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Get Your Kids
Ready for the ski trip.
New to skiing or already training with us, here’s the plan: what to practice, what to rent, where to stay, and straight answers to what parents ask before the first run.
We build the skills. You capture the memories.
Four things we do for the trip.
Pre-trip private lesson
One coach, your goals. Tell them where you’re headed. Any age, adults too.
Private Lessons →Rent the gear they trained on
Youth skis, boards and boots, fitted before you leave.
Rental Packages →Get the gear right
What to rent near the mountain, what to buy, and the one thing to bring.
Gear Guide →Give the gift of the mountain
Can’t book the trip yet? Give the practice. Works at the gym you choose.
Gift Certificates →Winter Park, Colorado
Shred Haus
Designed by a Shredder owner
A family ski home in Winter Park. Kids and parents on separate floors, a hot tub, and a walk to downtown.
Books through Winter Park Escapes, listed as Telemark Lake Front Villa 668.
The first two days are usually a write-off.
Everything’s new.
Stiff boots, strange skis, cold hands. Half the day is gone before anyone finds their feet.
Wrecked and sore.
Muscles that have never skied wake up, and they’re not happy about it.
It finally clicks.
Best day of the trip. The kids are grinning… and then you drive home.
Three days on the mountain. You paid for two of them just to warm up.
Do the warm-up at home.
Boots, balance, stopping, getting back up after a fall. A coach works on all of it indoors in the weeks before you go, so the mountain feels less new and more of the trip goes to skiing.
Weeks to go? Choose a session. Trip coming up soon, or a kid over 10? Choose private lessons, and tell the coach where you’re headed.
Choose your location for exact pricing.
Trip soon? Book a pre-trip private lesson ↑“Our 4 year old took weekly sessions for 10 weeks prior to our annual ski trip. Once we got there he was more comfortable in all the gear, boots and clipping and unclipping from skis. He picked up skiing down the mountain great!”
Kayla A.Mom · Richardson, TX · Annual ski trip
Don’t waste money
on the wrong stuff.
What your child needs, what they don’t, and what to rent instead of buy.
Your Shredder gym doesn’t rent gear. Reserve kids’ skis, boots or a board at a shop near the resort a week ahead, and pick them up the afternoon before. Ask the shop whether a helmet comes with the package, and add one if it doesn’t.
Helmet. Buy this one. No rental package includes a helmet.
Boots. Rent them, fitted before the trip.
Gloves. Waterproof. Pack two pairs per kid.
Ski socks. One wool or synthetic pair. Two cause blisters.
Goggles. Buy a decent pair with UV protection. Cheap ones fog.
Layers. No cotton. Bibs for young kids.
Everything, on one page.
Book
- Dates and a mountain with a beginner area
- Ski school for their age
- Lift tickets
- Lodging near the base
Gear
- Skis, boots or board reserved
- Helmet bought or reserved
- Fit checked before you leave
- Pickup and return times
Wear
- Base layer and fleece
- Waterproof jacket and pants (bibs for little ones)
- One pair of ski socks
- Waterproof gloves, plus a spare pair
- Goggles and a neck gaiter
Bag
- Sunscreen and lip balm
- Pocket snacks
- Water, and drink extra at altitude
- A full change of clothes
The day
- Name label on your child
- Meeting plan and a charged phone
- Ski school pickup time noted
- Bathroom before boots
- Stop time decided
Resorts differ on ages, times and rules. Check yours for those before you go.
Straight answers, before the first run.
We don’t ski. Where do we start? +
Your child can start without you knowing anything. Coaches teach, and skis or a snowboard, boots and a helmet are included. Start a session near home, then plan the mountain.
We’re not a ski family: where to start →How do I hand my child over to resort ski school? +
Many resort ski schools start at age 3 and ask that children are potty-trained, so check yours before you book. Label their gear, tell the instructor what your child can already do, keep the goodbye short, and know the pickup time and place. Tears at drop-off are common, and they usually don’t mean the day has failed.
Why ski school starts at 3 →What does a first ski day look like with kids? +
The night before, collect the rentals and lay out clothes. In the morning, breakfast, then the bathroom before boots go on. Arrive and check in early. Spend the first hour on the beginner area, take a warm-up break with a snack mid-morning, and eat lunch early. After lunch, a few easy runs, then stop while they still want more. A half day is a good first day.
- Night beforeRentals collected, clothes laid out
- MorningBreakfast, bathroom before boots
- ArrivalPark and check in early
- First hourThe beginner area
- Mid-morningWarm-up break and a snack
- LunchEarly, before the lodge fills
- After lunchA few easy runs, stop while they want more
What if my child has a rough day, or skis worse than indoors? +
Cold, new boots and longer slopes all compete for a child’s attention, so a harder first day outside is normal. Go back to easier terrain, stop coaching them, and finish on a good run. Then tell your coach at pickup what you saw, so the next weeks work on it.
Didn’t see your question? We’ve answered 20+ more questions Shredder parents ask →
Two mountains to start on.
- Winter Park / Mary Jane. About 90 minutes from Denver. Approachable beginner terrain and a real family feel. It’s where Shred Haus is. Visit →
- Copper Mountain. About 90 minutes from Denver, on I-70. Terrain separated by ability, so beginners aren’t sharing runs with fast skiers. Visit →
Check each resort for current ski school ages and times.
Stay at Shred Haus in Winter Park ↑
Train Here.
shred everywhere.
The trip is the fun part. The next session makes the trip after that even better.