2 Year Old - Snow!

[NWSkiGirl]

I have a 27 month old and I'd like to get her out in the snow before it melts. She is amazingly athletic and well balanced and so adventurous. She loves to ride her little bike, and loves climbing and running. She doesn't fall. She picks things up almost on the first try. She likes to spin and spin and spin. I bet I could slide her around on skis and she'd love it!

We live in Portland now, and Mt Hood is 1.75 hours away. That's a long drive round trip. Should I even try to get her out when she's this young, given the distance? What have you all done with your littles?

 

[snoWYmonkey]

For certain she is old enough to start, even if too young for group lessons. Be prepared for a lot of driving and prepping and a short day. The first few days are about fun and walking and gliding, and not traumatizing the wee one. Our dear friends skied one green run with their son the first day ever. He fell asleep on the second lift ride up! They skied him down in their lap still asleep. He loved the chairlift, said nothing about the skiing. Now he does backflips with his eyes half closed.

They can get hooked super fast. Getting them to turn becomes the next big hurdle. Edgie wedgies can help at that age, But less is more.

 

[SnowHot]

My GF in Michigan got her daughter out when she was about that age. At first they just put her gear on her and played in snow at home, then they took her on a vacation at the local resort and just practiced with her on a shallow slope outside of their condo.

The tip we got from another friend was to have one person push her toward her dad, and dad would occasionally step to one side or the other to encourage her to turn. She would naturally turn toward where dad stepped.

Hopefully this will show up. Its a short video we made back the.

7 comments | First weekend on skis 2 weeks after her 2nd birthday. Whee! | Tricia Pugliese

First weekend on skis 2 weeks after her 2nd birthday. Whee!

www.facebook.com

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=120825110017

 

[Sheena]

When my kids were that age, we just had them glide around the small slope on our front yard. Then when they were 4 put them in a lesson.

 

[marzNC]

We live in Portland now, and Mt Hood is 1.75 hours away. That's a long drive round trip. Should I even try to get her out when she's this young, given the distance? What have you all done with your littles?

Not sure there is much reason to go all the way to a ski area. Have you seen the little plastic skis and boots for little ones? As mentioned, all they need is a little snow on a slope.

When my daughter was 3, I held off making a 3-4 hour drive to Massanutten or any other ski hill since the ski schools in my region don't start until age 4. Even at 4, aside from the time actually at ski school, she was far more interested in playing in the snow (all from snowguns) than sliding with ski boots and skis on her feet. I learned to bring 2 or pairs of mittens. Note that we live in a region where is rarely snows, and never more than a few inches.

My husband's brother's family lives in Chicagoland. When my daughter was a toddler, we went for a Christmas vacation. Their friends or neighbors had a box of winter stuff (snow boots, jackets, snowpants) that people could borrow. She had a ball in their front yard!

The hat and mittens were a gift. Everything else was borrowed from the "box".

 

[floatingyardsale]

I suspect the limiting factor here is the drive, not the skiing. My kid's first experience at just shy of 3 was on plastic skis, and she was so excited until she realized the skis were slippery and then she glared at me and growled "get me off this ice."

The next year we had tiny boots and skis and we learned how to glide down the bunny hill.

Now she's 8 and we just spent the weekend skiing powder.

The thing is, the hill was 20 minutes away and free (pre-Ikon Snowbasin even printed her a "real" season pass.) At your kiddo's age, get some cheap boots and skis and find a snowy hill at a playground.

 

[Christy]

Congrats on the home purchase and the move!! I wasn't familiar with North Bethany but look how close (relatively) you are to the coast.

For everyone not in the PNW, the nearest snow is probably a ways from Portland. The nearest easily accessible (ie with a plowed road to it and a plowed parking lot) might be a ski area.

 

[marzNC]

For everyone not in the PNW, the nearest snow is probably a ways from Portland. The nearest easily accessible (ie with a plowed road to it and a plowed parking lot) might be a ski area.

For a first look at snow, I'd be inclined to pack up the kid without ski stuff but plenty of mittens, warm clothing, and snacks, then go for a drive on US26 towards Mt. Hood. Could stop anywhere convenient once there is snow. Don't need more than 6 inches on the ground to get a sense of whether the kid is excited by the idea of playing in the snow . . . for more than 10 minutes.

When I was in 8th grade (late 1960s), I was at North Country School in Lake Placid. That's where I learned to ski (200 acre campus, including a rope tow ski hill). My parents drove up from NYC for the Thanksgiving festivities that were held for families able to spend that holiday weekend in LP. They were curious to see me ski. We drove around and found a short slope, maybe part of a golf course, so I could make a few turns. Somewhere there is a home movie.

