Choosing ski lessons for your children can be a daunting task. There are many things to consider, from age and ability level to interests and budget. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. With our handy tips, you’ll be sure to find the perfect Children’s ski lessons for your family.
Choosing Ski Lessons for Children
Our Top 5 Things to consider when choosing ski lessons for your children
- Their Ability & Confidence Combined
- Their Age
- Their Interests
- Your Budget
- The Ski Schools Scheduling
Their Ability & Confidence
Using Ability levels in isolation is easy; almost every ski school will have a level breakdown that outlines skills and requirements, but it is only half the picture. Confidence plays a massive part.
As Ski Instructors, we regularly come across talented skiers who lack confidence or are held back by fear and anxiety. Similarly, we often see less experienced skiers with no inhibitions and a willingness to attempt anything.
In many cases, these students have the most fun and make the most progress when we adjust which group they are in accordingly. A technically talented, nervous skier can make fantastic progress in a slightly lower group. They can build their confidence slowly, often drawing extra encouragement from being one of the strongest in the group. The rest of that group also look up to that student and had a brilliant role model. The same is true of the confident but less talented skier, albeit in reverse.
When choosing children’s ski lessons, especially if your child is on the border between two levels, we encourage you to think about their confidence levels on skis and in other sports and factor this into your decision.
When should children start skiing?
Their Age
When choosing Ski Lessons for your Children, ensure you choose a school that has tailored specific age brackets as well as ability bracket lessons. Just because your child is learning the same skills as an older pupil does not mean they will learn them the same way. Age-specific groups let highly qualified instructors present the content in a way that best suits their team of pupils and ensures everyone has more fun and learns faster.
A child’s age can affect their learning in several ways. Younger children can be more enthusiastic and motivated to learn than older children. They may also be more creative, making them more open to new ideas and concepts. They tend to have less developed hand-eye coordination and can lack the strength and dexterity needed to perform more complex motor tasks.
On the other hand, older children tend to be more critical and analytical in their approach to learning. They can understand complex concepts more easily and often have a strength and coordination advantage.
Their Interests
While less important in the early stages of learning, as children progress onto reds and blacks, they will probably find parts of the sport they love and other aspects they are not so keen on.
If they are interested in doing jumps and trying tricks, love racing or have been watching ski movies and are keen to start exploring off-piste, there are now ski lessons tailored to that.
If you are nervous about injuries or risks associated with some of these more specialist areas of skiing, all we would say is that if your child is interested, they are likely to try it anyway. With specialist coaching and under the watchful eye of an instructor, they will develop the correct skills with a strong focus on your children’s safety.
What about private lessons?
Some children are naturally outgoing and thrive in group settings, while others prefer one-on-one instruction or smaller class sizes. There is no right or wrong answer here; it ultimately depends on what your child is most comfortable with.
One-on-one lessons can be great for older kids who want to learn more technical skills that require a lot of feedback, but for youngsters or first-timers, we’d recommend a group setting where they can have fun with other kids their age.
Your Budget
Private lessons can be brilliant, with lots of individual attention and a clear focus. But they are more expensive. A week’s worth of Private Ski Lessons with us at New Generation would start at €1,800. The same amount of time in a group lesson will cost €500.
Privates may seem like the “Premium” option, but as outlined above, they may not be the best option for many children.
Don’t just look at the overall cost though. We always suggest looking at the cost per hour. Some ski schools will offer a week-long group lesson for €300. Others like ourselves charge noticeably more. Dig a little deeper, and you will quickly see that the lesson duration can be dramatically different. Option A may only offer 12.5 Hours, while Option B offers 22.5 hours, making it cheaper per hour.
Which option is better for you will depend on your holiday plans; read on to find out how.
The Ski Schools Scheduling
We hear you; what has a ski school’s scheduling got to do with your holiday? Well, probably more than you realise.
The time that your children are in Ski lessons is probably all the time that you will have to ski for yourselves, explore, switch off and unwind. The shorter each day’s lessons are, the less time you will have. Let us paint you two pictures.
Picture 1
It’s 8:30 am; you are hurriedly putting on numerous pairs of child’s boots, searching for skis and trying to work out who’s poles are who’s. Everyone is dressed, ready to go and subsequently probably overheating a little. Temperatures may not be the only thing that is rising.
You get everyone out of the door, on buses, lifts or down the first run to the ski school meeting point and handed to their instructors for 9:00. Now you can breathe and relax. You take a few minutes to compose yourself and then join the lift queue. You manage to start skiing by 9:30. Before you know it, it is 11:00 and time to head back and pick up the kids at 11:30. Before joining long lines for lunch spots, giving you 90 minutes a day of downtime on your holiday.
What to expect from kids group ski lessons
Picture 2
It’s 8:30 am …(this part is the same as above, sorry)…. You manage to start skiing by 9:30
With 4 Hours to play with, the options are endless. Travel up and over into a neighbouring resort, stopping for a well-earned coffee (or something stronger) on the way. Explore some of the resort’s best runs hidden in a far-flung corner of the piste map. Hire a guide and explore off-piste or work on your skills. Or head straight to the spa.
This is your time, part of your holiday.
Then head back to the meeting point to pick your children up at 13:30 before effortlessly gliding into a restaurant after the lunchtime chaos.
How does this schedule impact my Children – Won’t they get hungry?
Like yourselves, the longer lessons give your children more opportunities to explore and experience the entire ski area. Not just those sections closest to the meeting point. We have found that kids often love the sense of adventure that comes with this and it helps ensure they never get bored.
With younger children in these longer sessions, our ski instructors, and we suspect ski instructors at other schools, will stop for a hot chocolate and snack break to recharge. This only takes 15 minutes, but its impact on energy levels can be huge. With older children, 12 years plus, many instructors play it by ear, but often they are having so much fun there is no need to stop.
Choosing longer lessons will leave you a few hours each day to ski as a family if you want.
We hope you found this guide useful. If you are still unsure which lessons are best for your children you can call our dedicated team of Ski School experts on 01462 674000. We would be more than happy to assist you in choosing the perfect ski lessons for your children!
