surfsnowgirl
Banned
Thanks for these tips. I love the idea of making it fun for them and quit while you are ahead and they are still having fun so they come back.
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Tips for adults skiing with little kids
- Thread starter marzNC
- Start date
i think there are two categories of young kids
1) they understand they are cold, they can read, and they will tell you then are cold (9yrs)
2) younger than that
in our family, the adults dress 1 level 'colder' than the kids 9 years and under
so, if the kids are mid-weight, adults are light weight, or silk only. We usually find out that when we go inside, most kids are more cold than we are. Borderline frost bite, so we term it the 'canary in the coal mine'
the second thing we do under the age of 12, is to require the kids to ski first, and stop in line of site. so they cannot go over the next rise, or take the next big run, without the rest being here.
often, as the kids progress, they can check all parties are present and look uphill without stopping, but that is what we do.
This has also taught the kids an awareness and ski etiquette. my 7 year old has actually been the first on seen of two incidences requiring a medic - which was encouraging that she noticed the skier in trouble and stopped to help.
1) they understand they are cold, they can read, and they will tell you then are cold (9yrs)
2) younger than that
in our family, the adults dress 1 level 'colder' than the kids 9 years and under
so, if the kids are mid-weight, adults are light weight, or silk only. We usually find out that when we go inside, most kids are more cold than we are. Borderline frost bite, so we term it the 'canary in the coal mine'
the second thing we do under the age of 12, is to require the kids to ski first, and stop in line of site. so they cannot go over the next rise, or take the next big run, without the rest being here.
often, as the kids progress, they can check all parties are present and look uphill without stopping, but that is what we do.
This has also taught the kids an awareness and ski etiquette. my 7 year old has actually been the first on seen of two incidences requiring a medic - which was encouraging that she noticed the skier in trouble and stopped to help.
marzNC
Angel Diva
It's been a while since I skied with really young kids, under age 6. All the advice here is still great.
One aspect of skiing with kids that has shifted in recent years is how many more ski resorts have RFID. Kid's jackets often don't have as many pockets as adult jackets. However, little kids are also carrying less and usually don't have a cell phone yet, so finding an empty pocket for an RFID card isn't too hard. It's good to know in advance which pocket holds the RFID card so that the adult can help direct a kid who is having trouble getting a good scan before loading a lift.
Alta has had RFID gates for over 10 years. Many kids have the RFID card in a breast pocket. Ski instructors sometimes teach little kids to "hug" the RFID gate.
Since VR resorts use hand scanning, I would think it's good for kids to know to point to where their RFID card is located.
Kimmyt
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
For small kids, we put their pass on their goggle strap. I use a strong hair band girth hitched through the punched hole and then looped through the strap. We then tuck the pass under the strap so it sticks up a bit and isnt flopping around, really small kids will have their heads closer to the scanner than any of their pockets and it prevents us from having to lift them up to be scanned which can be a back killer. Another good spot if their jacket has it is the arm pocket, because they can hold their arm up high to reach the scanner.
marzNC
Angel Diva
I've had a Google Pocket for years. Got a new one after they improved the design to use at Massanutten. Never thought about using it for RFID though. Certainly makes good sense.
By the time I took my daughter to Alta for the first time, she was old enough to have a jacket with a good pocket for the Alta card. By the time she finished the first day at ski school, she never had an issue with the RFID gate. After that, we always checked that a jacket had a good RFID card pocket before making a purchase.
MissySki
Angel Diva
Yeah, I use it for my Sunday River pass, so no RFID. I don’t usually use it with my Ikon pass and will instead use a pocket because some gates are kind of finicky about where the card is and it would be too high on an adult, likely a great height for many kids though!
Many of the lifts in St Anton have conveyor loading. Makes life easier (and I guess safer) for everyone!
Getting Ready
Angel Diva
Put a sticker of a different color on each ski for kiddos who aren’t sure about left and right. Then you can say ask we get of the lift turn toward the monster or turn towards the fire truck. (Those were our last stickers.)
My son needs forced breaks. My daughter needs breaks as rewards. Either way... breaks.
