 Poster: A snowHead
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What's everyones opinion on where is best to teach my 5yo son to ski? I was taught in the 70's, in France, and hated it (ski pole around the back of the legs if you did it wrong) (not much English spoken), but I realise it has moved on massively since then. My son is starting to show some interest in skiing, but with work I only manage 1 (2 at a push) week(s) away each year, and If I spend one week with my son and after 2 hours he's cold and doesn't want to do it anymore, or doesn't enjoy ski school and wants to play all afternoon, I'll feel that it was a waste of money. What's you experiences?javascript:emoticon(' ')
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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stew72, even if he does enjoy skiing he will probably want to toboggan or build a snowman in the afternoon. Or maybe watch a video if the weather is nasty. So if that would spoil your holiday, don't bother.
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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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Taster lesson in a fridge first then see how it goes
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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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agree with D G Orf, but even if you go to a resort, timing (or actualy weather) is crucial as it is not fun for a small kid to be outside with -20 and/or high winds. So try the Fridge and then take him to a resort if the whether is +/- OK.
Are you intending to teach your son yourself? I do not know you, but I would say that in most cases it is not a very good idea. Being in the Alps with kids is not a waste of money even if you do not ski much, as for 5 year old kids ski pass is usualy free. when my son was 5 he was 'learining' in Alpbach and it not like it a lot, prefered togogganing instead and runing arround ... he will soon be 10 and now he is telling me every second day - 'I wish we could go skiing today' ....  Don't push him too much and if possible, find a good ski instructor (who knows not only how to ski, but how to teach children)
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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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+1 good (great?) instructor.
Mind you, I learned at 5 at Cairngorm... Howling wind and rain. Good for morale.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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stew72, Got a dryslope nearby ? Warmer, locals should speak the language, and cheaper than a 'dome. The carpet surface they put on nursery slopes is safe too
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See if your local fridge or dry slope have a kids club at weekends.
He would be with kids around his own age have no language issues and a good instructor in a kids club will make it fun and play games.
A plus side to kids club for learning it will work out cheaper than private lessons. The speed he progresses at is irrelevant at his age all that matters is he has fun and enjoys his time there because then he will want to go back and keep skiing.
If after that your son likes skiing I would say try and go away at Easter when hopefully it will be warmer but at least better weather than Jan or Feb. book morning lessons for him which will leave you free to ski and then either ski together in the afternoon but make it playful or just build snowmen, toboggan etc.
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As above, the local dry slope here (Hillend) runs a series of 4 week classes specifically for this age. Group sizes are small and start out on a snowflex slope with magic carpet which is completely separate from the main slope and traffic.
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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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Just had nearly 5 yr olds taster at local slope today and will now be booking lessons for her (3x1 hr) and for her 8 and 10 yr old sisters 2x2 hrs).
Hoping they all like it, plenty of time to improve before hoped for Easter break.
If all goes to plan they'll have some chance of covering some ground as well as lots of playing in the snow. It was more fun watching today than an hours open practice.
I'd suggest see how it goes at home before booking anything if he loves it you'll get some great times together on a winter break and if he hates it you'll be in the clear for continuing solo trips 
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under a new name, Good for morale??!! I think it proved you had a passion for skiing (or punishment) more like
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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+1 for dry slopes, the domes usually have too many kids per instructor in my experience. Plus they're a darn sight cheaper and if you can ski well on dendix snow will be no problem.
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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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if you can ski well on dendix snow will be no problem.
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true! We had beginner lessons on a dry slope in Scotland with no lift (good for the legs....). I had skied on a school trip many years before but my sons and OH were total beginners. There were no kids lessons and the 7 year old dropped out - not being able to cope with adult-style instruction, though he subsequently became by far the best skier in the family. The 10 year old worked hard at it and subsequently came on a weekend trip to Cairngorm organised by a colleague in my office. Having queued for an absurd length of time to get on the first drag lift he fell off it (unsurprisingly) but when we got up the top and he skied down in front of me I can still remember the look on his face when he stopped, turned around and said "Oh Mum, this is much better than the dry slope!".
