Teaching kids to ski – flat ground, snowplough and the first lift in three days

It's ten o'clock on a Tuesday on the children's slope. A dad skis down with his four-year-old between his skis, bent like a folded-up chair, with his hands under the child's armpits. At the bottom he lifts the child up, walks back up and does the same thing again. After half an hour his thighs are burning, and the child hasn't steered their skis a single time.

Twenty metres away, on the flat bit by the café, another four-year-old is walking round in circles with one ski on and giggling. It looks as if nothing is happening. But that's the child who rides the button lift on their own first.

This guide is about the first few days when you teach your child to ski downhill yourselves. It's built around three steps: flat ground, the snowplough and turns, and the first lift. How to plan the whole trip around your child's age is in ski holiday with kids, and accommodation and logistics for the first trip in the first ski trip with children. If it's you adults who are the beginners, read ski trip for beginners.

When can children start skiing?

Most children have enough strength and balance to stand on skis on a slope at the age of three to four. Younger children often lack the strength needed to hold back when the ground slopes. A two-year-old can happily wear short skis, but then it's play on flat ground for a few minutes at a time.

A child who has ridden a scooter or balance bike often already has the balance, and five-year-olds and older usually pick up the snowplough on the very first day. Even so, age matters less than enthusiasm. A child who finds snow cold and unpleasant won't learn anything on the slope – better to start with a day on the sledging hill and try the skis the day after.

Good to know: At Swedish ski resorts, you're not allowed to ski downhill with a child in a baby carrier or backpack carrier. The youngest have to wait below the slope while the adults take turns skiing.

Skis, boots and what you don't need

Ski length by the child's height

Short skis are easier to turn and easier to hold in a snowplough. For the first few days the ski should reach roughly between the chest and the chin, which means 20–30 centimetres shorter than the child's height. Better too short than too long.

The child's height	Ski length to start from
90–100 cm	about 70 cm
100–110 cm	about 80 cm
110–120 cm	about 90 cm
120–130 cm	about 100 cm
130–140 cm	about 110 cm

It doesn't matter if you end up a few centimetres over or under. If you hire on site, you can change length during the week. Skis bought "to grow into" make the first days unnecessarily hard.

Ski boots – where it usually goes wrong

The boot steers the ski. If it's too big, the foot moves around inside, the ski doesn't respond, and the child gets cold and gets blisters. Never buy or hire ski boots to grow into.

• Fit test: when the child stands up straight, the toes should touch the front. When the child bends their knees, the toes should pull back and the heel should stay in place.
• Only the sock in the boot. Thermals and trousers should go outside the boot. Which socks and layers work is in the packing list for a ski trip with kids.
• The bindings: give the child's real weight, height and age at the hire shop. The release setting is adjusted to them.

Helmet yes, poles no

A helmet from the very first run. Poles, on the other hand, can wait – the hands are needed for balance and for the games.

The tip clip

A small clip that holds the ski tips together makes the skis fall into a snowplough almost by themselves. It can help a child who doesn't understand how the snowplough should feel. But don't leave it on for too long. The child needs to learn to hold the snowplough with their legs, not with a bit of plastic.

Step 1 – flat ground

Here the child hardly goes downhill at all, but gets used to having long, slippery feet. Choose the flattest spot near the children's slope, ideally with a small hump that levels out by itself.

Boots first, then one ski

Let the child walk around for a while in just the boots – like robots, like elephants, up onto a snowbank – so that the stiff ankle feels familiar. Then put on one ski and let the child push themselves along with the other foot, like on a scooter. Switch feet. It teaches the child to stand on a ski that glides, and that's the foundation for everything that follows.

Games on flat ground

• The statue: the child glides and freezes when you say "statue". Good for balance.
• Mitten pick-up: put mittens or small toys out in the snow. The child glides along and bends their knees to pick them up – without sitting down.
• The aeroplane: arms out like wings and glide as far as you can.
• Bunny hops: small hops on the spot with both skis. The child learns to push off and land with bent knees.

