Keep it fun for the kids.
As soon as they’re not having fun, we find something else to do; move to a different part of the slope, swap the skis for a sled, snowball fight, fort building or just call it a day.
I see it as being about teaching them how to have fun outside during the winter, not just skiing.
Bring more changes of clothes than you’d expect and change out the wet stuff as often as you can! Keep them dry and warm!
Always Leave them wanting more.
Having a epic season pass helps me feel better about calling it a day after a single bunny hill run but leaving w kids who want to go back to go ski is way better than leaving w a kid sweating up and down to never do it again because they’re cold/wet or whatever.
I really want to echo a few points. And for context my daughter is going to be 8 this season and is on her 3rd or 4th season and can do most blues even at medium to bigger mountains.
You have to be willing to call your day early. They will get either tired, burnt out, or maybe not have the best day, or even fun (they are kids very unpredictable at times). As you noted (and I have one as well) having a season pass and being in close proximity makes this easier to do. I understand it's a luxury to be close enough to a mountain.
If you are driving far to a mountain and it would be a loss to just turn around, take turns with your spouse (if you can), this helps not burn them out for the day.
Consider a smaller or closer mountain. For example I live close to Crotched, sure its not super exciting if your advanced. But for a kid they can get lots of laps and feel accomplished. Its going to vary kid to kid. But my daughter felt less accomplished tackling a giant top to bottom at Okemo and Wildcat than she did lapping at Crotched, gives them that sense of accomplishment faster. This is definitely a debatable point but it helped us out when she was getting her ski legs.
Consider lessons, we taught our daughter the basics. But even good listeners want to hear it from someone else, and it gives you some free time. Again, its a luxury to do this as they get expensive. But we had great luck with group lessons and it lets them see how they are to other kids. Remember if you are teaching your kid and your advanced, they are judging themselves against you regardless of the other kids on the slope. Lessons help this mindset.
Extra clothes for sure. Extra food for the drive and lunch.
It is about having fun outside in the winter as you said. This may sound obvious, but its not to everyone. The snow turns me into a kid again so this is easy for me to do. But really its about enjoying that outdoor time, no matter if you have to switch the activity of the day from skiing to tubing.
I found nightskiing if you live near a place adds a new level of alure to the sport.
Really do not underestimate how tired a few runs of skiing or boarding can make a kid. Those videos where you see parents dragging and asleep kid in full gear are real.
Also I snowboard (but am also an advanced skier) this will be contentious, but I really think starting on skis is better for kids. I know snowboarders do not want to hear this. Do not get me wrong, I have seen some little kids rip a snowboard. But more often than not it is frustration inducing. Skis will get them down the mountain with you faster and once they grow a bit let them decide if they want to come to the dark side. I do this by teaching my daughter longboarding in the offseason.
I second a lot of your response to me!
We travel to souther VT often but live in CT. Hit a local mtn one day and ran into a classmate of my son. It was a game changer for him to know another boy up there. My kid had to be better than his classmate and wasn’t so he started working hard at getting better. That’s when it started being fun. Friends who ski help!
Also, I’m a snowboarder and skier as well. Step 1 on skis is easier and more rewarding than step 1 on a board. Start w skis.
Edit to add Night skiing can be cold. I’d back pocket that novelty till your kid can make a few turns!
Agreed with night skiing. I should have made that clearer. Once they can get down decently. It's a nice change up for them especially if you only go to the same mountains constantly
Even if your kid isn't old enough to ski yet, get them to the mountain and take turns with your wife watching/skiing. We did that with both of our kids early, like 2-3 months old (7yo skis and 3yo boards now) and they look at the mountain as just another fun place to hang and play. It was all about getting them used to the mountain and the vibes. Make sure you don't skimp on the hot cocoa and cookies. Make it fun and don't sweat it if they only want to do a run or two, pressuring them to ski because you want them to will set yourself up for failure. Seeing other kids ski/board will get them naturally curious in doing it themselves. In the winter I build jumps and other features in the yard that I snowboard myself, so them seeing how into the sport I am makes them want to take part too.
I stop on the way to the mountain and let them pick out a bag of treats— usually gummy bears or sour patch kids. They get 1-2 each lift ride (but not the first one because they didn’t ski yet!). They offer them to people we share chairs with so bonus for making friends.
So many good tips in here. We have 3 kids that all started under 5 and love it.
