Part 1: Preparation

Are the kids ready to ski?

The most likely answer to this question is yes! I began teaching my children at the age of two, but you need to know a few things before you start.

• Patience is Key – Progress takes time, and kids like to take breaks.
• Safety First – Safety is the number one concern. Start on the bunny hill and take your time advancing to more difficult terrain. Dress warmly, young ones get cold quick, and avoid going out on freezing or snowy days.
• Fun is FUNdamental – If your kids don’t have fun they won’t want to come back next time. We’re going to explore learning games on a later post.
• Learning will Follow – When safety and fun are prioritized, learning will come naturally. They will want to improve, go faster, and try some tricks to scare the life out of you. This guide is designed to create a safe, fun, and educational learning environment for your children.

Are you ready to teach?

You might doubt your ability to teach skiing, but I have some news for you. If you’re good enough to comfortably ski on some of the more difficult trails you’re good enough to teach your kids. It can be scary to teach for the first time but your kids will learn better from you than any instructor you can find.

A big part of learning to ski is trust; your kids trust you more than anyone else in the world. They will be afraid the first time they start to slide and your encouragement will keep them going no matter what. As your kids trust you, you need to trust them. Give them some space to learn but always be close enough to help them if they need it.

Equipping Your Little Shredders:

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

The Basics

• Outer wear – Winter coat and snow pants or a snow suit
• Gloves
• Skis and boots – You can rent or buy. Most people recommend renting for kids but, I’ve found that buying used gear costs about the same up front and saves you money with each child you have by passing them down form child to child.
• Socks – I recommend a pair of ski socks, they can learn in normal socks but ski socks are more comfortable, warmer and can be their special skiing socks. My younger son won’t put his ski boots on without these moose socks.
• Ski Helmet

Gear I recommend

• Goggles – Goggles are not necessary when the kids are young but it is healthier for the eyes, they’ll want them when they start moving faster and your kid will look super cool.
• Hand Warmers – I buy them in bulk since my wife likes to use them when doing anything out in the cold.
• Edgie Wedgie – I’m going to be talking about this a lot on the next post. I’ll be talking about methods using the Edgie Wedgie and not using it, but it is a valuable tool if your child is 5 or under.
• Harness – I didn’t use this but sometimes wish I did. The handle is perfect for helping kids on the lift and catching them if they lose control. The leash it comes with is useless and should be thrown out with the packaging.

Other Gear

• GoPro – I used my phone to take videos for a while but now I just attach the GoPro to my pole and keep it pointed at the kids. It’s also great to hear the ridiculous things the kids say to themselves when skiing.
• Ski Backpack – I use this to strap a pair of kids’ skis on each side and put mine on the back. It makes carrying three pairs of skis and a two-year-old to the lift easier.

Stay tuned for Part 2, where we slide into teaching techniques on the bunny hill.