When Should My Little Son Start Learning Skiiing/snowboarding?

Hi J.-

We took our kids to Soda Springs last year. It's a very small resort by Sugar Bowl. They have a kids area with a little bunny hill, tubing, etc.. It was around $25 and you could get skis or snowboard....my son who's 3 tried the snowboard and did great! My daughter 5 tried skies and it didn't go well...so we switched her to a snowboard. I highly recommend it! That way you can try both, go tubing, all for $25. You do have to be the one teaching your child...but you can also pay a little more for a private lesson.

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we live in mammoth & i work for mmsa & book for families. ski first. last season we just changed our policies for lessons, must be 7yrs to FIRST TIME snowboard (with group). we do offer private Snowboard for under that age of course. my 5yr old son has been skiing since 3yrs old & i get him out on the hill as often as possible. this season would be a good start i'm sure, just start out slow and with you and without too many expectations & i'm sure you'll at least make great memories!

Hi J.,
I know your talking about snowskiing/snowboarding, personally, I haven't started my now 3.5yr old on any skies. My parents were competitive water skiers so much so every weekend for the entire summer they were on their boat skiing the course like die hards. I being the first child they tried to get me up on waterskies when I was 3 and my mom tells me it was too much. She got up with me on two singles and i was in between her on my doubles and she helped me up. They didn't try again till I was 5 and it was a lot easier on me and I enjoyed it more being older. My point being is. Don't push it. I moved to a single ski when i was 6 and then competing in tournaments at 8yrs old. Sure it was fun and cute to watch your kids enjoy the sports you like. Im now 40 and haven't water skied in 4 years. I burned myself out at 28yrs old and never looked at waterskiing as fun. So i guess that is why I haven't pushed my son to try the big sports till he tells me he wants to do "that". My home is on the delta and we don't push it. My brother is a competitive wakeboarder and we still haven't taken my son up on a wakeboard either. My uncle still competes at 52yr old in Waterskiing and he tried to get his kids up on waterskies like at a very young age like me and as adults they hate the water. I think 2 is too young for any big sport like snow and water skiing and boarding.They are also both very dangerous sports and they don't undetstand the safty and what could happen. I believe in letting kids go at their own pace and introduce it to them. Good luck.

SAHM with 2 funny adorbble boys 3 & 1 yrs old (walking at 7 mos) My life moves at the speed of light all day.

My parents started me skiing when I was 2. They used some kind of harness but that was 30 years ago. Little ones only last for a little while though. Snowboarding requires a lot more complex thought processes and planning I would think 5 at the earliest for a snow board. I second the helmet.

I taught my son to ski last year when he was barely 3. It was a lot of fun but I had to really adjust my way of thinking. He could only handle about an hour at a time. Since we live an hour from the resort we would drive an hour, practice for an hour, have a pb&j sandwich, and drive home. I used an edgie wedgie on his skis (a little bungie cord w/ two clamps that hold the front of his skis together) and a harness, and it took about 8 lessons before he was ready to leave the bunny hill. As soon as we got off that bunny hill he wanted the harness off and he never looked back! I have seen little shredders out on snowboards but all of the ski school instructors agreed that skiing is much easier and comes with a lot less whining. Good luck and have a great time!

Start this season w/ you....we put our son on skis last year at 2 1/2...dragged him around on flat land, and he went down a bunny slope w/ daddy 7x and then had enough. He was between dad's legs and holding onto a ski pole that my husband held horizontally like a bar for him. He loved it, but when our son was done, we stopped so he has a great memory of skiing and wants to do it again. I would also reccomend getting the ski boots a day or so before so he can wear them around inside first. I think skiing first, then snowboarding. Yeah!!! have fun!

On our recent vacation in New Zealand I saw a guy teaching his almost 2 year old daughter to ski. He used the skis with the tips clipped together. We were going to try taking our son out next winter when he is 2, just to see. Someone suggested to me it is better to wait until they are 3 or 4 so they are stronger, better co-ordinated and more able to follow directions, but I think it depends on the kid. I'm sure some pick it up earlier (like children in Austria and Switzerland!).

We'll probably pick a resort with daycare so we can take him out for a bit then drop him off for play.

I use to work at a daycare located at a ski resort. The one thing I can say is start with skiing. A lot of doctors also reccomend the same thing. In my experience they would ski until about 4 or 5 the switch to snowboarding. The muscles in their legs developmentally work better with skis then a snowboard.

I agree that learning skiing is easier. I think my parents first took me skiing when I was 3 (without poles, obviously). The shorter kids are, the shorter the distance they have to fall, right? =)

I don't ski/snowboard, but my husband does and he is always amazed at how many little kids are on the slopes and at how good they are at it!

I think a lot of it has to do with his maturity and desire. If he likes the snow and has expressed to you that he wants to do it and does well listening to and following instructions he could begin skiing this coming winter. If he has never seen it, you may want to take him to watch and talk about him learning how to do it. Then get him in a lesson if the ski resort will offer one to children his age...if not you may need to instruct him yourself.

If you want him to have a good experience and want to continue skiing with you, please consider the obvious... proper clothing so he doesn't get cold and wet, proper size skis/boots and a helmet for safety and finally, stopping before he gets too tired and making a big deal about his progress so that he leaves the hill excited to do it again. It is so great to share something you enjoy with your children, which will make for many fun family memories and vacations. Don't force him though...he may be too little, not yet interested or scared to do it. You don't want him to not like it before he really tries it. Enjoy!!

My son started skiing at 3, which is the earliest they will give lessons at the ski schools. They won't do snowboarding until 5, because they need more strength in their legs for it.

I highly recommend starting him at 2. They have no fear and their bodies are quite flexible, so when he wipes out he'll be ok. I suggest getting a helmet though!

Have fun with it...

Good Morning J.: When we lived on Guam we had our 4 month old out in the waves body surfing. I have a set of grandchildren that started "baby dirt bike riding" at 2 years old.
As long as you are safely teaching and standing right there let them concor the "Bunny Hill" heck just teaching how to stand up on skis should be goood for many moments of giggles.
Bet they will be pro's in no time. Nana G

I would consider your child's interest, coordination and leg strength. We put our daughter on skis at 2-1/2 (at first for short tries with us and a harness and wedgie-thing, then in ski school at 3), but with hindsight her legs weren't strong enough yet. She was a little behind at the time in gross motor skills (running, throwing) and I think that made skiing more difficult and caused her not to enjoy it. She was never interested after the first couple of tries, and in later years would refuse to ski or was fearful, which was a disappointment to her skiing-loving parents. She did decide to try snowboarding later, but never developed an interest in either sport. My guess is that if we had waited a little longer she would have experienced more success early on. It seems to be very individual to the child, though.

we took our little girl last season and she turned 2 in may so she was 20 months or so. We put her on cross country skis and she loved it. She skiied for a total of about 4 hours. A ski instructor friend told me to make sure you finish skiing with them wanting more. She loved the magic carpet.

I am also a ski patroller and I wouldn't get them on a snowboard as more injuries occur while snowboarding.

Good luck.

P.