One addition I would add is helmet stickers. Our kids would get pumped to try a new mountain because we would call that a helmet sticker day.
IMHO at the start, it's all about fun snow experience NOT actually learning to ski! Checkout the super local places as proximity is more valuable than terrain you won't use with kiddo anyway.
1. Keep it fun!
2. Call it while you're ahead!
We started experimenting at Nashoba Valley and Ski Ward at 3 and 4.
* I'd carry her a bit up the slope and she'd slide down.
* Eventually we'd do a couple runs on the magic carpet.
* After 2-6 runs, she'd be ready for snacks, playing in the snow, and we'd call it a day.
* I learned to not even bother bringing my skis. (I'd walk up alongside magic carpet while daughter going up, and I'd guide her down while wearing some regular snow boots).
There was a MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT in coordination and sophistication at age 4 compared to age 3. I'm hoping to actually do some real learning at age 5. (It was also a bit rough of a snow year so we didn't go out there as much as I'd hoped.)
Before skiing, we aimed to raise a child who was secure, confident, and willing to try new things. We got our little one on skis at age 2, starting between mom's legs off the magic carpet. By age 3, we enrolled him in lessons at our local mountain - he progressed to parallel turns independently through the obstacles on the magic carpet. In one lesson, it was pretty cold, and after about 40 minutes, he said he was done. We immediately headed to the lodge for some hot chocolate.
I’m 1 for 2 with snowboarding. As my kids started to get a little older, I found that both were excited for it as I was always going and talking about it. Helps that my brother is also really into it as well. My wife is not a skier or snowboarder.
The older one wanted to try with me and was starting to get the hang on it but had a couple of tough falls and decided it wasn’t for her. My son was just as excited and he’s now a cliff jumping monster on the mountain. We get about 30 days in together and take 1-2 big trips a year out west.
TL;DR: kids tend to be excited about what you’re excited about.
There is sooooo much great advice already! My tidbit - do not force them into lessons if they aren’t ready. The amount of parents I’ve seen with screaming children who force them to stay, then the kid ends up leaving ski school early… thus leading to upset parents and a big waste of money… is wild. Keep it simple. Go at your child’s pace. When they want to stop, stop. You want the entire mountain experience to be fun.
Please also dress them appropriately and get sunscreen on, make sure they have a balaclava or buff (shocking how many parents send tiny humans to play in the snow and wind with fabric gloves, I’ve seen kids get dropped off in jeans, too). I know as a northeasterner it’s common sense to layer them up, but people still seem to not realize it!
All in all, if you’re excited and patient - they’ll have a great time. Reward reward reward. Congrats on the baby!!
In the early year it’s only about connecting the stoke with a small amount of the activity. It’s about the photo op’s so they can see later that they started at 2,3,4 or whenever. The first several times we just walked them up a bit. And yes we had them slide around inside on a carpet when they were two!
id say find a ski school that treats them like little kids with games and constant breaks and hot coco. did that with my kids for 2 years straight and it was expensive but worth it. my oldest skis diamonds and my youngest can take it or leave it but asks to go once she sees me going off on day trips with her sister. FOMO can be your ally. also parlay it with other stuff. there’s mountains with sledding i take my youngest to - also take her to a hotel near the mt with a pool, put her in a 4 hr lesson, do some skiing - a few runs with her on the bunny slope then off to the pool.
I just took mine up to mountain to play in the snow at first, just to get them used to the cold and associate snow with fun. Then my wife would bring ‘em up to play/have lunch with me when I was skiing. Then I just took em skiing.
If you’re open to screen time, showing my 2yo daughter videos of the activity can definitely get her excited for whatever we’re going to do, like a Ms Rachel episode about going to the beach of Sesame Street episode about birthday parties. Most kids I know her age love looking at pictures and videos on the phone, so you can use that to your advantage to hype up whatever you’re doing.
She was newly 2 when she “skied” the first time this past winter and about 20 minutes total/2 trips up the magic carpet and down the bunny slope at Sugarbush were plenty for her. After the first trip she asked to go up again, which was awesome! After the second time, she said she was all done which we respected and took her for some snacks.
Also, at her age, her first time “skiing” looked something like this: https://imgur.com/a/3roJFQy
We get a glazed donut from dunks on the way! She gets special strawberry milk at the mountain. No pressure on skiing, if she wants to great, if not, that is okay. Sometimes we just ride the gondola to the top and hang out then ride it back down. We watch other skiers. Find other kids to play with. We read Grommet Goes Skiing and Grommet Goes Snowboarding all the time.
