Children’s Lessons FAQs
1 – What is the youngest age for lessons?
Private lessons for both skiing and snowboarding start at age 3. At age 4 your child can join a group ski lesson. We have snowboarding groups available from age 10.
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2 – Will the lesson be in English?
Yes. All of our instructors speak good English, and all of our group lessons are delivered solely in English. If you have any other language requirements we can offer private lessons.
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3 – How many children are in each group?
Our Whippersnappers groups can have between 2 – 6 children.
Our Wallabies to Pro Ride groups can have between 2 – 8 children.
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4 – What does my child need to bring?
All children taking group lessons with New Gen must be suitably dressed.
- Helmets are compulsory for all children.
- Layers are advised so they can add or remove them if need be as children can get cold quickly.
- The glare from the snow can be strong, even on cloudy days so make sure they are wearing sunglasses or goggles at all times and are wearing high SPF suncream on any exposed skin.
- We also suggest you give them a snack and some money for a hot chocolate for lessons longer than 2hrs, as they will usually stop for a break.
- Check they have their lift pass in a left-hand pocket before you leave.
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5 – Will my child need poles?
This is a tricky one as no two groups are the same and they progress at different rates. Poles normally come free with ski rental so we would advise that you take them even if they don’t use them. Whippersnappers will not need poles, but for all other groups your child’s instructor will be able to tell you if and when they might use them. It is usual that beginners may not use poles in their initial lessons.
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6 – Will they stop for a break?
For children’s ski lessons longer than 2hrs long, we will usually stop for a break halfway through. We suggest you give your child some money to get a hot chocolate and pop a snack in their pocket in case they get hungry.
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7 – What happens if my child gets tired, cold or feels unwell during the lesson?
Our instructors are very used to teaching children’s ski lessons and realise that they can get tired or cold easily. They will take that into account when planning their lessons and in all lessons longer than 2 hours we incorporate a break for just this reason. If however the child or instructor feels that they are unable to continue with the lesson we will contact you and ask you to collect them. This is why we require a mobile contact for all parents whose children are taking lessons with us. So please make sure you carry your phone during the day.
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8 – What if my child finds he/she is in the wrong level group?
We do our best during the booking process to ensure this doesn’t happen but if the instructor feels that your child is in the wrong group we will do our best to move them into a more suitable group for their size and ability. Every group is different and it is part of our instructor’s jobs to match the groups the best they can on ability. Do not worry if your child ends up in a different group to the one they started.
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9 – Will my child receive an award at the end of the week?
All children receive a ski passport and medal at the end of the week. Your child will be awarded a level based on the instructor’s assessment during the week.
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10 – Will my child automatically move up a group from last year?
Not necessarily. Kids naturally learn and progress at different speeds. How ‘physically literate’ kids are also can vary greatly. Adding to this that growth spurts and development may further complicate the process, it is not always the case that kids will move through their badges in a linear fashion. It is quite normal therefore for children to stay in the same group for more than one year, especially with Bombers and Rockets. Our primary aim is to impart a love and enthusiasm for skiing in a safe way. Our instructors are experts and professionals, and realise that patience and correct practice are key to progress.
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11 – What sort of things will my child do over the week?
The cornerstones of our lessons are ‘Safety, Fun and Improvement’ and so we always look to achieve all three. It is a given that the safety of the kids is of the utmost importance and we look to take all reasonable precautions to ensure that children learn in a safe way appropriate to their abilities. It is important to us that we foster a love for the sport and so we also feel it is important that the week is enjoyable for the child. Challenging activities, activities that demand concentration and coordination and tasks that are fun like learning to jump are peppered throughout the week in order to develop enthusiasm and confidence and enjoyment in each individual. Each group also has specific aims that correspond to particular badge levels.
Our Kid’s programme
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12 – Can my children go in the same group?
If they are the same ability and meet the group level requirements then, of course, they can go in the same group. If they are different ages and levels however then we would advise against it. They would both need to go in the group of the lower level child which would hamper the progression and enjoyment of the more proficient child. Our groups are all friendly and we’re used to managing this kind of situation. Our instructor is there to help your child settle in and ensure they feel comfortable within the group. So after the first morning, this concern normally vanishes and by the end of the week, they’ll have made lots of new friends.
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13 – What safety procedures do you have in place?
Your child’s safety is our primary concern and we have strict procedures in place to ensure they stay safe and enjoy their time on the snow with us.
- All children are given a bib to wear to make them easily identifiable. Each bib has a number that is recorded next to their name.
- We also employ a stringent signing in and out procedure. When your child is dropped off on the first day we ask for details of anyone who might be collecting them during the week, so we can ensure they only leave once collected by a nominated adult.
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14 – Do you offer full day children’s group lessons?
We don’t offer any full day children’s group lessons. We have found that our clients really like the 4.5hrs format, which gives them plenty of time to ski on their own as well as a few hours in the afternoon to ski with their children.
If you’d like your child to be in lessons all day you have the option of adding on an afternoon session or private lesson.
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