Your Guide to Teaching Kids to Ski + What Gear You Need

We spent this past winter switching our kids from snowboarding to skiing and it was one of the best decisions we made! My husband and I are both snowboarders so naturally we started our 2 and 4 year old (at the time) out on snowboards. Last year was a bit of a struggle which we figured would be the case with our 2.5 year old, but even our 4 year old was getting frustrated and just not loving snowboarding.

Fast forward to December of this past year when we decided to take the advice of others and put our kids on skis.  It was instantly a HUGE improvement.  Our older son took 2 nights of going down the bunny slope on skis and he was ready to go off to the big hill with us.  It was amazing.  I don’t know what it is about skiing, but everyone seems to agree that it is much easier to learn how to do than snowboarding.

As the winter went on he continued to progress and was eventually on black diamonds with us.  The highlight of the winter with him skiing was when we went to Gore Mountain in upstate New York and took the gondola to the top of the mountain and had the best time as a family skiing and snowboarding down together.  I’ll share more about the exact tips we used to teach him to ski at the end of this post.

Best Ski Gear for Kids

Don’t even think about hitting the slopes without the proper gear for your kids for several reasons- safety and comfort.  If your child isn’t warm enough you can almost guarantee their time on the slope will be over before it starts.  Here’s our favorite gear for kids:

One Piece Overall

I’m a big fan of one piece snowsuits for kids.  They tend to provide a lot more warmth and protection against snow entering during any falls.  Our go-to brand is Reima, they are a Finnish brand providing superior quality in kids outdoor gear.  Each of my boys have a Reima overall for winter and we just got this one for our youngest. Not only is it very warm, it’s also waterproof! I love the designs Reima offers too, they are perfect for kids.

Reima also offers a variety of snowpants and jackets if a one piece isn’t for you.  The only challenge with the one piece, which isn’t really a huge bother because we love the benefits of them so much, is bathroom breaks with ski gear on.  It’s just a balancing act of helping your kids while not letting the top of the overall touch the bathroom floor.

Gloves

We prefer mittens for ourselves and our kids for the simple reason that they keep your hands warmer.  Most people assume gloves will work better to keep you warm because each finger is insulated, but it’s actually the opposite.  Your hands stay warmer in mittens thanks to the body heat created.  It’s also easier to slip in a disposable hand warmer and use them more efficiently.  Our favorite mittens are these Reimatec mittens which are available in a wide variety of colors. I love that they have grippy pads on the outside (especially if your kids use ski poles) and that they have a strap to go around the wrist so you don’t have to worry about losing any!

Balaclava

For really cold days we will put a balaclava under the kids helmets.  These come in really handy especially when it’s windy on the slopes.  These simple balaclavas from Reima are perfect because they are thin enough to fit under a helmet, but also keep the kids very warm.

Thermal Layers

The key to keeping kids (and adults) warm is layers.  We always start with a thermal base layer for skiing.  Reima makes a great thermal set for kids. They also work perfect for pajamas on nights when the kids pass out in the car after a day of skiing. Depending on the temperature we will then put on additional layers like a fleece sweatshirt.

Helmet

Helmets are an absolute must for kids and should be for adults too.  There are a lot of brands to choose from, but we’ve been pretty loyal to Lucky Bums due to their quality and more affordable price. We’ve even found them at stores like Marshalls an TJ Maxx for under $20! Whatever helmet you end up using be sure it’s fitted properly for their head. It shouldn’t sit too high up (too small) and also shouldn’t bobble around too much when the straps are tightened (too big).

Goggles

Without a doubt the best goggles for kids are from Bolle.  They fit so well and have a ton of cute designs that make it fun for kids to pick out and get involved in their gear choices.  The price is also very reasonable, goggles are definitely the most affordable piece of ski gear for kids 😉

Skis, Binds and Boots for Kids

The final piece of gear you’ll need is your ski set up which includes the skis, ski bindings and ski boots.  A lot of families choose to rent ski gear each season, but we found it much more affordable to buy used gear that we know will last a season or two for each child.  Being that we were snowboarders it was a bit intimidating picking out ski gear for our kids, but I learned a lot about it and will share those tips with you.