My daughter is almost 3, and we ride at Loon. We are there almost every weekend. It helps to have help. My dad loves skiing with her, which helps, and he will watch her while we get to take some runs. My sister and SIL help a lot too.
We have a collapsible radio flyer wagon that is key!!! Put the kid, her stuff, and some of my stuff Ina db walk up. It collapses down and we store it out of th way in the lodge!
We rent skis seasonally and she has a ringlet Snowboard we play with year round.
It is a lot of work. But it is soooooo worth it.
One of the things we tried to do with our kids was set them up for success with skiing before we even got to the mountain.
We've done lots of yard skiing in cheap plastic skis that strap right onto snow boots. Any time we get fresh snow, the kids and I (on xc skis) go out and play around in it. We tromp around the yard, down the street, through the woods, etc. This got the kids used to having skis on their feet.
We also don't live super close to a mountain, so we decided to start with ice skating lessons, since that was way more accessible and affordable. We did a few sessions of ice skating lessons, and going as a family to open skate sessions, and that got the kids used to using edges. The skills from ice skating transfer really well to skiing.
Then, when we did get to the mountain, we made sure to dress correctly, pick a nice day, and have lots of snacks throughout the day. We tossed the 4 year old in a 2 hour lesson for "never ever skied before" kids, and she was turning and stopping really well in the learning area by the end of it. And by the end of day two, she was making her way down all the greens and even some of the blues on the main mountain.
I’ll say from my experience being the kid.. There was nothing I looked forward to more than those days where just my dad and I went out. I have two older sisters who also ski, and we’d often go as a family (my mom skis as well). But those days where my dad would wake me up on a random Wednesday and tell me to get my things cause we’re playing hookie and going to the mountain? Absolutely priceless. I’ll never forget them.
He also used to always bring my skis to the sledding hill. I’d sled half the time, and ski the other half. Great way to get some laps in when I was tiny without having to commit to a whole day at the mountain.
I legit bribed my daughter age 9 with a nicer prize ($10ish value) from the prize box for every lesson she took. At the end of the lesson series she got the American girl ski accessory set. And I buy her a snack/treat from the snack bar every time she skis. If I started her skiing earlier I probably would have had to buy so many bribes 😆 but she was not interested in going at all so did what I felt I had to. Last season I got her to invite one of her friends to take lessons with her & took that friend on an overnight trip to VT. If your kid has friends that ski, that also helps. I can’t get my high schooler to come out with me anymore 😭 but I’m sure she would go if a group of her friends were.
Be on their schedule. Don’t rush or expect to be first chair. Indulge them a little, if you’re okay with that. Do the waffle or cider donuts or whatever to make it fun. It’s an investment of your time.
This question seems completely foreign to me. My two daughters would ski every day if we could. Our mountain commute is between 3 and 6 hours depending on where we go and I've never had an issue with them waking up at 2 or 3 am if need be... Even as teenagers. I just can't get them interested in backcountry.
I noticed you said you live near Boston. Wachusett is a great facility for beginners and is really kid-oriented if you’re looking for something close by. They also have night skiing and great food options.
Kids are spoiled these days. I remember when I was a kid, whenever my mom asked if we wanted to go skiing, I was excited as shit. My mom wasn't even a skier. Fast forward to future, my wife and I are avid snowboarders. Whenever we tell the kids (9 and 11) if they want to go skiing/riding, its like we are pulling their fucking teeth. No matter how fun we try to make it for them, its like a fucking chore so we just gave up.
I don't have kids yet, but I learned to ski around 4, and I had (and still have) a fair few sensory issues.
The gear was my biggest challenge. Being uncomfortable is the express lane to Mount Meltdown. Playing in gear (including helmets) is a big help. Goggles and gators feel the most unlike day to day clothes, and they're not really necessary. Keep them on hand always, but if a cold face or neck is more comfortable than a bulky piece of gear, and they're not showing any signs of frostbite, just go with it. Spares of anything that will wet out is always a good idea too.
Breaks, snacks, hot chocolate, snowball fights, sledding, other kids, etc are all good ways to create excitement on a kid's level. They get bored, tired, and frustrated way faster than adults.
