 Poster: A snowHead
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Will try and get them to one of the indoor slopes so they have the very basics down.
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Hmm. I'm not convinced about that. If they start in a good ski school with small groups (this is more important, in my view, than having had prior experience in a fridge) they'll get on absolutely fine. It's improbable that they "won't take to skiing". I have three kids and 8 grandchildren, with varying degrees of scardyness and athleticism and they ALL "took to skiing", even with some nasty weather to contend with, though some needed patience and some coaxing/bribery at first. But yes, devote yourselves to making it good for them, on their first trip. Groups of maximum 4 - 5, ideally. But I'd be wary of all day ski school. A couple of hours, preferably in the morning, is probably enough to start with - you do want to leave them wanting more, not knackered and discouraged! Ski instructors are much better at it than parents.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Origen, even if you think learning a bit of skiing indoors isn't advantageous (I believe it is, but...), the learning how to put ski kit on, boots on, skis on, how everything should feel, how to get on a magic carpet or even a button lift is advantageous. It takes away many of the concerns/worries any new skier may have on the first day. It also lessens the hassle factor when in a hire shop collecting stuff.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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My brother and sister in law have just booked to join us next year. They're complete newbies as are their children who will be 4 and 10 when we go. They've said they're going to book into their local dry slope for some lessons, and I'm all for it for all the reasons @hammerite, has mentioned.
Before our first trip, we had a single lesson as a family on the dry slope. We learned how to snowplough, but that still needed to be relearned on snow as one hour shared on the mat doesn't give you much. What we did take away was how to get all the kit on and how to clip into skis. It was just one less thing to need to learn on that overwhelming first morning.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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I think it's often a good idea for adults who have masses more hangups. Not so sure about kids, unless they're going to have several lessons, and then it gets expensive. And they won't let the kids on the slope without lessons. I've seen some fraught moments with parents and little ones in a busy fridge changing room - not much fun being had. Magic carpets and button lifts are far more of a challenge for adult learners - not least because kids generally don't mind falling over!
If money's no object, sure, do a beginner course. But then you have the decision about which level the kids should be doing in resort. Some ski schools will want to start them in the beginner group no matter how much you try to convince them they have a lot of raw talent! Can make for a boring session or two, even if they're promoted later.
What can be useful, with certain kids, is to find out whether they are going to strop. If they just set their faces against it, might as well give up the whole idea of an expensive holiday! My 4 year old daughter, many moons ago on a fortnight's holiday had watched the ski school kids the first week and adored the medal ceremony at the end (Austria). She wanted to ski. I told her we'd rent her boots and skis on the Saturday and I'd just do some walking round and pulling her up the slope and sliding down. She was a bit prone to strop. I told her that if there was ONE strop there'd be no skiing. And she knew I meant it (I never made empty threats  ). She was good, and did the lessons, and did fine. She's still nervous about things sometimes, but as she's now 42 her strops are not my problem. 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I think dry slopes are fine for keen, and quite tough/fit newbies. We did some beginner dry slope lessons on a slope in the Ayrshire coalfield which didn't have a lift. Skis on shoulders and walk up the edge. Made men of us (and covered us in mud as it rarely stopped raining). I'd be a bit wary of a 4 year old on a dry slope without one/one instruction. They can't learn by listening to instructions about keeping weight on the downhill ski etc. But no harm in trying, if they're gungho sort of kids.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ha! Fair. My neice (currently aged 3.5) is a daredevil. A liability even. I may suggest 1:1 instruction to my brother for her initially. Her brother is Mr. Chill and responds well to group instruction.
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My neice (currently aged 3.5) is a daredevil
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I have one of those - granddaughter. She had private ski lessons, at 5, with an older and more sensible cousin. She just kind of hurtled, with the skis on, constantly crossing them and falling over, just didn't listen. She's an extremely strong, skinny and fast climber - but also doesn't look where she's going. Lots of accidents! Her younger sister, barely 3, who insisted on skiing with a (highly competent and strong) mother, was a liability at that young age. Just straight down, and big strop if anyone tried to stop her. She was my grand-daughter - if she'd been my daughter she'd not have survived the first strop but grandmothers mustn't interfere. This last Christmas they both had lessons in small groups (turned out the older one was on her own, now 7, and the younger, now 4, in a group of just two. On the snow, in Les Saisies. They both got on well but the older one will continue to hurtle too fast and fall over her skis in her haste. The younger one looks ahead, thinks and adjusts. Kids are so different. But it's fascinating watching how they all get on - I've often paid for small group lessons for them, which gives me great pleasure.
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