Snow Sports For Kids

Prevent boredom by giving your kids more activities to choose from. Introduce them to snow sports!

Health specialists recommend that kids should have an hour of exercise daily. But during the winter, kids tend to prefer to just stay inside the house where it?s warm and comfortable. But who says they can?t be active and have fun outdoors during the cold weather? Studies show that kids who spend more time outdoors are least likely to feel stressed. Add some excitement to their winter!

Snow sports, also called winter sports, are the sports played on snow or ice. They are of course traditionally played during the winter in snowy areas. But snow sports can still be enjoyed all year round ? even in the places where it doesn?t snow ? with artificial snow and ice. There are individual snow sports and team snow sports. Winter sports also have their own multisport events like the Winter Olympic Games.

Below is a list of snow sports that your kids might enjoy:

• Skiing
  One way for your kids to enjoy the slopes is to take them to fun kids activities like skiing. Snow sports beginners are advised to learn skiing first before advancing to other snow sports. This will allow your kids to develop balance. At around age 4, your kids can already start learning how to ski. Enrol them to a ski school where instructors specialize in teaching kids. Ski schools also group the students by age and skills so that they can be taught according to their needs. This will also allow them to make friends easily.
• Ice Hockey
  One of the most fun winter activities for kids is Ice hockey. It is played on a 200 feet x 85 feet ice rink where two teams play against each other in scoring goals. Each team has forwards, defence players, and a goaltender that prevents the puck from hitting the net. The rules of this game are almost similar to football.
• Ice Skating
  If your kids are interested in ice hockey, they must first learn to skate on ice. Kids can start learning this sport at around age 3. Ice skating can be enjoyed during any time of the year in indoor ice skating rinks. Some kids have to wait for winter so they can ice skate on local frozen pond and lakes as they are more accessible. Just remember to look for signs that indicate that the ice is thick and solid enough for skating. It is advisable to skate around the edge of the pond where the water is shallow and the ice is thicker.
• Snowboarding
  Most snowboarding programs accept kids 6 years and older. Before trying the sport out, they can define their best snowboarding stance first by trying to slide across a floor made of wood while wearing socks. The foot that goes naturally forward identifies their best stance. It is important for kids to learn skiing first before snowboarding as the former will teach them how to balance.
• Sledding
  For kids who are not as sporty, sledding is ideal. It also doesn?t require expensive equipment and lessons. It only requires a simple sled which can be improvised out of recyclable plastic or wood cafeteria trays, trashcan lids, and sheets of cardboard.