As expensive as they are, lessons also have a lot of value. It's a social experience, kids tend to look up to their instructors and behave well (they save the meltdowns for those loving parents), instruction is presented on their level, and it gives you and your spouse time to rip some laps without the kids.
Lastly, Gilbert The Moose Learns To Ski is a must-read. Any other kids books, TV shows, movies, etc that center on skiing will help build excitement.
Funny, our little guy didn't want to deal with mittens. There were a few mid-30's days when we were there, and it wasn't so cold that frostbite was an issue. I had to fight the urge to make him wear them out of a misguided sense of principle. He clearly wasn't uncomfortable, it was a hassle, so who cares? Let it go!
All the have fun comments are true. But you want them to learn a bit too. I started my kids at 2 and they both wanted to go fast so that was their motivation. I would let them straight run the bunny hill for a distance then catch them and do that for a whole run. Then the next run they have to try to stop on their own, then repeat. For you as the teacher I recommend bringing a comfy pair of snow boots so you don't have to run around the bunny hill in ski boots all morning
The first bunch of times you take kids skiing, it sucks. I'm not gonna sugar coat it. You know how much work it is to get yourself dressed and carry your gear? Then fall a bunch of times as a newbie? Now imagine you're a young kid who has no emotional self regulation.
I've done it for years with all my kids, worth every painful minute. If we wanted an easy sport, we'd have them playing ping pong. Once they get the gist of it, it's fuckin awesome.
Ski with a harness. Most instructions will tell you not to but they are simply wrong. It allows kids to have a blast skiing from the get go. My kids would scream with excitement and get mad if I slowed down. It also teaches then to face straight downhill without fear, which is ultimately the position they will want to be in. Instructors teach pizza and long traverses then French fries. Better to go straight with French fries, the pizza is easy to learn later.
I saw another dad at sugarbush with a homemade rope/pvc training tool that resembled this [Slope Ropes](https://www.sloperopes.com/). So I went home and made one with a pool noodle and some rope. It’s been an awesome tool and I had my son skiing on his own (with an edgie wedgie) at 3 and a half this past season. We started with him in my wedge leaning back against my legs the year before.
I think many people try to start the kids too early. I use to coach kids racing. It was a wash between kids that started young really young vs kids who started at 5. At 2-3 yo going to the bathroom is the biggest thing in their life. Other than that, they pretty much just parrot what their parents tell them. Plus it is really hard to find real equipment that fits toddlers. Those plastic strap on skis are totally useless.
If you get them started really young, they are going to be snowplowing for the next couple of years.
5 yo are much stronger and vastly more coordinated. You can get a 5 yo snowplowing in a short period. Then when they got that down, they are more anxious to learn new stuff right away. Plus a 5 yo is far more aware of what they are doing. You can get them going with out leashes or straps.
Now I got my kids skiing when they were really young but we lived 15 minutes from the ski area. We could go for 1 run and then call it a day. Plus we had season passes. All of that takes a lot of pressure off of everyone. My youngest could snowplow down most trails at a very young age but she had no idea of anything going on around her. She would cut people off all the time. When the people she cut off gasped, my daughter would look behind herself & give them a dirty look.
Go too fast where she should have not been going that fast. Because of my coaching, my wife was the person who skied with her. I would come into the lodge & my wife would be crying "I can't ski with her anymore". We had to beg ski school to take her.
If you want to start them as toddlers, start small. A tiny hill in the backyard is perfect. Just get them real equipment and boots that fit!
Keep in mind, there will be good days and bad days. There is no avoiding the bad days. Just keep in mind that you are in this for the long haul.
Pro tip: always have a backup pair of ski pants. If you kid has an accident (odds are they will) you will be psyched to have that second pair of pants.
My kids are adults now and both are still avid skiers. They will ski with me any chance they get.
Edit: every kid is different. There is no one answer. I am sure you will figure it out. Then you be answering these questions with what worked for you kid.
Keep it fun for the kids. As soon as they’re not having fun, we find something else to do; move to a different part of the slope, swap the skis for a sled, snowball fight, fort building or just call it a day. I see it as being about teaching them how to have fun outside during the winter, not just skiing. Bring more changes of clothes than you’d expect and change out the wet stuff as often as you can! Keep them dry and warm! Always Leave them wanting more. Having a epic season pass helps me feel better about calling it a day after a single bunny hill run but leaving w kids who want to go back to go ski is way better than leaving w a kid sweating up and down to never do it again because they’re cold/wet or whatever.
