding your local indoor snow slope for a few lessons. If they don't like it then at least you haven't ****** ££££ up the wall.
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Agree with all of this and would emphasise putting in some hours at the local snow dome/dry slope before you go as it is much better to go with the basics under your belt than arrive as a total newbie and waste your first day on the slopes!
 
Castleford is a great experience, not sure how close it is. I'd stay away from outdoor places in this country, the ones I've been to are basically just stiff brushes and are nothing like the real thing (amd they hurt a lot more when falling :cry: ). Assuming you live in the UK btw.
 
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Begbie said:
No, but I'd pay for lessons. And/or book the kids in for seperate lessons.

Never been skiing without being overtaken by a 6 year old.
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^ Very much this on both counts.

4 and 6 may be young for Brits but in Europe they're doing tricks by that age. Best age to learn unlike me who learned on a rainy dry slope in Scotland at an age where gravity hurts more. Snow after that was lovely.

If you and your wife don't ski though you shouldn't be learning by jumping on a mountain while dealing with two kids, you need separate lessons. Pop your kids in ski school and you two get beginners lessons otherwise it's dangerous for you, your kids and others.

Oh, get winter sports insurance. The rule is if you ski into anybody you're at fault so you need cover. Especially if you don't ski.

And helmets. But you can hire all that.

Edit: I wish my parents had taken me at that age. Honestly it's a great dad move.
 
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Currently up a mountain in Norway with our 5 and 1 year old children. It’s been amazing. All going as beginners might make it a bit tougher, but for a 6 and a 4 year old it’s the perfect age. After 4 days of lessons our 5 year old has skied down a blue run and can use the drag lifts independently. Not sure what magic the instructor has been using but it seems to be working.

100% get lessons for all of you. Be slightly aware of cultural differences in instructors in different resorts. Had some pretty short tempered French instructors before and have heard horror stories from other people where their children have been put off skiing! The Norwegian instructor has been nothing short of incredible!

We intended to go to the snow dome before our trip but didn’t manage. It doesn’t seem to have made much difference to our 5 year old, but I’d probably want to go myself if I were a total beginner.

Manage your expectations in terms of ground that you might cover in a day, your skill levels at the end of the holiday (although with a week of lessons an adult with decent fitness should be parallel turning and getting anywhere on the mountain short of a black run) and how many mini chocolate bars the kids will need to get through the day! We’ve not managed to get our 5yo our skiing in the afternoons as she’s tired and would rather go to the hotel pool or sledging.

Book early as it’s eye wateringly expensive! Beg, borrow and steal second hand kit.

Overall it’s incredible and the kids are at the perfect age! Go for it!
 
adidan said:
^ Very much this on both counts.

4 and 6 may be young for Brits but in Europe they're doing tricks by that age. Best age to learn unlike me who learned on a rainy dry slope in Scotland at an age where gravity hurts more. Snow after that was lovely.

If you and your wife don't ski though you shouldn't be learning by jumping on a mountain while dealing with two kids, you need separate lessons. Pop your kids in ski school and you two get beginners lessons otherwise it's dangerous for you, your kids and others.

Oh, get winter sports insurance. The rule is if you ski into anybody you're at fault so you need cover. Especially if you don't ski.

And helmets. But you can hire all that.

Edit: I wish my parents had taken me at that age. Honestly it's a great dad move.
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I went up on a rainy day, board and some YouTube videos. Didn't end too well :p
 
My kids all learnt when they were about 4. Though my 8yr old daughter had the whole 3 years of covid between which threw off that, but she's bringing it back.

100% echo the lessons. Kids don't like listening to parents but someone else, they will. Always the way. Ours came on so much more with a couple of weeks of lessons and then never went back again and just skied with us after that.

Unlike some holidays where you think they're not old enough to appreciate it. It's very much like riding a bike. Learn young and they'll forever be able to have that skill.

Mine are now 18, 15 and 8 and it's so so much fun being able to ski anywhere with them all now.
 
Ideal age to start kids skiing that. I started when I was 8 and it became my life’s passion.

Currently sat in the condo in Breckenridge almost 40 years later :eek:
 
Perfect age.

Last week our 5 yr old got her ESF Ourson badge, and our 8 yr old got her ESF 2 star badge, which is about the 5th level up from absolute beginner and 4 from the highest badge. The 8 yr old can parallel way better than me already. They pick up the technique much faster and don't get blocked by fear. I started snowboarding at 24 and skiing at 35 and I wish I'd had the opportunity to start earlier, as I know that now, I'll never be "good" at skiing. The faster and more relaxed you are the easier it is, and it's much harder to develop that confidence as an adult.

The only advice I would give is think about what the personality of you're kids is like. We put ours in the ESF "Piou Piou" kids gardens/creche when they were absolute beginners. One was fine, but the other hated it. It can be really boring for them, and cold and painful. They have to stand in a queue for ages waiting for their turn to go up a magic carpet and slide down a very shallow slope whilst the instructors just walk around picking kids up off the ground. The younger one is a bit shy and absolutely hated it - tears, wailing the lot. We had to pull her out a few times. Once she got into the group lessons on the slopes this year though she was absolutely loving.

For your 4yr old, a ski creche is probably the only real option this year. In France at least, all kids under 6 have to meet at the creche, where the instructors test them out before assigning them to a group. Kids over 6 can go straight onto the mountain with a normal group instructor.
 
@AndyT - really good to know about ESF lessons for under 6’s. We’ve had a way way better experience here in Norefjell for a young beginner. Ski crèche would have been terrible.
 
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