How Young Can Kids Start Skiing? (Part 1)

Skiing can be an incredible experience for kids and adults alike. If you’re eager to get your child familiar with the slopes, don’t forget that there are many elements contribute to a kid’s ability to ski. Here are some questions to consider when deciding whether or not your children have ready for the slopes.

Is My Kids Old Enough for the Ski Experience?

A kid as young as 20 months is old enough to play around and enjoy on flat terrain in ski boots and/or skis. As long as your children is stable enough on their legs, they should be able to handle playing in the snow and skiing. Don’t hesitate because that’s the approach most ski schools use to introduce children to this fantastic sport. But it’s generally agreed that a child should be as old as 3 ages before being able to enjoy on the full ski experience—that is, independently skiing, turning on flat to mildly sloping terrain, and using a magic carpet or riding a chairlift.

Should My Child Go to Ski School?
The youngest age that most ski academy will allow a kid into a program is between 4 to 5 years old. Because younger kids normally have not developed fully their attention span, motor skills, durance and physical strength to handle a whole day of skiing. But this absolutely varies depends on the individual children, their personality and level of maturity. Some ski academy may offer programs for younger children, in which the children will get familiarized with the snow terrain and getting around in ski boots in actual slopes or in artificial environment.

Additional Factors to Consider
In order to be sure if your children have ready for any type of skiing or not, you need to determine how comfortable they are with snow play and how ready they are for a whole day on the slopes—and lessons—before you choose that route.