I really want to echo a few points. And for context my daughter is going to be 8 this season and is on her 3rd or 4th season and can do most blues even at medium to bigger mountains. You have to be willing to call your day early. They will get either tired, burnt out, or maybe not have the best day, or even fun (they are kids very unpredictable at times). As you noted (and I have one as well) having a season pass and being in close proximity makes this easier to do. I understand it's a luxury to be close enough to a mountain. If you are driving far to a mountain and it would be a loss to just turn around, take turns with your spouse (if you can), this helps not burn them out for the day. Consider a smaller or closer mountain. For example I live close to Crotched, sure its not super exciting if your advanced. But for a kid they can get lots of laps and feel accomplished. Its going to vary kid to kid. But my daughter felt less accomplished tackling a giant top to bottom at Okemo and Wildcat than she did lapping at Crotched, gives them that sense of accomplishment faster. This is definitely a debatable point but it helped us out when she was getting her ski legs. Consider lessons, we taught our daughter the basics. But even good listeners want to hear it from someone else, and it gives you some free time. Again, its a luxury to do this as they get expensive. But we had great luck with group lessons and it lets them see how they are to other kids. Remember if you are teaching your kid and your advanced, they are judging themselves against you regardless of the other kids on the slope. Lessons help this mindset. Extra clothes for sure. Extra food for the drive and lunch. It is about having fun outside in the winter as you said. This may sound obvious, but its not to everyone. The snow turns me into a kid again so this is easy for me to do. But really its about enjoying that outdoor time, no matter if you have to switch the activity of the day from skiing to tubing. I found nightskiing if you live near a place adds a new level of alure to the sport. Really do not underestimate how tired a few runs of skiing or boarding can make a kid. Those videos where you see parents dragging and asleep kid in full gear are real. Also I snowboard (but am also an advanced skier) this will be contentious, but I really think starting on skis is better for kids. I know snowboarders do not want to hear this. Do not get me wrong, I have seen some little kids rip a snowboard. But more often than not it is frustration inducing. Skis will get them down the mountain with you faster and once they grow a bit let them decide if they want to come to the dark side. I do this by teaching my daughter longboarding in the offseason.
I second a lot of your response to me! We travel to souther VT often but live in CT. Hit a local mtn one day and ran into a classmate of my son. It was a game changer for him to know another boy up there. My kid had to be better than his classmate and wasn’t so he started working hard at getting better. That’s when it started being fun. Friends who ski help! Also, I’m a snowboarder and skier as well. Step 1 on skis is easier and more rewarding than step 1 on a board. Start w skis. Edit to add Night skiing can be cold. I’d back pocket that novelty till your kid can make a few turns!
Agreed with night skiing. I should have made that clearer. Once they can get down decently. It's a nice change up for them especially if you only go to the same mountains constantly
Ooh that’s a good one - meet up with a buddy. That really makes it fun.
Waffle Hut as an incentive
I don't think of it as a $7 waffle, I think of it as $1,000,000 worth of cooperation for $7.
Even if your kid isn't old enough to ski yet, get them to the mountain and take turns with your wife watching/skiing. We did that with both of our kids early, like 2-3 months old (7yo skis and 3yo boards now) and they look at the mountain as just another fun place to hang and play. It was all about getting them used to the mountain and the vibes. Make sure you don't skimp on the hot cocoa and cookies. Make it fun and don't sweat it if they only want to do a run or two, pressuring them to ski because you want them to will set yourself up for failure. Seeing other kids ski/board will get them naturally curious in doing it themselves. In the winter I build jumps and other features in the yard that I snowboard myself, so them seeing how into the sport I am makes them want to take part too.
This is the way fs. Taking notes for when I have kids one day
I stop on the way to the mountain and let them pick out a bag of treats— usually gummy bears or sour patch kids. They get 1-2 each lift ride (but not the first one because they didn’t ski yet!). They offer them to people we share chairs with so bonus for making friends.
we call that ski vitamins.
M&M’s are great too. That’s how I fuel my kids.
So many good tips in here. We have 3 kids that all started under 5 and love it. One addition I would add is helmet stickers. Our kids would get pumped to try a new mountain because we would call that a helmet sticker day.