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If you can afford it going to a fridge or dry slope clearly allows for some sampling. Never taken ours. Assuming you aren't going to teach him yourself then getting a good ski school is going to be your number 1 priority when going on a trip. Everything else is secondary. At 5 mine would ski until at least 3 in the afternoon as long as chocolate came out of mum or dads pocket on occasion. And as long as they were sufficiently warm.
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You know it makes sense.
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A warm, dry and fed chocolate child is a happy child on the mountain.
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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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Stew,
Our two got started at 4 in the Alps. Our second had three 1 on 1 lessons in a Fridge between her first and second weeks on skis which really made a difference.
Our oldest started with one friend in an ESF Jardin de Neige. MY friend and I went to collect them on the first day. It was grey and sleeting. My son was lying in the snow looking miserable. His friend was plodding up and down with the joyful expression of a Siberian salt miner. We quickly agreed that this just wasn't going to work. It has to be fun or they will not want to come again.
We opted for the very expensive option of private lessons - 2 hours each day for the two of them together. Apart from the hideous cost, it had the disadvantage of meaning we were all only free to ski for that 2 hour period. So we took it in turns to do child minding. They did really come on with the focused teaching.
Subsequently we went with Mark Warner and similar where some child care is included. General pattern was kids taken to morning ski school and collected by a nanny who then fed them lunch before letting them play indoors. We would come back 2:30 ish and take any who felt keen out for a couple of runs or just a play in the snow. We also went at Easter so they weren't cold. Worked well - we all got skiing time and play time with the kids.
These days (kids are 9 and 11) we mostly ski with them but they still have some private or small group lessons. To be honest they are now better than most British holiday skiers and don't hold me back unless I'm wanting to do something pretty adventurous and I really enjoy skiing with them.
They are very lucky children (as I keep pointing out to them!).
So my advice is, if you go to the Alps be realistic about how much skiing you will get in. You should budget plenty of time for just playing. I'd also go at Easter and avoid the cold. He'll be tired before it gets slushy. I do recommend a couple of lessons in a fridge first. Makes them so much more confident when they first get on skis in a strange country with a strange teacher.
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Poster: A snowHead
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If you want to get him to ski, I would say fridge or dry slope before you go, at 5 he can skip the ski kindergarden and go straight into kids begginer lessons, but if he already has some knowledge he will enjoy them more (won't be the last, will know what's expected)
If you want him to enjoy the snow so eventually he will want to ski, resort, but pay the extra - most tour operators run kids clubs with british staff, they take them to ski school, pick them up, give them lunch, and play with them in the afternoon.
Mine went last year that way, she was on the kindergarden bit, I've passed a couple of times to have a look and the class looked terrible, dozens of kids all queuing to have their turn up a carpet so they could go down one by one with one of the instructors; she didn't learned a thing (mind you she's 4 so theres time); even the creche staff mentioned she just spent half the "class" playing with toys in the snow and chatting to other kids. However, she loves the snow, keeps asking when are we going back, gets over excited if she sees part of the ski equipment at home, and every day went running into the kids club, so obviously they did something right there - plus it meant we got to ski
Do go March or later, so the weather is better
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Definitely get him familiar with it before you go. Mine were 4 and 5 the first time we went - the 5 year old had a few 1:1 dry slope lessons before we went, and they really set him up. In resort the 4 year old basically played in the snow, the 5 year old had a few private lessons.
Before the next year's trip I had the luxury of being able to teach the 4 year old on the dry slope myself (because I started teaching there). In resort they had a few private lessons again and after 2 lessons the little one's instructor said to us that she'd been taught well, she could competently snowplough, and there really wasn't any point in more lessons at the moment, just let her go and ski. So a definite thumbs up for lessons in the UK!
Echoing comments further up - go when it's warmer, keep your pockets full of 'energy packs' (Werthers Originals and mini Mars bars in our case!), stop frequently at cafes or just to play. The one issue we found with taking kids skiing was that they found it very hard to understand that we were going skiing ALL day, EVERY day!
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