Snowboard lessons and ski school for kids are a great way to help your snow sport enthusiasts get ready for the upcoming season. Whether you have tots or pre-teens, beginners or advanced riders, indoor lessons can help your kids develop solid skills and build confidence. That translates into a fun, safe experience for them and a great family time on your next trip to the mountains.
Here’s why indoor snowboard lessons and ski school for kids makes sense.
1. Save money.
A 10-week session can cost a fraction of ski or snowboard lessons at an area resort. Tack on no drive to the mountains and no expensive lift tickets and you have a win-win for your finances. You don’t even have to buy special equipment or clothing.
The best ski schools for kids, like Shredder Ski + Snowboard in the Denver and Boulder areas, offer lesson packages for young shredders, starting at 9 months up to age 10. The flexible format gives you the options you need to fit a 5- or 10-week series of lessons into a busy schedule.
Snowboarding lessons for kids can build confidence and endurance, learn mountain safety and get ready to ski independently on the mountain – all without breaking the bank!
2. Stay close to home.
You don’t need snow to learn how to start, stop, turn and travel down a slope. The best kids’ ski schools are indoors and offer year-round lessons for kids of all ages.
Nearby facilities give you the option to skip the early wake-up routine. And you can forget the cold weather clothes for indoor lessons. Just plan to arrive at Shredder a few minutes before start time to drop off your students and they are ready to go.
3. Skip the hassles.
There’s a lot more to skiing and snowboarding than just heading down a hill. Parents of younger children know you spend 90% of your time on a typical ski day doing everything but skiing with your family. That’s because much of your day is taken up with all the prep work to leave home, drive to your destination, collect your gear, get in the chairlift line and finally reach the top of the slope.
After only a few lessons, you can take your family on a ski vacation in the mountains knowing your kids can ski down the greens with no issues at all. In fact, they may ski or ride better than you!
4. Go with a pro.
The right instructor for your child can make all the difference in your next family experience on the mountain. Trained instructors know how to meet students where they are on the learning curve and help them progress from one challenge to the next.
Look for programs based on PSIA-AASI principles. That’s the gold standard in professional ski and snowboard instruction. These pros know what it takes to help kids build their confidence and skills before they head to the slopes.
Instructors at Shredder Ski + Snowboard follow an instruction model tailored to the way children think, behave and move. Whether your child is 2 or 12, the Shredder pros want to turn your kids into snow sport enthusiasts and get them ready for fun family experiences on the mountain.
5. What about the gear?
The right gear makes a big difference when it comes to any snow sport experience. That’s why the best ski schools or snowboarding classes for beginners include the right boots, boards and bindings in session packages for your child.
Starting Week 1 at Shredder, students learn what it takes to boot up and get comfy in their gear. They get a full introduction to all the ski or board parts, from tips to tails and even where the feet go.
If you already have equipment for your child, bring it along. Same goes for protective gear like elbow or knee pads, guards and even light gloves. An occasional tumble is always a part of learning a new sport like skiing or snowboarding.
6. Find the right size class.
Small group sizes matter at indoor ski schools like Shredder. A cap on the ratio of students to instructors means your child can get the right balance of one-on-one instruction and independent practice.
Flexible make-up policies also make a difference in your child’s experience at ski school. Look for programs that give you the option to reschedule a session to another class time, if space is open.
At Shredder schools, kids also can sign up for assisted open gym time to make up a missed class. Your snowboarder or skier can drop in for some quality time on the slopes and even get tips from the Shredder team. Just remember – parents are responsible to supervise their children while they are in the gym.
7. Get ready for family fun!
Snowboard lessons or attending a ski school can be a game-changer for your family. That’s because most kids think it’s much easier to ski or ride on the mountain after they’ve learned or practiced on artificial snow indoors. Your kids can learn the basics of listening, turning, stopping and managing the lifts before you actually arrive at a mountain. They also have the know-how to navigate chairlift lines and understand mountain safety.
All Shredder Ski schools use a special turf called Xtreme on the indoor slopes. The material easily catches the edges of the skis or snowboards to help kids learn how to “slip” or move down the slope, just like on a fresh coat of powder.
Before you know it, they will be ready to fearlessly shred the slopes and have a great experience on the mountain with you.
Get Ready for Snow Season Now
Plenty of powder is in the forecast soon. That’s why this is the right time to get your kids on board for ski season. Check out the flexible 5- and 10-week fall sessions available in the Boulder and Denver areas at Shredder Ski + Snowboard.
