 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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4 is ok if your child is reasonably active/well co-ordinated already/prepared to try new things - as long as you keep your keep your expectations low. It's very much down to the individual though - I've known 6/7 year olds struggle with it, and 3 year olds take to it happily - so it's really up to you to judge how you think she'll react. (Our son had his first slides on skis before he could walk, and was skiing black runs by the time he was 4 - so it's certainly possible.)
Though having said that you might have to shop around a bit to find a ski school which will take her at that age - quite a few will set 5 as a minimum.
Have a look here for a recent thread on a similar subject.
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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 son started at 4 1/4 this year. We went with family ski company and they send a ski school helper which was invaluable. He really enjoyed it- however there were two other british children in same class with family ski company and I would say one of them didn't take to it and we saw a lot of tears. He was quite small and I think it depends:
1. that they are physically strong enough- they do have to be quite strong to hold a plough
2. that they are mentally up for it
3. that they take instruction well
4. that they cope well with failure
Our son passed both tests that his french ski school subjected them to- and even so it just gets him entry to flocon next year (which is beginners class for 6 yrd olds up and those younger that have passed piou piou and orson) so what I am saying is despite doing as well as hoped he will still be in a beginners class next year (unless we don't go to france). So you could say we haven't achieved much, but I disagree - we have a child who was really proud of his achievments (medal and badge) and who has now got a genuine enthusiasm for skiing. But I guess it could have gone the other way , which I desparately wanted to avoid- hence going with a fostering company!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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We go skiing once every year in a big group. We have a 6 year old, a 5.5 year old, three 4 year olds and too many under threes! The six year old doesn't want to know, two of the 4 year olds love it, and the rest want to play on sledges. I think it just dependes on the kids. The other thing that seems to have an effect is the quality of the Skikindergarten, I've seen useless in Montafon through to absolutely first class in Kuehtai. They really made it fun for the kids there with prizes and praise, they were brilliant.
My favourite remark is from little Tom who won't admit he's ever tired and keeps suggesting that "Uncle Paul needs another beer". Who am I to argue?
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
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Agree with all of above.
We put our 2 1/2 yr old on skis this year and he loved it. Even just standing on the spot and sliding the skis back and forward seemed like fun. He generally lasted 30 mins before you could tell he was getting tired and we would take the skis off and go sledging.
The flat travelator type moving carpet thingies are fantastic and seemed to be his favourite part of the whole thing. By the end of the week he was going 10m between me and his mum.
Keep your expectations low, take them out yourself on a flat beginners area, 30 mins at a time max and above all make sure it is always FUN and stop at the first sign that they may not be enjoying it.
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Search the forum, some guy had photos of his baby at 10months on skis!! I recently purchased my son, also 10 months, some skis whilst in schladming, but his feet were too small for the plastic kiddie buckles. But come next season he'll be bigger enough. Certainly no harm trying to let them just get used to wearing skis and sliding about a bit from whenever. Some years ago I did take my nephew when he was 4 years old, we put him in ski kindergarten and he enjoyed it, they don't just ski at that age but play games, make snowmen, drinking beer etc, 
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jonathancarty, i like the
part and your overall sensible approach..... 
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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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| waynos wrote: |
| Search the forum, some guy had photos of his baby at 10months on skis!! |
Pics here
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I never quite got the gumption together to put my eldest in ski school until this year (he's just turned 8 ). He's quite highly strung and a bit of a drama queen so I could just imagine how that would have gone down if he got a less than patient instructor. As such we started him on skis just when he turned 5, gave him a few private lessons and I pretty much took three years out and skied/sledged/snowballed/made snowmen etc. etc. with him (as others have said making it fun it the key). Reason being my cousin had a bad experience with her 4 yo and it was another 3 years before they managed to convince her to get back on skis (no fun for mum or dad being in the mountains but not on skis: I guess they could have paid for a nany though). I doubt my eldest is as advanced as he could be but last year whilst skiing at 3,000+m on the Pointe du Montet in a white out, I heard him singing his way down the run and finally accepted the fact that he'd fallen in love with skiing. So this year I am confidant that if he does not get on with the instructor, he won't be put off sking [just the instructor!]. Well thats what I'm hoping anyway.
On the other hand my youngest is a totally different kettle of fish. I doubt he will have any problems based on his personality so I'll probably do the same with him for the first year when he turn 4 and then put him in ski school when he's 5.