 

[NWSkiGirl]

My GF in Michigan got her daughter out when she was about that age. At first they just put her gear on her and played in snow at home, then they took her on a vacation at the local resort and just practiced with her on a shallow slope outside of their condo.

The tip we got from another friend was to have one person push her toward her dad, and dad would occasionally step to one side or the other to encourage her to turn. She would naturally turn toward where dad stepped.

Hopefully this will show up. Its a short video we made back the.

7 comments | First weekend on skis 2 weeks after her 2nd birthday. Whee! | Tricia Pugliese

First weekend on skis 2 weeks after her 2nd birthday. Whee!

www.facebook.com

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=120825110017

Wow, that is so adorable and so impressive! Thanks for sharing and for the tips/ideas. I think a weekend trip would be great!

 

[NWSkiGirl]

Not sure there is much reason to go all the way to a ski area. Have you seen the little plastic skis and boots for little ones? As mentioned, all they need is a little snow on a slope.

When my daughter was 3, I held off making a 3-4 hour drive to Massanutten or any other ski hill since the ski schools in my region don't start until age 4. Even at 4, aside from the time actually at ski school, she was far more interested in playing in the snow (all from snowguns) than sliding with ski boots and skis on her feet. I learned to bring 2 or pairs of mittens. Note that we live in a region where is rarely snows, and never more than a few inches.

My husband's brother's family lives in Chicagoland. When my daughter was a toddler, we went for a Christmas vacation. Their friends or neighbors had a box of winter stuff (snow boots, jackets, snowpants) that people could borrow. She had a ball in their front yard!

The hat and mittens were a gift. Everything else was borrowed from the "box".
View attachment 24163

No, I haven't seen the plastic ones. I was thinking of renting? Not sure about equipment...

 

[NWSkiGirl]

Congrats on the home purchase and the move!! I wasn't familiar with North Bethany but look how close (relatively) you are to the coast.

For everyone not in the PNW, the nearest snow is probably a ways from Portland. The nearest easily accessible (ie with a plowed road to it and a plowed parking lot) might be a ski area.

Thanks, Christy! Yes, I can have the mountains and the beach now.

I was thinking that too. I don't think there's anywhere closer than Mt Hood for snow... No Snoqualmie pass here :-(

 

[NWSkiGirl]

For a first look at snow, I'd be inclined to pack up the kid without ski stuff but plenty of mittens, warm clothing, and snacks, then go for a drive on US26 towards Mt. Hood. Could stop anywhere convenient once there is snow. Don't need more than 6 inches on the ground to get a sense of whether the kid is excited by the idea of playing in the snow . . . for more than 10 minutes.

When I was in 8th grade (late 1960s), I was at North Country School in Lake Placid. That's where I learned to ski (200 acre campus, including a rope tow ski hill). My parents drove up from NYC for the Thanksgiving festivities that were held for families able to spend that holiday weekend in LP. They were curious to see me ski. We drove around and found a short slope, maybe part of a golf course, so I could make a few turns. Somewhere there is a home movie.

Yes, that was my first thought. Take and toddler and the dogs to the snow! I do love the idea of her sliding on snow though, just the skier in me I guess :-)

 

[NWSkiGirl]

I suspect the limiting factor here is the drive, not the skiing. My kid's first experience at just shy of 3 was on plastic skis, and she was so excited until she realized the skis were slippery and then she glared at me and growled "get me off this ice."

The next year we had tiny boots and skis and we learned how to glide down the bunny hill.View attachment 24165

Now she's 8 and we just spent the weekend skiing powder.

The thing is, the hill was 20 minutes away and free (pre-Ikon Snowbasin even printed her a "real" season pass.) At your kiddo's age, get some cheap boots and skis and find a snowy hill at a playground.