My son needs forced breaks. My daughter needs breaks as rewards. Either way... breaks.
i have a 4 year old and 7 year old, with skiing it's not just about being on the snow but spending time together. i feel like the words of encouragement just telling my 7 year old how much i enjoy doing this with her has also made her more fond of skiing.
Completely agree with the tip of when they are done, they are done.
Getting all the right gear, and having it handy, besides the basics of kleenex, chapstick, and face masks handy, also a few snacks. when we first introduced the face masks we told the kids they are ninjas, and now they really like to wear them.
Completely agree with the tip of when they are done, they are done.
Getting all the right gear, and having it handy, besides the basics of kleenex, chapstick, and face masks handy, also a few snacks. when we first introduced the face masks we told the kids they are ninjas, and now they really like to wear them.
These tips are amazing. Thank you for sharing. One thing I liked about ski school at Breck was all three of my kids had our phone numbers zip ties to their zippers in case of emergency. We left the tags there the whole trip and it helped me relax when they got too far ahead of me. I have three speedy skiers. Twin boys age 8 and a 10 year old daughter. Thanks again.
snowboardmom
Diva in Training
One tip I have, but it's more of a hack (sorry didn't see if anyone mentioned this) but to bring a sled for the gear. We use a sled that we back the kids and the gear into so we can literally drag them to the lifts/chalet.
marzNC
Angel Diva
Welcome! I assume you live pretty far north so that there is always snow on the ground deep enough for a sled during the ski season. What's your home mountain?
The wagons that some destinations resorts have for getting gear from the parking lot to a base lodge are handy for families with little kids. Really helpful for places like Northstar and Steamboat where the drop off/pick up location is not that close to the base of the lifts.
marzNC
Angel Diva
Here are some tips from an experienced mom who remembers well how her youngest started on skis. The tips aren't about the skiing exactly but more about before and after when it comes to a 3yo.
Brings back memories of getting my daughter started at age 4. I took the easy route. I waited until she was old enough to do ski school at a local hill (4 kids max for never-evers). One advantage of learning in the southeast is that it's rarely that cold. My mistake was overdressing her so that she was hot. But that was easily fixed at the mid-morning break. After lunch she was happily riding the chairlift with her instructor and skiing the easiest green.
Dec. 8, 2020, Brave Ski Mom blog
Teaching Kids to Ski: A Cautionary Tale (and Five Tips for Success)
https://braveskimom.com/teaching-kids-to-ski-five-tips-for-success
Brings back memories of getting my daughter started at age 4. I took the easy route. I waited until she was old enough to do ski school at a local hill (4 kids max for never-evers). One advantage of learning in the southeast is that it's rarely that cold. My mistake was overdressing her so that she was hot. But that was easily fixed at the mid-morning break. After lunch she was happily riding the chairlift with her instructor and skiing the easiest green.
Dec. 8, 2020, Brave Ski Mom blog
Teaching Kids to Ski: A Cautionary Tale (and Five Tips for Success)
https://braveskimom.com/teaching-kids-to-ski-five-tips-for-success
marzNC
Angel Diva
The Goggle Pocket is still around. The design was changed a few years ago so that the pass clips in instead of being inside plastic. The idea is that scanners do better without a layer of clear plastic over the pass. Also the plastic didn't last that long. I've managed to keep mine intact enough for almost 10 years, but will be getting a new one soon to use at my home mountain.
Most of the destination resorts I use Ikon at are using RFID. But the Goggle Pocket could still be useful where RFID hasn't been implemented yet.
Most of the destination resorts I use Ikon at are using RFID. But the Goggle Pocket could still be useful where RFID hasn't been implemented yet.
alr
Certified Ski Diva
We have "Liftie" goggle pass holders (https://theliftie.com) for our non-RFID passes. They work great. It would also work for RFID assuming your head is the right height for the scanner. I was super annoyed when we had RFID tickets and my son was too short for it to work in his pocket. I think we ended up sticking it in his mitten. Now he has a jacket with the pocket in the sleeve in the event we encounter that again.