I'm assuming getting the right ski school is crucial too, but I won't know that for sure for about another month or so 
That's my experience so far at any rate.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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All good advice above. Our 4 year old enjoyed beginners ski school in Austria but only on the second week of a two-week holiday, having spent the first week watching, playing in the snow and being a bit wary. She would not have coped with being thrown into it on the first morning. You need to be ready to make the kids' enjoyment the absolute priority; forget putting them in ski school and heading in the other direction yourself unless you have an unusually tough child. It depends a lot on the weather, too; some kids stay warm easily, others get cold easily. Other good advice - take grandparents, preferably competent skiers. That seems to be the French family secret of success, to judge by the very happy little ones and grandparents we see around the slopes here.
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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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My 4 and 5 year old boys loved their first ski trip to Morillon ESF last year and in respective order came away with their Ourson and Flocon badges. We've just got back from Courchevel this year and they had a great time again, getting their flocon and 1er Etoile badges. Our daughter, aged 2 1/2 was too young for piou-piou (and we didn't want to lie about her age), but she loved sliding about on her skis and going out on the slopes with us. I bought one of those harnesses which lets you support them a bit whilst they ski (and lift them up onto/stop them falling off of chairlifts) and she loved it. Having said that the weather was fantastic, I'm sure it would be very different on a cold snowy day!
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jase2472, Our youngest started lesson at 3 3/4 and was fine 
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You know it makes sense.
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pam w, don't you think that the French "integrated" family approach has many, many merits?
One of the best technical kids I've ever skied with was on skis at 9 months and walked the week after. She was great. My understanding is that if their bones/muscles are well enough developed then go for it. I started at 5, my brother at 4 (jealous).
One other thing to consider, I have heard that around 7 your brain changes in some particular ways that mean that you begin to lose some of the advantages of starting young...
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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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I came out of the womb switch and stomped a 360 before the midwife could catch me.
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Poster: A snowHead
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I am sat here surounded buy 4 kids who have had a superb day's skiing. All started skiing as soon as they could walk 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Both my kids started at 4. The oldest one didn't take to it and gave up, then, three years later, his little brother started at 4 and loved it. At this time the older one decided to give it another try and is now the best and keenest skier in the family. So, in short, it depends on the child. Let her try it and if she doesn't like it try again a bit later. 
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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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Ideal age to start skiing? About 12 months after they master rollerblading!
I'm a very keen rollerblader, and believe strongly that it is great training/preparation for skiing (and vice versa).
I bought my son his first rollerblades when he turned 4. He was confident on them before he was 5, and took to skiing very quickly at 6. On his first ski trip, he was happy to ski all day - group lessons with ESF/Mark Warner morning and afternoon - and completed his 1ere Etoile. All the other kids in his group were older and had skied before, and I'm convinced his quick learning was down to his rollerblading skills.
One thing: if you are buying rollerblades (more generally, "inline skates") for your kids and want them to learn anything useful, they should be proper ones. That means no Action Man / Disney Princess branded rubbish with solid plastic wheels. You are looking for good quality skates from a leading brand. Gabriel's first set were Salomon, but they seem to be getting out of doing skates. Roces are a good choice now, and they offer adjustable inline skates for kids, in either size 12 thru 2, or 3 thru 6. Expect to pay around £60 - £80 depending on the model, but the adjustability means you will get 3 - 4 years out of each pair, so that is pretty reasonable. (Good branded kids skates even sell well on ebay when you're finished with them.)
And while you're at it, why not get some for yourself?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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The Swiss ski schools run a snow kindergarten and will get them playing on skis - just getting used to sliding, stopping etc. - pretty much from the moment they can walk. They are guided entirely by what the child wants to do and the child's pace. Friends of ours put their 3 1/2 year old in the snow kindergarten in Laax for a couple of days 3 weeks ago and it went down a storm
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Rollerblading sounds like a good plan. Or skateboarding, if they fancy snowboarding. The posts above show what a big variation there is; a lot depends on the child, and a lot on the family circumstances. Even for an individual child, the questions:
1. when will my child be old enough to enjoy pottering round on a practically flat nursery slope with a competent and patient parent or grandparent (who will not be wearing skis!) for half an hour on a sunny day? and
2. when can I put my child into a big French ski class and booger off and leave them all morning?
are very different!
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FAQ
Went on his first proper trip at 6 and took to it straight away. 