Orginally published in 2009 and edited in 2020.
By Mari Syverstad
When I was seven years old my parents took me on a trip to the Swedish mountains and I tried downhill skiing for the first time. I remember it was really difficult but also really fun. Since then my family went on ski vacations every year to different ski resorts in the northern part of Sweden. Just being together as a family those weeks and having fun outside all day are some of my most precious memories from my childhood. I have many lovely memories of skiing in the piste (trail) and off-piste in the forest, singing in the lift, drinking hot chocolate and having a traditional sauna after a whole day of skiing.
How to introduce skiing to young children
– Please note you have to be experienced skier and be patience parent to teach your children how to ski.
– Get used to the ski equipment and how to go on the magic carpet.
-Start on a small hill
– Teach them balance
– Show them how to bend their knees- How to stop
– How to do the wedge position (pizza slice position)
– Play games; pretending to be a meatball, pretending to be train
When I had my own children, I wanted them to learn alpine skiing. We continued our weekly trips together with my parents and my sister’s family. My oldest daughter was 3 years old the first time she tried skiing. The first year it was more about having fun. She started on a very small hill, just to get used to the equipment and finding her balance. When we got to the “real” slopes, we played together while skiing down the hill and made up different games. For example pretending to be a meatball, bending the knees as much as possible, or pretending to be a train by holding on to each other. As soon as she got tired of skiing we took a break, it is important to not to force them skiing.
Don’t want to teach your kids how to ski? Take ski lessons at ski resorts
You have to be experienced skier or patience parents to teach your children how to ski; it
might be a good idea to take some lessons from an experienced instructor. Almost all resorts in Canada and US offer lesson from three years age through ski schools or private lessons. When you book your ski destination also book ski school or private lessons for your child, some even offer family lessons.
Hidden Ski Valley, Huntsville does ski camp during Christmas and March Break.
Blue Mountain Resort closest we get a mountain resort in Ontario. I think Blue Mountain is a perfect ski resort for families. The smallest slopes were perfect for beginners. The lifts were “magic carpets” (ski lift), so she could get to the top of the hill all by her self. She went up and down for several hours and had a lot of fun. I felt so warm inside when I was standing behind her on the magic carpet, and she started to sing all by her self.
Teaching Aids for skiing
-Ski leash to control the speed
-Tip connector to help kids keep a wedge position.
In the beginning we used a ski leash before my daughter was able to turn and control the speed herself. This was a great way to keep control but still let her ski on her own.
When she was able to turn and stop, and when we didn’t have to control the speed by pulling the leach, we stopped using it. Another learning aid that I have seen, but never tried, is a tip connector. It connects the tips of the skis, and helps the child to keep a wedge, or pizza slice, position. I think I will try that on my youngest daughter. She is 3 years and has tried skiing for the first time here in Canada, at Blue Mountain.
Family bonding is skiing together
The day will come when the whole family can ski together all day, but in the beginning it is a bit of work from the parent’s side and you need a lot of patience. Just putting all the clothes and gear on and getting to the slopes seems to be a challenge. But it is worth it when you see the ear-to-ear smile on your child’s face and how proud they are when they are able to go down the slope. Today my oldest daughter is 7 years and she skies on almost every slope. She likes to compete or play “follow-the leader” down the hill. Skiing together with her makes me feel like a child again. We go through the trees, we love taking a break and reward ourselves with hot chocolate and we sing songs together on the chairlift.
Good tips for skiing
What kind of skis and boots to buy or rent
Beginner skis, intermediate skis, advanced skis? The first question is should you buy or rent skis? The answer depends on how much you want to ski. If you’re just going for one or two ski vacations, then I would suggest that you rent. First, buying skis is expensive and second, the resorts are usually good at keeping their skis up to date. But if you want to ski a little bit more I suggest that you buy ski equipment. I find it very time and energy co
nsuming to stand in line and try out skis and boots every time you want to ski.
Always wear a helmet: wearing a helmet is a safe way to prevent head injuries. Both my children and me are always wearing a helmet and the good part is that it also keeps us warm.
Make it fun :I think it is very important to stop when the child doesn’t think it is fun or when they are cold or hungry.
How to dress for skiing
–Outer layer: Insulated waterproofed jacket and Insulated waterproofed snow pants.
-Middle layer: add an extra layer for cold day use wool blends, fleeces.
-Base layer: Thermonal underwear of merino wool, blends of wool or synthetic fabric.
–Balaclava to wear under the helmet, buff to cover your face or a facemask for cold days. -Goggles.
How to save money on skiing
Go skiing in your little hill in your close by park. Just a little hill in your neighborhood park can be enough, and you don’t have to buy expensive lift tickets.
Buy skiing season passes or join a private ski club. If you are going to be skiing a lot as a family a season; buying season passes at ski resorts or joining a private ski club is the way to go.
Book ski vacations vacations off season (not during the holidays and March Break) Going in the midweek instead of weekends are also a good tip.Check ski packages at ski resorts. Often the ski packages with lodging offer better prices then buying/renting in separate places. Often they have special deal with ski passes included in the deal.
Mari lives in Sweden with her partner and kids.
More articles about skiing :
A beginners guide how to gear up for skiing
The Trials and Tribulations of encouraging my 9 year old to ski