First, you need to determine the size of the skis – this depends solely on your child’s height.  I found it best to google ski sizing charts and go from there to determine the appropriate range of ski sizes.  Next I headed to Amazon and Facebook Marketplace to search for gear.  I ended up buying 3 pairs of children’s skis (in great condition) for just $10!  Deal of the century, my friends! I was then left questioning what ski boots I needed.  I had read a lot about needing specific boots to go with specific bindings, that’s simply not true I learned.  You can buy whatever brand of ski boots and ski bindings and they will fit together.  The sizing of ski boots is most important, I again turned to googling ski boot sizing as it’s completely different than shoe sizes and snowboard boot sizes which we were already familiar with.

Whether you purchase new or used gear be sure everything is in great condition before you head out to the slopes for the first time.  We found some knowledgeable lift operators who gave us some pointers about the skis such as setting the brake to the right number.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help!

Optional Ski Gear

There are harnesses available to parents who want to ski behind their kids and essentially keep a leash on them, but these are only useful if both parents and kids are skiing.  The downside to this is the pull the harness provides on the back of the child can make it more difficult to ski in the proper form.  Most instructors do not recommend using a harness.

The Edgie Wedgie can be a really useful product for kids who are having difficulty doing the pizza movement. It basically connects the tips of the skis together on a short leash. We purchased an Edgie Wedgie at the beginning of the season, but did not end up using it at all.

Now that you’ve got the ski gear picked out, here are some tips to help get your kids started on the slopes!

How to Teach Kids to Ski

Having spent the past winter teaching our kids to ski and putting them in a private ski lesson we learned some valuable tips to share with others.

Orient Them to Their Gear

This was a step we completely skipped and would have been so much more helpful for our 2.5 year old, it wasn’t until we had him in a private lesson did we realize this step makes all of the difference.  We watched the ski instructor put one ski on our son and have him kind of skate around to get used to the movement of the ski.  This helped him with both balance and coordination. Next the instructor put on both skis and had him ski down a small (maybe 15 foot long) snow mound with a slight incline.  At the bottom he placed a plastic snowman and told him to knock it over when he skied past it.  This game was so much fun and really encouraged him to focus and kept the learning exciting!

Ski Lessons for Kids

We made it halfway through winter without ski lessons, but decided to sign each of our kids up for a private lesson and it was a great decision.  Our oldest was already pretty proficient at that point so his lesson consisted mostly of learning some new skills like skiing backwards, but also reinforced skills he already learned like carving turns.  The lessons were most valuable to our youngest, mostly for the simple fact that kids listen better to people who aren’t their parents.  Ski lessons can definitely be very pricey, but you can save money by doing group lessons or booking several lessons at one time as most places give a discount for a bulk lesson purchase.

Take Plenty of Breaks

Learning something new can be overwhelming and exhausting, especially when it involves cold weather so frequent snack and hot chocolate breaks are important to keeping the day productive and spirits high.  Some of our favorite memories from this winter are from our snack breaks while skiing and just hanging around the fire with our hot cocoas talking about all the new skills and trails the kids have conquered.  I load our car up with a ton of snacks, mostly healthy ones, but definitely a few treats for extra encouragement.

Be Patient

I know the feeling, you’re excited to have your children out on the slopes and can’t wait to all head up on the big mountain together.  It’ll happen soon enough, but until it does patience is so important.  If our kids pick up on any level of frustration from their parents they’ll start to feel discouraged and the fun from skiing will be gone.  If you’re signing your kids up for lessons you can take advantage of that time to head up to the big mountain.  Most mountains also have daycares you can put your kids in to take a break and hit the slopes alone.

I hope you’ve found these tips helpful!  Skiing with kids is such a rewarding experience for the whole family.  Please feel free to share any tips that you have in the comments below.

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