Beginner Lessons & Packages for kids

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Hoping to get a 6 year old started skiing this year. What places in eastern PA / NJ have the best programs and best deals for this?

Edited December 8, 2013 by Ski2Live Live2Ski

[RootDKJ]

Shawnee?

[Riley]

Most programs are good...with that being said, children under 7 usually go into a private lesson or a children's program like skiwee. to get the most out of these programs make sure you go midweek non holiday. Keep your beginner away from the crowds. Shawnee and Blue both have good programs.

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Shawnee certainly have a fine reputation in this area. Also the kids have gone tubing there, so I can use that as an incentive - if you try skiing in the morning you can go tubing in the afternoon if you would rather do that.

 

Do you have direct experience with their programs?

 

I took my first lessons at Spring in the 70s. And they have some nice deals for sunday after 4 family packages. Anyone use their programs recently?

Edited December 9, 2013 by Ski2Live Live2Ski

[Ride Delaware ?]

If you are looking for a cheaper less crowded weekend option, I heard great things about Alpine Mountain. I know they have had mountain issues in years past, and the comments I heard were before that time, but I think it may be worth a shot.

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Thanks, I will look into that as well - weekends or holidays are going to be easier to manage as I don't want to pull them out of school for a ski lesson

Edited December 9, 2013 by Ski2Live Live2Ski

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

You've never been to alpine.

 

Does that mean you think Alpine is a poor choice?

[poconoceancity]

Alpine on a weekend is better, since there's less people there. I would avoid Blue, CB and Shawnee on a weekend. JF is also less crowded and friends of ours had great results with private lessons there.

[mgguy]

don't waste money on lessons for little kids- we started our kids at 3 and an half, did the hold them between our legs for a while, then let them get started on thier own. They were at Bear Creek, stayed on the smaller trails. sure, we sacrificed a season to get them going, used old skis for them. After one year they were on their own, after 2 years could handle anything there, 3-4 years in skied at Sugarbush. If you really want to do kids lessons Bear Creek Kodiak kids is a good program, but if you expect the kids to get anything out of lessons (and lot's of your $$$) you need to get them on the hill twice a week for the whole season. I see too many people spend big bucks on lessons for kids, do it once or twice a year, and never go out besides that. Then they wonder why the didn't learn anything.

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

People are not giving advice based on experience

Thanks - good point. I would most value advice based on experience. A friend having direct experience (as oceancity indicates) would also be relevant.

 

Of course if one is aware of a particularly good deal I would like to he informed of that even if one did not have direct experience.

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

don't waste money on lessons for little kids- we started our kids at 3 and an half, did the hold them between our legs for a while, then let them get started on thier own. They were at Bear Creek, stayed on the smaller trails. sure, we sacrificed a season to get them going, used old skis for them. After one year they were on their own, after 2 years could handle anything there, 3-4 years in skied at Sugarbush. If you really want to do kids lessons Bear Creek Kodiak kids is a good program, but if you expect the kids to get anything out of lessons (and lot's of your $$$) you need to get them on the hill twice a week for the whole season. I see too many people spend big bucks on lessons for kids, do it once or twice a year, and never go out besides that. Then they wonder why the didn't learn anything.

 

I've got two kids and I am a single parent alternate weeks so DIY is not going to work. and I don't live close enough to skiing to get them out twice a week. But I learned to be a good enough skier to handle anything in Poconos or Catskills by starting around 9th grade about once a month, and it seems like kids pick it up faster than older people, no?

 

6 and a half is a different case from 3 and a half. But do folks think I should wait longer? The most I will be able to get them out is 2-3 times over winter break and then one or two times a month after that..

Edited December 9, 2013 by Ski2Live Live2Ski

[mgguy]

Never too early to start them, at 6.5 they should be fine, plenty of patience for lessons and attention span. We had the benefit that my wife was an instructer when younger and is a hell of a skier with more patience than I have! If you can get them out like you are saying they will do fine. At that age no fear and hardly any distance to fall!

[RootDKJ]

People are not giving advice based on experience

I learned how to ski at Shawnee. I recommend them anytime anyone asks me where to go to learn.

Oh and for sure, go with a half day lesson morning lesson. This means getting up and out early. After the lesson your kid can show off the cool stuff he can do now and then you can still give 'em pointers if you want.

[poconoceancity]

I taught my girls at 3. If you're going to teach yours get a harness to help them on and off the lift and tip locks, that will keep them in a wedge. At 6 they pick it up much faster.

