How Soon Can My Children Start to Ski?

Watch this one-year old on a snowboard.

There isn’t a straightforward answer. Generally, if they want to start in a proper group, between four and five seems to be the right age. If they are younger, it is better if they do a private session or semi-private, with two or three in a class. It is difficult to cope with more than a couple of three-year-olds at a time.

However, it all depends on the child. Usually in any class of children of the same age, you’ll find five who really enjoy it, and a sixth one who hates it. It might be because he gets frustrated quickly whenever he’s learning something new, or because his boots are not comfy, or because he is cold. There are so many reasons why children take to skiing, and many reasons why they don’t!

Of course, a good mental attitude helps. So my advice is that whenever parents talk about skiing in front of their children they should always be positive and enthusiastic about it. If one of them is scared of skiing, and shows it, then it’s more likely the child will be too.