Kids Skiing

Posted in Livigno Ski School by Livigno Ski on 19/06/2018

A lot of people will now be planning there next ski holiday and for families doing this for the first time it can be daunting. We have put below some info on kids skiing and later in the year we will be having tips from the local ski instuctors to help you get ready for the slopes. Don’t forget you can always email or call us if you need any help with anything.

• How Old Do Kids Need To Be To Start Skiing?

As with most sports the earlier you start the better. Obviously, skiing is more complex to learn than some sports but children tend to learn a lot quicker than adult novices. So a lot depends on when you think your child is ready and ski schools themselves. Some will take kids as young as 3 while others on children being at least 5 years old.

• What age can my child learn to snowboard?

There is a myth that snowboarding is more difficult for kids to learn than skiing when the opposite can be true. The average starting age for kids to learn to snowboard is 8 and this is largely down to availability of equipment. However, specialist suppliers now provide snowboarding equipment for younger snowboarders.

• Can I just teach the children to ski myself?

As anyone who has children knows, children tend to respond better when people other than their parents are teaching them sports. A qualified ski instructor will know how to pace lessons and make them fun for children. It is also very important that they listen to safety instructions and don’t try anything that is beyond their ability.

• How long should my kids spend skiing

Again this depends on the child. Some kids can happily spend all day skiing or snowboarding but remember skiing is a physical sport so make sure they take regular breaks for drinks and food. For your kids the most important thing to remember is that as long as they are having a good time and learn at there own pace.

• I’m worried about my children hurting themselves

Children fall over all the time and they will have plenty of falls while skiing. Unlike us adults they tend to recover quickly from falls and they also have more flexibility in their joints and muscles. Yes, there is always a risk as with any sport but as long as the children are not sent down black and red runs before they are ready they should be fine skiing at a gentle pace on gentle slopes. We always recommend taking some ski lessons for the kids no matter what there level as they will always learn something