[trackbiker]

6 is not too young for a lesson to be of value. The instructors are trained on how to teach beginners and they will advance a lot faster with even the first lesson from an instructor. DO NOT ski with the kids between your legs. An adult's weight falling on top a kid even at a slow speed can cause serious harm. Yeah, I know, we used to ski and bike without helmets and ride in cars without seat belts and we survived. Your kids may not.

Stay away from Blue and Camelback on weekends. You don't need your kids getting run over from some yahoo. Alpine is a great little uncrowded place for beginners. i recommend it all the time for beginners. It's uncrowded, the prices are better than most places, and they will be able to ski the whole mountain in no time. Get there at opening and they will likely have a private lesson in a group lesson. Call ahead to make sure someone is available at opening.

[Justo8484]

My parents got me on skis at 3 at camelback. Skied there for a season and I've been a blue mtn local every year since. My parents would take my brother and I out of school and do mid week lessons in the skiwee (now explorers) program a few times a year and then teach us on their own aside from that. My dad being a former racer, (and school teacher) knew proper technique and how to teach kids. During college I worked in explorers for a season and definitely have a good appreciation of what it takes to teach a kid to ski.

 

As someone mentioned, morning half day at least, and then ski with them in the afternoon. Unless you're a very experienced skier with a good amount of formal training, don't try and teach them yourself. No offense, but you've probably got some bad habits that could lay the groundwork for those same bad habits in your kids. Put then in a program with their peers designed to teach them the basics in a fun way. It's amazing how easy it is to get a kid to sidestep his or her way back up hill just by playing simple rhyming games with them, and they have fun with it, learn how to balance with skis on their feet, and will talk your ear off about it for the rest of the day.

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Thanks all for the tips. Found a Shawnee coupon for families of 2 or more that is good for 50% off a beginner package with group lesson Sundays starting at 3. Might be a reasonable way to try it out a first time. Makes it $90 for two kids, which is the same price as Spring's Sunday package that starts at 4 - and it seems Shawnee is one that comes well recommended. Think the crowds will be too bad there on a Sunday late afternoon?

[mbike-ski]

Blue has a good pioneers program - 4 weeks with the same instructor which is nice. Weekday afternoons and weekends. While weekdays is less crowded you don't have worry so much about the crowds on the learning hills on the weekends. I started my kids (3 of them ) around 4 or 5 - old enough to understand instruction and most importantly carry their own crap, although I did feel like a pack mule on many trips!

[guitar73]

but if you expect the kids to get anything out of lessons (and lot's of your $$$) you need to get them on the hill twice a week for the whole season. I see too many people spend big bucks on lessons for kids, do it once or twice a year, and never go out besides that. Then they wonder why the didn't learn anything.

 

^^ this is probably the best advise given so far. I don't think it really matters where you get your kids their lessons. the best thing for them in the learning process is time on the snow. i'm in my mid 30's and I def see the benefits in my own skill set by skiing multiple times a week for an entire season. get them (and yourself) on the hill as much as you can!

[Mixilplix]

Lessons are good to start...but getting them out as much as possible is key....

[indiggio]

Might want to check on what learning method the mountain is using.

 

There's a new "Terrain based learning" method that some of the mountains (Blue, Camelback) are implementing which does away with the old-school, this is how you do it methods and more of a learn by doing method.

 

They use special snow features to aid in the learning.

[Barb]

After your kid gets the basics down this season, consider joining a junior race program next season. My son just snowplowed down everything, then he joined Jf race team and within a few short weeks he was carving and looking great. He still talks about the medals he won during the Sunday fun races, it was a real confidence booster. The instructors are great, they genuinely care about the kids.

[vinnyv11]

I took my cousin (7 at the time) for her first lesson at Jack Frost then on the snow with me afterwards. The beginner slopes are simple enough there and the pricing was decent. The following year she did a lesson at camelback and did well. The year after we took a trip up to new york put her in an all day program at Hunter and she was skiing blues with my at jack frost by the trip home. All about time on the snow in my opinion but the all day programs up north were very nice. I though jack frost program was decent and terrain was fitting to a beginner.

[Ski2Live Live2Ski]

Found another nice deal. This weekend Plattekill is offering free lessons, and lift tickets are always free for 7 and under. Anyone have any experience with their school?

[vinnyv11]

Plattekill is a great mountain with a lot of small feel to it. I don't know about there lessons but they don't offer much in the way of beginner terrain so be mindful of that.