ski lessons 2 year olds
 

We are researching ski resorts that offer learning to ski lessons for 2 year olds. Would you please respond with your experiences or suggestions? We have narrowed it down to vermont or colorado but would like to visit the best resort for the kids experience. Thank you.

I haven't seen lessons for 2 year olds. They take 3 year olds at Stowe and Sugarbush. Hope you find what you are looking for.

Not sure a 24 month old is developmentally ready to start to ski - physically or cognitively. If your toddler is closer to 36 months than 24 months.... then that's a different story. It's amazing what that extra 12 months mean.

Most ski schools at the resorts here in Colorado will not take a child until they are at least 3 years old.

Brekenridge has 2.5 and up ski school:

http://www.khut.net/skischool.cfm

Who knew?

The best ski instructor for a two-year-old is Mommy or Daddy. Seriously, two is a little young, and I'm a Mom who started all my kids on skis at age 4. At two they are still mastering their walking/running skills and are really not coordinated enough to strap on skis.Why don't you try bringing a sled along and take turns playing with the little one on the slopes while the other parent skiis?
PS I hope you're not considering an all-day program for your 2 year old. Leaving a little one in all-day ski school while you ski can be very traumatic for the child, please don't do it.

I have to agree with everyone. When my boys were 2 they skied with us in between our legs for a few runs. Then, my husband and I then took turns skiing with friends while the other stayed with the kids in the lodge. We also took turns staying at the cabin or brought along grandparents to watch the kids. After they turned 3, we put them in half day ski school. It helped that we always went with friends who had boys the same ages as mine, so they were ok at the facility for half a day. We did find that smaller resorts are oftentimes more suited towards families.

I'm curious to see how it works out for you and your 2 year old, bushwacker. I hope you report back.

We're starting our daughter downhill skiing this winter; she'll be almost three. But I think we'll stick with having her ski between our legs this year.

Good luck!

My kids were both 3 when they first started skiing--personally I think that's the minimum age to put them on skis.

Our son learned at a small ski area in Wyoming (and was shooting down the mountain yelling "Bonzai" 3 hours later--nearly gave me a heart attack) but our daughter had lessons at both Keystone and Winter Park, Colorado. Both places did a nice job of alternating easy 'lessons' with play time, snack time and rest time for the day. After that, she went with us and did fine.

We are looking at Killington first tracks lessons. They take the kids outside for one hour with an introduction to skiing and then playtime inside. We are hoping the kids will enjoy it enough to want to go again. We are too novice to want them skiing between our legs but on the bunny slope it may be okay. Has anyone enrolled their children in the Killington first tracks program?
Thank you

Keep in mind that should he become frighten or hurt, at that age it's difficult to explain that this isn't going to happen everytime. You don't want to scare him. He has plenty of time to learn.

I don't think Breckenridge ski school takes 2 years old (my husband teaches at Vail - and I thought all Vail resorts had the same start age). Kinderhut appears to be at Breckenridge mountain but not the actual Breckenridge ski school.

I think 2 is pretty young (my husband feels 4 is around the age they can really learn to begin)... but most resorts offer a play camp vs. ski lessons for the younger set. Perhaps you require a fun day camp experience and aren't hung up on lessons?

I can't imagine a stranger trying to teach a 2 year old to ski. At that age most toddlers can't communicate well enough be able to learn to ski. Will the child even be potty trained at that age? Please listen to everyone who has responded here and give up on trying to put your 2 year old in ski lessons.

Ski schools usually won't take kids until they are 3 and potty trained. The kids have to be able to use the restroom and deal with all of their clothing on their own. The ski instructors are not able to help in the potty. State child care rules apply. You could try hiring a private instructor for a "parent and kid and ski instructor" session.

This is the e-mail I received regarding Killington program. Has anyone had any experience with them? Thank you
The ski classes we offer for 2 and 3 year olds is called our First Tracks program. We do not utilize the SKIwee branding. I have attached an information sheet on the First Tracks program which might help you a little bit. The way this program works is that we offer it in conjunction with our Friendly Penguin daycare program. Parents check the child into the daycare in the morning and we get them acclimated to the room and their daycare provider by playing games, reading etc. We then have our ski coaches take a maximum of 3 kids at a time out to either our terrain garden or our magic carpet (depending on if they have done anything prior on skis). The coach spends approximately 1 hour outside on-snow with the children in the morning and some kids will take a second afternoon 1 hour lesson. Our goal for first timers is to take them out into the terrain garden and get them use to walking, sliding and gliding on skis. The terrain garden is an outdoor area located just outside the daycare entrance. It is a specially groomed, fenced area with a slight grade that we can set carpeting on to facilitate walking uphill and also decorate with fun characters and cones to facilitate teaching. It is our goal to give the children the feel of starting and stopping by themselves. If we can achieve this in the terrain garden then we will advance them to the magic carpet where we have a larger area and a longer, but still very gently graded slope to work on making turns.

We have mixed success with 2 year olds. We are able to advance many to the Magic Carpet but typically not beyond that to a chairlift or tow handle. Some 2 year olds have the strength and attitude to be able to stop and start on their own very quickly but their development levels vary dramatically. Many enjoy the idea of being on skis and love the terrain garden but aren't really able to do more than that. We have quite a few 3 year olds that do the magic carpet right away and some even to chairlifts. Many 2 year olds still tire easily and we find that often 1 one hour lesson is the most they can handle. We are very cautious not to push them to hard at the beginning and not force them to go out or stay out as we don't want to sour them on the sport. Combining it with our daycare has worked out very well because it gives us a way to mix other fun activities in with ski and gives us the flexibility to bring kids in and out as their stamina etc. dictates.

To me it sounds like your two year old will have more fun in day care or playing in the snow with mom and Dad.I would wait a year as your chld will probably have a better ski experience.

&quot;<i>We have mixed success with 2 year olds.</i>&quot;

&quot;<i>Many 2 year olds still tire easily and we find that often 1 one hour lesson is the most they can handle.</i>&quot;

At least they are being honest - this isn't &quot;ski lessons&quot; - it is indoor day care w/ an hour's play time/basic instruction in the snow.

Bushwacker, You have not received one response in support of putting a 2 year old in ski lessons. If you want to do it, then do it, but don't keep asking for fodors support, because as you can see, you're not going to get it.

My friends took their 2 yr. old down on a snowboard. But, he is a pro boarder on circuit. The kid didn't do anything but stand between his fathers legs as he went down on the board.

2 yr. olds don't ski. They play. When they are 3 then they are ready. It's like everything else. Most toys say not for kids under 3. Same goes for skiing.

I agree that the dacare/one hour lesson would be the best option. What time of year will you be going?? vermont gets really cold and Co might be better weather.

I remember when we tried to get our 2 year old son just to walk w/us w/o being in a stroller. It was a nightmare!! I cannot imagine trying that on skis....but 2 is not the same for every kid.