A first trip to the snow can be a little strange and sometimes overwhelming for children- especially young ones or those who are reluctant to try “new” things. Think about it; it is cold, you are wearing big bulky layers of weird clothes, you are wearing mittens, possibly a helmet, and then your parents leave you with some enthusiastic strangers who are obsessed with “pizza’s” (snow plough) and “french fries” (parrallels). Now there are some children who take to new experiences with great gusto and are easy going with everything, for others, a little preparation before your first trip to the snow, might make the difference between them hating the experience or establishing a lifelong love of the snow!!.
My children fall somewhere between the two above- my son, is cautious and needs to consider and process new activity, my daughter is gung-ho and throws herself into every new activity with great enthusiasm,
When we were getting our then three year old ready for his first ski experience we spent a little time preparing him for what the snow would be like-just a few activities to get him interested but not overwhelm him.
Here is what we did;
Read books about going to the snow- one of our favourites, Curious George in the Snow (apparently Curious George invented snowboarding, who knew??)
Watch youtube videos of kids skiing- this was a favorite, watching kids rip and shred the mountain- google “kids skiing”. There are loads of great videos and kids with impressive ski skills out there!
Make a snowman collage out of cotton balls- fun
Colour in a picture of a snowman/ snowy house. skiier/ boarder- again google “snowman colouring in”, there are lots of sites with fun images
image from http://www.thecolouringspt.com
Have a hot chocolate with marshmallows- “This is what we will have to drink at the snow!”
Get dressed up in all your snow gear- even Mama, try on helmets, mittens, stomp around the house in your snow boots- just to see try out how it feels in new kit.
Everything we did was simple, over a few weeks, and most of all we tried to make it fun and something to look forward too. When we did arrive at the snow for the first time, The Powder Hound was ready for action and even though the Snow Bunny was only threer months old, she has been a fan of the snow since her first trip. During the “off season” she is often asking us when we can go to the snow so she can “Ski fast, mama!!”
Please let me know if you have any questions, or would like to share how you get your kids ready for the snow!