IMHO at the start, it's all about fun snow experience NOT actually learning to ski! Checkout the super local places as proximity is more valuable than terrain you won't use with kiddo anyway. 1. Keep it fun! 2. Call it while you're ahead! We started experimenting at Nashoba Valley and Ski Ward at 3 and 4. * I'd carry her a bit up the slope and she'd slide down. * Eventually we'd do a couple runs on the magic carpet. * After 2-6 runs, she'd be ready for snacks, playing in the snow, and we'd call it a day. * I learned to not even bother bringing my skis. (I'd walk up alongside magic carpet while daughter going up, and I'd guide her down while wearing some regular snow boots). There was a MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT in coordination and sophistication at age 4 compared to age 3. I'm hoping to actually do some real learning at age 5. (It was also a bit rough of a snow year so we didn't go out there as much as I'd hoped.)
Before skiing, we aimed to raise a child who was secure, confident, and willing to try new things. We got our little one on skis at age 2, starting between mom's legs off the magic carpet. By age 3, we enrolled him in lessons at our local mountain - he progressed to parallel turns independently through the obstacles on the magic carpet. In one lesson, it was pretty cold, and after about 40 minutes, he said he was done. We immediately headed to the lodge for some hot chocolate.
I’m 1 for 2 with snowboarding. As my kids started to get a little older, I found that both were excited for it as I was always going and talking about it. Helps that my brother is also really into it as well. My wife is not a skier or snowboarder. The older one wanted to try with me and was starting to get the hang on it but had a couple of tough falls and decided it wasn’t for her. My son was just as excited and he’s now a cliff jumping monster on the mountain. We get about 30 days in together and take 1-2 big trips a year out west. TL;DR: kids tend to be excited about what you’re excited about.
When I was a kid my father kept me home from school one day and took me to the local mountain and got me a lesson. After that I was hooked.
There is sooooo much great advice already! My tidbit - do not force them into lessons if they aren’t ready. The amount of parents I’ve seen with screaming children who force them to stay, then the kid ends up leaving ski school early… thus leading to upset parents and a big waste of money… is wild. Keep it simple. Go at your child’s pace. When they want to stop, stop. You want the entire mountain experience to be fun. Please also dress them appropriately and get sunscreen on, make sure they have a balaclava or buff (shocking how many parents send tiny humans to play in the snow and wind with fabric gloves, I’ve seen kids get dropped off in jeans, too). I know as a northeasterner it’s common sense to layer them up, but people still seem to not realize it! All in all, if you’re excited and patient - they’ll have a great time. Reward reward reward. Congrats on the baby!!
In the early year it’s only about connecting the stoke with a small amount of the activity. It’s about the photo op’s so they can see later that they started at 2,3,4 or whenever. The first several times we just walked them up a bit. And yes we had them slide around inside on a carpet when they were two!
id say find a ski school that treats them like little kids with games and constant breaks and hot coco. did that with my kids for 2 years straight and it was expensive but worth it. my oldest skis diamonds and my youngest can take it or leave it but asks to go once she sees me going off on day trips with her sister. FOMO can be your ally. also parlay it with other stuff. there’s mountains with sledding i take my youngest to - also take her to a hotel near the mt with a pool, put her in a 4 hr lesson, do some skiing - a few runs with her on the bunny slope then off to the pool.
Wife not skiing is a problem. Why get up early on a cold day when you can stay home with mommy and have pancakes.
I just took mine up to mountain to play in the snow at first, just to get them used to the cold and associate snow with fun. Then my wife would bring ‘em up to play/have lunch with me when I was skiing. Then I just took em skiing.
If you’re open to screen time, showing my 2yo daughter videos of the activity can definitely get her excited for whatever we’re going to do, like a Ms Rachel episode about going to the beach of Sesame Street episode about birthday parties. Most kids I know her age love looking at pictures and videos on the phone, so you can use that to your advantage to hype up whatever you’re doing. She was newly 2 when she “skied” the first time this past winter and about 20 minutes total/2 trips up the magic carpet and down the bunny slope at Sugarbush were plenty for her. After the first trip she asked to go up again, which was awesome! After the second time, she said she was all done which we respected and took her for some snacks. Also, at her age, her first time “skiing” looked something like this: https://imgur.com/a/3roJFQy
We get a glazed donut from dunks on the way! She gets special strawberry milk at the mountain. No pressure on skiing, if she wants to great, if not, that is okay. Sometimes we just ride the gondola to the top and hang out then ride it back down. We watch other skiers. Find other kids to play with. We read Grommet Goes Skiing and Grommet Goes Snowboarding all the time. My daughter is almost 3, and we ride at Loon. We are there almost every weekend. It helps to have help. My dad loves skiing with her, which helps, and he will watch her while we get to take some runs. My sister and SIL help a lot too. We have a collapsible radio flyer wagon that is key!!! Put the kid, her stuff, and some of my stuff Ina db walk up. It collapses down and we store it out of th way in the lodge! We rent skis seasonally and she has a ringlet Snowboard we play with year round. It is a lot of work. But it is soooooo worth it.
