Planning a family ski trip? We take them weekly and through two years of skiing with a toddler I've learned 3 key lessons.
My Top 3 Toddler Ski Tips:
1. Meet Toddler Friends. Go skiing with friends with families for the kids to play together while they aren't skiing. Introduce yourself to people at the ski hill. Ski hills are often mini communities, whether you are local or a tourist you will meet friendly families with kids to play with. Kids like being part of a group, they also are really cute skiing together. It helps keep toddlers busy and makes the day more enjoyable for everyone.
2. Celebrate everything. Getting all the ski gear on (yahoo high five)! Walking in ski boots (looking good cowboy...because they kind of look like cowboys strutting). Getting on the magic carpet (isn't this magical, insert Aladdin music). Falling, falling and more falling (falling is learning, wow that was the best fall yet, your doing amazing, want to try again). Toddler is tired and melting down (you did amazing, time for hot chocolate). Nothing is to small to celebrate while skiing, it makes everything exciting.
3. Candy! Do not under estimate the power of gummy bears and smarties during a day of skiing! Don't show the kids before hand, keep them secretly hidden until required. We use special treats our toddler never gets except while skiing. You don't need many candies often 5 - 10 is plenty. We use them to congratulate our daughter after she is done skiing for the day. We use them to avoid meltdowns in the middle of a chair lift run - being stuck hundreds of meters above a ski resort on the side of a cold mountain isn't fun for anyone - candy will help, use it! We use it as a surprise sugar boost in a gondola ride. There are many reasons candy and skiing go hand in hand, I even enjoy the occasional jelly bean.