 Poster: A snowHead
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My little one will be 2 this winter, and I thought this was too early to start skiing. Anyone any advice on this topic. I'm obviously not thinking of ski school, but maybe just putting on a pair of skis and seeing what happens! I want them to love skiing so want to get the start just right, maybe next year instead?!? 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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adance, I can imagine there will be a huge variance on this depending on the child. FWIW, we first tried ours with skis - the little plastic ones with soft boots when they were 2 and 3.5. Our 3.5 managed a couple of runs between my legs down a very gently slope, but our 2 year old was just not co-ordinated/strong enough so did little more than stand up and walk around.
We left it then until our youngest was 4.5, and she joined a kids club at the local dry slope where she had loads of lessons and was able to snowplough turn before we went on holiday, but we still found that half a day on the slopes was plenty.
One of the hardest things for kids is getting them up the slopes. That is even once they can ski, T-bars are a nightmare, button lifts may take them off the ground and spin them round, chairs/gondolas are the only good option.
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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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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Smokin Joe, that you're not on commission is suspiciously absent 
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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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Or on any form of commission.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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All 3 of my kids have been in ski lessons at 3 of the ski kindergarten variety. In all cases they didn't learn that much. If you want to push them you will have to devote yourself. This was only possible with my youngest for logistical reasons and she did crack snowploughs at 3 1/2 with a bit of one on one and a packet of m&ms. At 4 they really took off and rapidly progressed to skiing blue runs and using a t-bar by themselves.
At 2, you can try with the strap on skis but bum boarding and sledging will probably be a lot more attractive to them.
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adance, Ours tried skiing at 8 and 5 and were probably a bit later than others. However, they weren't interested up until then and it seemed a pointless (and expensive) exercise to force them just because we would like them to ski. They now love it, are strong enough to get though a lesson and still enjoy some skiing with us, so it was worth waiting. I don't see any harm in taking younger children with you though, as long as you are happy to either leave them in some kind of kindergarten or (our preference) take a Granny or similar along with you to help with care. They can sledge or build snowmen, you will at least get some skiing, your child can have fun in the snow, and you've started the 'indoctrination'
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Home ski school takes them from 3 if they are toilet trained....
they stick "carpet" (green plastic fake grass stuff down in a rectangle and the kids walk up the sides along the top and ski down (almost dead flat).... the carpet also keeps out the skiers(well except those that can jump)
after that they go for rides on the "thomas the tank engine" train thing... it is a snowmobile towing a trailer... and ski down a bit... then there is a magic carpet lift ... and then a slow speed beginners quad....
it is quite common to find the little mites skiing intermediate terrain better than the adults! (although they are doing ti small kid style)
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Kinder Kaiserland in Scheffau looked quite good from the outside. My neice will be 18months old and we're looking at possibly taking her next winter, we've been to the Skiwelt 3 times before and her parents like it so the signs are good.
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adance, once they can stand you can strap on skis, and the more they do the better they'll get, but they'll get more gain for less effort the older they get (until a limit!  ).
Unless in a position to give them a lot of exposure, I'd say they only start to be able to be taught properly at 4.5y  . Of course if it means you'll get to go sooner you can try to kick them off at 3, but they'll need a lot more input to get them doing it. Get them dry/indoor slope lessons here before taking them out proper and then, even if, as is likely, you'll only be able to arrange ski kindergarten rather than ski school out there, you'll be able to ski with them in the afternoons. Make absolutely sure that when out on the mountain their instructor is either native English-speaking or really speaks English well. This is very often a problem in France unless with a British ski school, less so in Austria and Switzerland I'm told.
I started all 3 of mine at 3.5 on dry. They'd done 12 dry slope lessons, could snowplough turn and so skied a blue run no sweat on their first day on snow at 3y9m. Pretty sure it's made no difference to their ability though - I suspect if we'd missed out the first season, they wouldn't be any better at it than they are now at 6y. But I did get to start again a year sooner  , and it was nice to ski with them at such a young age.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Obviously depends on the kid. The best advice I heard was from a fairly old instructor in Aspen who'd taught his own kids and grandkids and other kids; they need to be old enough to be socilaised so that it is a genuine group activity and the can fool about chucking snowballs and so on. Expecting nippers to ski without the company and diversion of other nippers is unlikely to be successful an if you teach them yourself, it'll really sod up your hol.
No doubt someone will say or has already said that by the time they're 2 you've missed the boat, they should have been on the slopes at 1 at the oldest. My experience, from my own and friens' kids is that 4 is about the righttime to start for most kids. They progress ridiculously quickly, so there's no great rush; by the time they've skied for 3 or 4 weeks they'll be better than you, so don't start too soon!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Thanks so much for all your replies, think I may try some strap on skis and see if he likes it. If not it's sledging and snowball fights with mummy and daddy!!!!
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adance, You can get very small boots and proper skis start at around 60cms. I would not recommend the plastic ones as they don't slide properly and the kids have no sense of security or balance. You should take the 2 year old out with mummy and daddy, a sledge and bucket and spade and skis and boots - yes - a lot to carry. skiing should only consist of push and catch, most of them can stand up and slide at that age but can't get plough as they don't have enough strangth/co-ordination yet. If they like it you can put a harness and reins on them (or make your sticks into one, see Brian's pix from the summer) and try the whole baby lift. I find most kids can turn, just not slow down! Tell them that when you tug on the left stick they turn their toes that way, and vice-versa. If going up a poma put the child on one knee and take the button yourself. Don't ski with them in between your legs as this a) kills your back, and b) they tend to lie on you and not actually ski themselves.
Their attention span is probably about 5 mins, so then you build snowcastles witht he bucket and spade, snowmen or go sledging, and then you try a little more skiing. that way it's lots of fun and most kids like it. If they don't, don't push it, wait for next year.
Most ski kindergartens in france start at 4 years, unless it's out of season when they might give a 3 year old a trial. Most kids don't get snowplough (ergo control of speed), until they're big 4 or 5.
Have fun.
ps: do read Brian's posts about the summer skiing with his younger son - case absolutely in point. No interest at 4 (2 or 3 trips down the nursrey slope max), showing Dad around the mountain a year later!
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You know it makes sense.
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| Ray Zorro wrote: |
| One of the hardest things for kids is getting them up the slopes. That is even once they can ski, T-bars are a nightmare, button lifts may take them off the ground and spin them round, chairs/gondolas are the only good option. |
THat can apply to 36-year-olds too 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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For proper skiing for a once a year kid: 6yrs old. As told to me by the boss of Oxygene in La Plagne
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