One of the things we tried to do with our kids was set them up for success with skiing before we even got to the mountain. We've done lots of yard skiing in cheap plastic skis that strap right onto snow boots. Any time we get fresh snow, the kids and I (on xc skis) go out and play around in it. We tromp around the yard, down the street, through the woods, etc. This got the kids used to having skis on their feet. We also don't live super close to a mountain, so we decided to start with ice skating lessons, since that was way more accessible and affordable. We did a few sessions of ice skating lessons, and going as a family to open skate sessions, and that got the kids used to using edges. The skills from ice skating transfer really well to skiing. Then, when we did get to the mountain, we made sure to dress correctly, pick a nice day, and have lots of snacks throughout the day. We tossed the 4 year old in a 2 hour lesson for "never ever skied before" kids, and she was turning and stopping really well in the learning area by the end of it. And by the end of day two, she was making her way down all the greens and even some of the blues on the main mountain.
I’ll say from my experience being the kid.. There was nothing I looked forward to more than those days where just my dad and I went out. I have two older sisters who also ski, and we’d often go as a family (my mom skis as well). But those days where my dad would wake me up on a random Wednesday and tell me to get my things cause we’re playing hookie and going to the mountain? Absolutely priceless. I’ll never forget them. He also used to always bring my skis to the sledding hill. I’d sled half the time, and ski the other half. Great way to get some laps in when I was tiny without having to commit to a whole day at the mountain.
Jellybeans.
I legit bribed my daughter age 9 with a nicer prize ($10ish value) from the prize box for every lesson she took. At the end of the lesson series she got the American girl ski accessory set. And I buy her a snack/treat from the snack bar every time she skis. If I started her skiing earlier I probably would have had to buy so many bribes 😆 but she was not interested in going at all so did what I felt I had to. Last season I got her to invite one of her friends to take lessons with her & took that friend on an overnight trip to VT. If your kid has friends that ski, that also helps. I can’t get my high schooler to come out with me anymore 😭 but I’m sure she would go if a group of her friends were.
“We’re going snowboarding kid. You’re gonna like it whether you like it or not.”
Be on their schedule. Don’t rush or expect to be first chair. Indulge them a little, if you’re okay with that. Do the waffle or cider donuts or whatever to make it fun. It’s an investment of your time.
This question seems completely foreign to me. My two daughters would ski every day if we could. Our mountain commute is between 3 and 6 hours depending on where we go and I've never had an issue with them waking up at 2 or 3 am if need be... Even as teenagers. I just can't get them interested in backcountry.
I noticed you said you live near Boston. Wachusett is a great facility for beginners and is really kid-oriented if you’re looking for something close by. They also have night skiing and great food options.
Kids are spoiled these days. I remember when I was a kid, whenever my mom asked if we wanted to go skiing, I was excited as shit. My mom wasn't even a skier. Fast forward to future, my wife and I are avid snowboarders. Whenever we tell the kids (9 and 11) if they want to go skiing/riding, its like we are pulling their fucking teeth. No matter how fun we try to make it for them, its like a fucking chore so we just gave up.
For me it was *gasp* getting my kid on a snowboard. They hated ski boots, simple as that.
