I'm planning a ski trip to the Reno/Lake Tahoe area for my two children, ages 7 and 9. Neither have been on skis before. Any suggestions as to when and where to go and other snow or winter activities of interest to children? Parents don't plan to ski. Will probably visit the casinos. Northstar has been mentioned by friends for their family friendly facilities and their gentle slopes for beginners. Haven't decided on Christmas, between Christmas and New Years or spring yet. Would appreciate your assistance and feedback. Aloha!

Christmas is a pretty busy time at Tahoe; everything is a bit crowded and chaotic for first timers. Early spring is more relaxed and warmer, kids are less likely to get cold and frustrated learning to ski. In either case, waterproof gloves and pants (the insulated bib overall type are good) are important for the kids; if they get cold and wet when they fall, it stops being fun to learn.

Northstar is where my kids learned to ski. It was (and maybe still is) a great family resort, however, it's been built up to what is now a fancy village. Not sure if the "atmosphere" has changed along with the architecture!

Also, I believe parents are required to be at Northstar (i.e. not off in Reno at the casinos ) while their kids are in ski school. I think all the resorts have that requirement.

Squaw Valley has some nice wide-open bowl areas for the beginning skiers. It also has an ice skating rink. They have a rock-climbing wall (near the gondola base), and expanded shopping and dining areas in the village.

Squaw has a shuttle to the South Shore casinos, so even when we stay near the stateline we take a couple of trips to Squaw.

I also recommend Northstar or Squaw for your family. You will need to make reservations for ski school if you are going during the holidays or spring break.

Most ski areas can do a good job with the kids for learning to ski, but it's quite possible that they will require at least one parent to be onsite. All the Tahoe areas have reasonable beginner slopes, the next stage up (easy intermediate slopes) can be a bit more of a problem at some places. Squaw Valley would have the most options for things to do for a non-skiing parent, but it is quite big - easy to lose track of people.

There are usually several options for snowmobile rentals (depends on depth of snow), as well as ice skating and sliding on toboggans or tubes. You will find several free visitor guide papers listing these things at most stores.

In Reno, the Circus-Circus casino has kids-oriented entertainment, with circus acts and a large midway games area; it is interconnected with several other downtown casinos. Reno is probably 45 minutes from Northstar, a bit further from other ski areas.