Ski Schools for 4 and unders

[SKIQUATTRO]

last winter we had our 2 1/2 yr old on skis, witht the aids of a tip lock and leash (kid-ski.com) now shes 3 1/2 and want to enroll her in a more structured ski school program, but all i can find from NY to VT and even in UT and CO is ski school for 4 yrs and up..under that they do an hour of skiing and the rest playing inside...i want her to be out skiing until noon (that give me and the mrs time to ski ourselves) We are looking to take another ski trip (1 wk) this yr in addition to all the weekends and day trips...any suggestions? how is Smuggs?? Keep getting rave reviews for Family/Kids Programs

 

[Greg]

Moving to skiing...

 

[JimG.]

Most ski schools don't want to deal with kids under 4 years old. Whether it be potty training issues, separation anxiety, or communication concerns, these are problems that seem to go away faster after age 4.

They won't make exceptions...heaven forbid a mature 3 1/2 year old is accepted, every other person who tried to register an under 4 year old will be crying discrimination. And if they do accept under 4 year olds and one says someone "touched" them while trying to help them go potty, well you get the picture.

When I taught the little ones age 4-6, I was often asked by customers who wanted an under 4 year old to enroll if I would teach them. So, I would set up a little skiing test and bring the little one out to see how mature they were. If they could handle it, I would tell the parents to register them and lie about their age. For all their rules, no ski school I know of actually asks for a birth certificate.

I know this is crappy sounding, but it's the only way. BTW, I personally teach kids as young as 2 1/2 with great success, but it is labor intensive. Basically, it's a private lesson but most parents don't want to pay for a private to teach their kid and ski areas won't allow an instructor to teach a private at group rates.

 

[Tyrolean_skier]

My two kids started skiing at 2. I enrolled them in the First Tracks program at Killington. When they turned 4, they moved to the Ministars program. My son (now 8) moved to the Killington Ski Club at 6 and this year will be starting in the Freestyle Hopefuls program. My daughter is still in Ministars this year but next year she will move to the Killington Ski Club as well. My son is a better skier than I am and my daughter is well on her way to being just as good as him. It is great to see them learning to ski well when they are so young instead of acquiring bad habits that are tough to break when you are an adult.

 

[JimG.]

My two kids started skiing at 2. I enrolled them in the First Tracks program at Killington.

Is the First Tracks program on snow most of the day (say 4 hours total) or is it basically childcare where they bring the kids outside on plastic skis for an hour and the rest of the day is spent inside?

If the former, I was not aware that K offers this and I applaud them for taking advantage of the many parents and small children who would love to take advantage of that. For a mountain that gets an almost endless bad management rap from alot of skiers, this program shows good customer management and business smarts.

 

[WWF-VT]

I would recommend connecting with the ski schools at different mountains. Found this description of Micro Bears at Sugarbush.

This is an on-snow Day Care program for 3-year olds (give or take a few months!). Kids are introduced to skiing with a one-hour lesson in the morning and in the afternoon. Our highly trained instructors will help your child learn at his/her own pace and experience the thrill of sliding on their skis in a pressure-free environment.

If you have questions about what program is best for your kid, please feel free to contact us. We want to give your child the best experience possible, regardless of age. We are happy to move kids between programs, regardless of age, to ensure a positive experience and the appropriate learning environment.

The 4-6 year old programs provides 2-hour on-snow sessions in the morning and afternoon.

 

[JimG.]

I would recommend connecting with the ski schools at different mountains. Found this description of Micro Bears at Sugarbush.

This is an on-snow Day Care program for 3-year olds (give or take a few months!). Kids are introduced to skiing with a one-hour lesson in the morning and in the afternoon. Our highly trained instructors will help your child learn at his/her own pace and experience the thrill of sliding on their skis in a pressure-free environment.

If you have questions about what program is best for your kid, please feel free to contact us. We want to give your child the best experience possible, regardless of age. We are happy to move kids between programs, regardless of age, to ensure a positive experience and the appropriate learning environment.

The 4-6 year old programs provides 2-hour on-snow sessions in the morning and afternoon.

Another smart mountain...the 1 hour morning/afternoon on snow time is similar to Hunter's program for kids under 4.

Snowquattro, this also brings up an important point...in my experience teaching under 4 year olds, 1 hour at a time is about all you can expect them to deal with; some are exceptional, but most will want to go inside after an hour. Remember this is going to happen on snow, in the cold and possibly wind. Also, little legs get tired much more easily than adult legs. This has to be, first and foremost, FUN for them.

Let's hear more.

 

[Sparky]

My daughter works in the Skiwee program at Jiminy Peak. They just started taking 3 years olds last year. Generally they spend 1/2 a day outside then they have lunch and spend the rest in a play room. Jiminy just built a large facility for their kids program, and they take it very seriously. It is a popular program if you plan on giving it a try I suggest you book ahead.

 

[ALLSKIING]

I would recommend connecting with the ski schools at different mountains. Found this description of Micro Bears at Sugarbush.

This is an on-snow Day Care program for 3-year olds (give or take a few months!). Kids are introduced to skiing with a one-hour lesson in the morning and in the afternoon. Our highly trained instructors will help your child learn at his/her own pace and experience the thrill of sliding on their skis in a pressure-free environment.

If you have questions about what program is best for your kid, please feel free to contact us. We want to give your child the best experience possible, regardless of age. We are happy to move kids between programs, regardless of age, to ensure a positive experience and the appropriate learning environment.

The 4-6 year old programs provides 2-hour on-snow sessions in the morning and afternoon.

This is a great program. I think Sugarbush has one of the best programs around.

 

[stomachdoc]

I had my twins at age 3-4 in the Childcare/Ski School program at Waterville Valley. This entailed one to one and a half hour sessions on the snow in the morning and afternoon with Childcare in between. They had a 1 to 1 or 1 to 1.5 instructor ratio. I can't say enough good things about the program; they were both skiing off of chairlifts by the end of the season and could ski blue squares from the top. It was REALLY expensive but worth it because of the consistent, individualized instruction.

 

[Tyrolean_skier]

My two kids started skiing at 2. I enrolled them in the First Tracks program at Killington.

Is the First Tracks program on snow most of the day (say 4 hours total) or is it basically childcare where they bring the kids outside on plastic skis for an hour and the rest of the day is spent inside?

If the former, I was not aware that K offers this and I applaud them for taking advantage of the many parents and small children who would love to take advantage of that. For a mountain that gets an almost endless bad management rap from alot of skiers, this program shows good customer management and business smarts.

First Tracks is the program where the kids spend an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon outside learning to ski. The rest of the time is spent indoors playing. In Ministars they spend about 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon outside. Kids that young can't seem to last much longer.