Learn more about our Ski classes here
Do you want your youngster to have a passion for the mountains and a love of snow sports? Snowboarding lessons are a great way to introduce kids to the joy of a smooth ride down a gently groomed run.
Before you sign up your child for lessons on a nearby slope, do a quick search for “indoor snowboarding near me.” It’s an easy way to discover options for indoor snowboarding in Denver or near Boulder, CO.
At Shredder Ski + Snowboard, we get asked questions about indoor snowboarding in Colorado all the time. Parents want to know more than just about indoor snowboarding lessons. They want the full scoop on how to get their kids ready for a great family experience on the mountain.
Here are 5 questions we get asked about our indoor snowboarding program.
1. How Do I Know When My Child is Ready to Snowboard?
Snowboard lessons can give kids a big boost of fun and confidence when they are in the right learning environment. Most mountain resorts in Colorado set limits at age 3 and are potty-trained for beginner ski classes or snowboard lessons.
Look for group programs that limit the number of kids in each class. That gives your child the one-on-one instruction that can be a game-changer when it comes to snow sport fun.
If you prefer indoor snowboarding lessons, check out programs at Shredder Ski + Snowboard lessons.
- Kids as young as 9 months can have tons of fun learning ski and snowboard fundamentals in Yeti School.
- Little Shredders introduce the basics of skiing and snowboarding to children of all ability levels who are 2.5 to 5 years old.
- Every child up to age 10 can learn and develop skills at their own pace in Shredder ski and snowboard school.
Just as important as your kids’ ages is their ability to learn and control all their body parts needed to motor around a slope. That’s why it’s crucial to look for instructors who understand that children develop at their own rate and move their bodies in different ways.
Instructors at Shredder Ski + Snowboard follow a teaching model tailored to the way children think, behave and move. Whether your child is three or 13, the Shredder pros want to turn your kids into snow sports enthusiasts and ready for a fun family experience on the mountain.
2. Is My Child Old Enough for Indoor Snowboarding Lessons?
Many households are divided on whether or not youngsters should jump right onto a snowboard. Keep this general rule of thumb in mind: It’s easier to learn the basics of skiing than snowboarding.
At Shredder indoor snowboarding schools, instructors are always ready to explain the fundamentals of each sport and help parents gauge their child’s abilities. If the choice between skis or boards is still a toss-up, the Shredder team usually encourages parents to let their kids try skiing first. That’s because kids typically see some success earlier. It also helps them avoid the frustration that can come with the first few times on a board.
Keep in mind that kids typically begin to grasp the fine motor movements needed to control board speed around age 5. In contrast, skiers use larger muscle movements that develop at an earlier age to form the classic pizza shape and stop on a slope.
3. Is That Real Snow on Your Indoor Snowboarding Slope?
No, Snowboarding indoor slopes use artificial turf, and it gives youngsters just the right surface to learn how to slip and grip down the slope.
All Shredder indoor snowboarding facilities use Xtreme artificial turf. It’s an easy surface for beginners to grasp the basics of moving downhill, turning, and stopping.
Outdoor and indoor snowboarding and skiing facilities around the world use artificial surfaces for their training grounds. The material gives skiers and boarders year-round access to practice their moves before they head off to the real stuff.
4. How Does Indoor Snowboarding on Artificial Snow Compare to Riding On Real Snow?
It’s great! In fact, most skiers and boarders find it easier to ski or ride on the mountain after they learn or practice on an artificial surface.
The material used indoors at facilities like Shredder Ski + Snowboard easily catches the edges of the skis and boards. That makes it an ideal way to practice the proper technique.
Another bonus of artificial surface – the slope is open year-round! That means your kids can dial in their skills and technique before you hit the slopes for a great family experience.
5. Do Indoor Snowboard Levels Correspond with Levels at Ski Resorts?
Yes. The indoor curriculum at Shredder Ski + Snowboard is based on principles set by the Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors. That’s the gold standard in professional ski and snowboard instruction.
Many snow sport schools in Colorado follow a similar model to teach youngsters the basic skills they need on the mountain. Lessons at Shredder indoor snowboarding near Boulder and in Denver take your kiddos through a series of skill progressions that are comparable to lessons on real mountain slopes.
Instructors at Shredder Ski + Snowboard understand how children think, behave and move. That means the Shredder pros know what it takes to make snow sports fun for the whole family.