So cute! Skiing powder :-)

 

[Kimmyt]

Its a lot of work for not a lot of ski time when they are that little. If snow at your house is not an option (we usually just waited for snow and shoveled our driveway into a tiny hill on the grass) your only bet will be the ski resort. You can certainly take a trip if it feels worth it to you, but know that there will not be a lot of snow time. Now if you jsut want to hang out in the mountains and go sledding etc and try the magic carpet for a little bit here and there it might be worth it and you can make some good memories. Otherwise you might just get some plastic skis to play around with on the carpet in your house. When your kid is 3-4 there is an indoor facility in Portland that does little kid ski lessons, we have some similar ones in our area that many parents seem to like, but (at least around me) they are not cheap. In my opinion if you are not skiing super regularly anyway then starting your kid at 2.5 vs 4 will not make a huge difference, as not much skiing really gets done at 2.5 and the strength and muscle coordination really takes off at 4-5.

the indoor facility in Portland

 

[marzNC]

Cross posting from another Family thread:

Congratulations on your move to such an inviting community.
I started my kids skiing at 19 months and age 2.5 but I lived in Park City only a few minutes from the bunny slopes and had a season pass without need to buy a day ticket. Then it wasn’t a big deal to play on the snow for an hour or however long their attention span was for the day and then go home. It can be exhausting for everyone just getting in and out of the car, dressing and undressing, walking from and to the parking lot, timing their hunger and going to the bathroom. It’s all such a process requiring a lot of patience.

The Reindeer Club at Deer Valley (toddler daycare/ski school) works with the toddlers inside the playroom on and off for hours throughout the day. All the kids learn how to carry and wear their skis and boots inside while playing games to give them the feeling for their equipment. The kids follow colored tape strips on the floor listening carefully to the fun instructions or music etc. Naturally the games translate beautifully to their learning experience when they get on the snow. I would do this with my kids every year when they were little to get used to their new equipment. I think it’s a genius way to learn a lot without having to go anywhere and without all the schlepping. Something to think about…

Whenever and however you decide to teach your child to ski, it sounds like she’s destined to love the sport. Wishing you all the best!

 

[scandium]

I have a 27 month old and I'd like to get her out in the snow before it melts. She is amazingly athletic and well balanced and so adventurous. She loves to ride her little bike, and loves climbing and running. She doesn't fall. She picks things up almost on the first try. She likes to spin and spin and spin. I bet I could slide her around on skis and she'd love it!

We live in Portland now, and Mt Hood is 1.75 hours away. That's a long drive round trip. Should I even try to get her out when she's this young, given the distance? What have you all done with your littles?

How does she go on car rides and is there a special treat that would build positive associations? That's really going to be the deciding factor here, because if she decides she is sick of travelling before you get there then no skiing or snow play is likely to happen. The other concern would be that if you push her to get out into the snow despite bring over it from the car ride, that all she remembers is the bad bits and then, as toddlers do, doubles down on NOT doing the thing.

If you want to get her used to the idea of sliding around on skis you can easily strap her into the plastic ones and slide her around on carpet.

 

[NWSkiGirl]

Its a lot of work for not a lot of ski time when they are that little. If snow at your house is not an option (we usually just waited for snow and shoveled our driveway into a tiny hill on the grass) your only bet will be the ski resort. You can certainly take a trip if it feels worth it to you, but know that there will not be a lot of snow time. Now if you jsut want to hang out in the mountains and go sledding etc and try the magic carpet for a little bit here and there it might be worth it and you can make some good memories. Otherwise you might just get some plastic skis to play around with on the carpet in your house. When your kid is 3-4 there is an indoor facility in Portland that does little kid ski lessons, we have some similar ones in our area that many parents seem to like, but (at least around me) they are not cheap. In my opinion if you are not skiing super regularly anyway then starting your kid at 2.5 vs 4 will not make a huge difference, as not much skiing really gets done at 2.5 and the strength and muscle coordination really takes off at 4-5.

the indoor facility in Portland

Thanks for the link! I will have her slide around on our carpet for sure...

 

[NWSkiGirl]

How does she go on car rides and is there a special treat that would build positive associations? That's really going to be the deciding factor here, because if she decides she is sick of travelling before you get there then no skiing or snow play is likely to happen. The other concern would be that if you push her to get out into the snow despite bring over it from the car ride, that all she remembers is the bad bits and then, as toddlers do, doubles down on NOT doing the thing.

If you want to get her used to the idea of sliding around on skis you can easily strap her into the plastic ones and slide her around on carpet.

That's something I really need to keep in mind! It has to be fun, that's the only goal. So far good on car rides, but she's starting to say "home" when we are driving now!! I like the idea of a special treat - maybe hot chocolate on the hill, as someone suggested

 

[NWSkiGirl]

Ah! Now I see - everyone is suggesting skis that strap on SNOW boots, not ski boots. Brilliant! I will do that.

 

[Jilly]

There are plastic skis that should be available as "toys", not skis. Toys R Us maybe?

Just slide around in the neighbourhood.