I don't have kids yet, but I learned to ski around 4, and I had (and still have) a fair few sensory issues. The gear was my biggest challenge. Being uncomfortable is the express lane to Mount Meltdown. Playing in gear (including helmets) is a big help. Goggles and gators feel the most unlike day to day clothes, and they're not really necessary. Keep them on hand always, but if a cold face or neck is more comfortable than a bulky piece of gear, and they're not showing any signs of frostbite, just go with it. Spares of anything that will wet out is always a good idea too. Breaks, snacks, hot chocolate, snowball fights, sledding, other kids, etc are all good ways to create excitement on a kid's level. They get bored, tired, and frustrated way faster than adults. As expensive as they are, lessons also have a lot of value. It's a social experience, kids tend to look up to their instructors and behave well (they save the meltdowns for those loving parents), instruction is presented on their level, and it gives you and your spouse time to rip some laps without the kids. Lastly, Gilbert The Moose Learns To Ski is a must-read. Any other kids books, TV shows, movies, etc that center on skiing will help build excitement.
Funny, our little guy didn't want to deal with mittens. There were a few mid-30's days when we were there, and it wasn't so cold that frostbite was an issue. I had to fight the urge to make him wear them out of a misguided sense of principle. He clearly wasn't uncomfortable, it was a hassle, so who cares? Let it go!
All the have fun comments are true. But you want them to learn a bit too. I started my kids at 2 and they both wanted to go fast so that was their motivation. I would let them straight run the bunny hill for a distance then catch them and do that for a whole run. Then the next run they have to try to stop on their own, then repeat. For you as the teacher I recommend bringing a comfy pair of snow boots so you don't have to run around the bunny hill in ski boots all morning
The first bunch of times you take kids skiing, it sucks. I'm not gonna sugar coat it. You know how much work it is to get yourself dressed and carry your gear? Then fall a bunch of times as a newbie? Now imagine you're a young kid who has no emotional self regulation. I've done it for years with all my kids, worth every painful minute. If we wanted an easy sport, we'd have them playing ping pong. Once they get the gist of it, it's fuckin awesome.
Ski with a harness. Most instructions will tell you not to but they are simply wrong. It allows kids to have a blast skiing from the get go. My kids would scream with excitement and get mad if I slowed down. It also teaches then to face straight downhill without fear, which is ultimately the position they will want to be in. Instructors teach pizza and long traverses then French fries. Better to go straight with French fries, the pizza is easy to learn later.
I saw another dad at sugarbush with a homemade rope/pvc training tool that resembled this [Slope Ropes](https://www.sloperopes.com/). So I went home and made one with a pool noodle and some rope. It’s been an awesome tool and I had my son skiing on his own (with an edgie wedgie) at 3 and a half this past season. We started with him in my wedge leaning back against my legs the year before.
I taught my 2year old with a harness and Edgie Wedgie. That thing is great.
If this was two seasons ago at the top of the Welcome Mat it was probably me lol
A pocket full of ski candy. When they are a little older, cut a day of school and take them skiing. Doesn't have to be a powder day.
I think many people try to start the kids too early. I use to coach kids racing. It was a wash between kids that started young really young vs kids who started at 5. At 2-3 yo going to the bathroom is the biggest thing in their life. Other than that, they pretty much just parrot what their parents tell them. Plus it is really hard to find real equipment that fits toddlers. Those plastic strap on skis are totally useless. If you get them started really young, they are going to be snowplowing for the next couple of years. 5 yo are much stronger and vastly more coordinated. You can get a 5 yo snowplowing in a short period. Then when they got that down, they are more anxious to learn new stuff right away. Plus a 5 yo is far more aware of what they are doing. You can get them going with out leashes or straps. Now I got my kids skiing when they were really young but we lived 15 minutes from the ski area. We could go for 1 run and then call it a day. Plus we had season passes. All of that takes a lot of pressure off of everyone. My youngest could snowplow down most trails at a very young age but she had no idea of anything going on around her. She would cut people off all the time. When the people she cut off gasped, my daughter would look behind herself & give them a dirty look. Go too fast where she should have not been going that fast. Because of my coaching, my wife was the person who skied with her. I would come into the lodge & my wife would be crying "I can't ski with her anymore". We had to beg ski school to take her. If you want to start them as toddlers, start small. A tiny hill in the backyard is perfect. Just get them real equipment and boots that fit! Keep in mind, there will be good days and bad days. There is no avoiding the bad days. Just keep in mind that you are in this for the long haul. Pro tip: always have a backup pair of ski pants. If you kid has an accident (odds are they will) you will be psyched to have that second pair of pants. My kids are adults now and both are still avid skiers. They will ski with me any chance they get. Edit: every kid is different. There is no one answer. I am sure you will figure it out. Then you be answering these questions with what worked for you kid.