Ready to sign up your kids for ski or indoor snowboarding lessons?
Year-round indoor snowboarding in Denver and Boulder means your kids can learn the basics of listening, turning, stopping, and managing the lifts before your next family outing to the mountains. It’s a great way to help your mountain enthusiasts get ready for the best-ever on-snow experience.
Looking for a way to get your kids ready for the slopes? You can find all kinds of recommendations on social media for ski schools at nearly every Colorado resort. But have you ever done a search for “indoor skiing near me”?
Indoor ski and snowboard schools teach kids how to shred and carve in a safe, fun, temperature-controlled environment. That means skip the bumper-to-bumper trip up the mountain, ditch the layers of clothes and forget about the weather. Slopes are open and instructors are ready to show your kids how to rip the slopes.
You don’t need to have experience or gear for indoor ski lessons. Trained instructors are ready to teach your youngsters the fundamentals or progress to advanced-level skills of ski or board sports.
Indoor Skiing in Colorado Offers Safe, Fun Spaces to Learn Snow Sports
If you live in the Denver or Boulder area, a quick search for “indoor skiing near me” brings up pages of hits in just a few seconds. A quick scan through the top of the list, and you’ll probably see Shredder Ski + Snowboard. Check it out!
Shredder caters to the younger crew. Tots as young as nine months old can get their first experience on skis or a board as soon as they are walkers. Little Shredder programs get toddlers 3 to 5 years old ready to shred. Big kids up to 10 years old can shred it up in learning sessions, camps, even open gym time.
Indoor skiing in Denver and near Boulder gets your kids ready for the real stuff
Six Shredder locations make it easy to find a convenient place for indoor skiing near you. Facilities are located along the Front Range from Boulder, Lafayette to Central Park, Wheat Ridge and Littleton.
- Your kids can learn quickly on the indoor skiing slopes at Shredder. Inclines and length vary, depending on the Shredder location you choose. All facilities have a medium slope that’s 6 feet high and 24 feet long. It’s a great angle for kids of all ages to learn proper movement patterns.
- Indoor skiing for every age. For your Yeti’s, under age 3, the small, beginner slope at Shredder in Littleton or Lafayette is just the right size for first-timers to learn new skills. The big hill at all Shredder indoor skiing locations, except for the Boulder location, delivers a healthy challenge for kids with more advanced moves. At 12 feet high, the slope has over 50 feet of shredding surface to practice linking multiple turns.
- The indoor ski slopes at Shredder are made of an artificial turf called Xtreme. A light spray of water works with the waxy surface to give skiers and boarders the right coating to learn how to “slip” or move down the slope. The surface also makes turning and stopping easy to learn.
At Shredder, indoor skiing in Denver and Boulder means more than pizza stops and fries glides down a slope. Balance and agility areas at all Shredder locations give kids a chance to tumble, hop and jump their way through creative obstacles. Not only do they have fun, they develop their own sense of balance – an important skill when it comes to skiing or snowboarding!
Games and activities like ski limbo and ski bean bag toss give older shredders a chance to learn skills, use their creativity and have fun.
Indoor skiing is almost like on a fresh coat of powder
You may wonder how all that indoor skiing fun translates to a real mountain experience. Matt Mazza, gym director at Shredder Ski Littleton, knows first-hand. He has taught skiing and snowboarding at Keystone Ski and Ride School as well as at Shredder.
Today, Matt has fully bought into the idea of teaching beginners in an indoor setting before heading to snow.
“I was blown away at how well the skills students developed at Shredder transferred to the snow.”
Search for indoor skiing near me or go to your favorite social media channel, and you’ll find similar comments. Shredder parents recognize that it’s easier for their kids to ski or ride on the mountain after they learn or practice on artificial snow.
Indoor Skiing testimonials
Michele in Broomfield said, “My kids were immediately able to go up on top of the mountain and ski down the greens with no issues at all. I didn’t know how indoor skiing would translate to outdoor, on the snow, but was super impressed!”
Megan from Indiana posted, “We were able to get our 19-month-old in for 2 classes. She showed so much progress on her 2nd day. It was great for parents because now we know what to work on before she gets on the bunny hill at Copper!”
For Joanna, the benefits of indoor skiing lessons for her 5-year-old went beyond building confidence and endurance on the mountain. Her daughter also learned about mountain safety.