Falling and getting up

Practise falling before it happens for real. Show how to lay the skis across the slope, below the body, get up onto the knees and then stand up. A child who can get up on their own feels much more confident.

The first glide downhill

By the end of the first step, the child can glide straight down the small hump. The most important thing is that the terrain does the braking, not you. The hump should level out or rise slightly at the end so that the child stops by themselves. Stand at the bottom and wait, and don't catch the child unless you need to.

Step 2 – snowplough and turns

Now you need a gentle slope with a long, flat run-out. It's the snowplough that should do the braking, but the flat run-out is there if the snowplough doesn't hold.

The snowplough – the pizza slice

In the snowplough, the ski tips are close together while the tails are pushed out. Many ski instructors call it the pizza slice, and when the skis are parallel it's called chips. The bigger the pizza slice, the more braking.

Show it standing still first. Let the child push out their heels so that the skis form a slice. Check that the tips don't cross – it's the most common mistake, and it almost always ends in a fall.

Snowplough games

• The traffic light: you call out "green" and the child skis with a narrow pizza slice, "amber" means a bigger one and "red" means stop. Swap roles so that the child gets to call out to you.
• The snake: the child follows your tracks exactly. Ski slowly in gentle curves.
• Slalom between mittens: put mittens out on the slope. The child skis around them and learns to turn without thinking about it.
• The tray: the child holds their hands out in front as if carrying a tray of ice cream. That shifts the weight forward, and leaning forward is what makes the skis steerable.

The first turns

Children turn with their eyes and their bodies, not with technique. Say "look at the tree" or "point at the flag". Where the eyes go, the skis follow. A bit later you can talk about pressing a little harder on one foot – press on the right foot to turn left.

Tip: Ski diagonally in front of your child, not behind. The child needs to see you and follow, and you can see how it's going.

The harness – help or hindrance?

A harness with a lead lets you hold back from behind. It can help an unsure child dare to try a slightly steeper stretch and stop them from racing off. But it comes at a price.

• The child doesn't learn to brake. You're the one braking, and the child gets used to that.
• The child leans back. When the lead pulls backwards, the weight ends up in the wrong place, and that's exactly the position that makes the skis run away.

Ski instructors who teach small children tend to give the same advice: use the harness as little as possible, let the lead hang slack and put it away as soon as the child can snowplough on their own. If you need it all the time, the slope is too steep. Always unclip the lead before the lift, so that it can't get caught.

An alternative is to hold a pole horizontally in front of you both and let the child hold on to it. Then the child can let go whenever they want, and you're not tied to each other.

Why not between your legs?

It feels safe and you see it on every children's slope. A couple of short glides to show what speed feels like does no harm, but as a method it holds back the learning.

• The child learns nothing. The balance and the brakes are yours. The child goes limp and just goes along for the ride, and when you let go they're just as unsure as before.
• The skis cross. When the child's ski ends up over yours, you both fall, and the child's leg can be twisted under your weight.
• You can't react. Bent over with your legs wide apart and a child in front of you, it's hard to swerve or stop quickly.

Better to let the slope do the work. If you can't find a gentle slope with a flat run-out, it's better to stay on flat ground for another day.

Step 3 – the first lift

Before the child rides a lift, they should be able to stop on your signal, turn both ways and get up on their own. If the child can't do that yet, stay at step 2 for another day. If you're going to walk up the small slope, walk at the side of the run – walking up the marked slope isn't allowed.

Magic carpet and button lift

Start with the magic carpet if there is one. The child stands still with skis parallel and glides off at the end. It's the easiest lift and gives the child the feeling of going up on their own.

The button lift – the one with a small disc on a pole – is the next step. The most important thing to tell your child:

• The disc goes behind the thighs and between the legs, and don't sit on it. Just lean lightly against it.
• Skis parallel in the track, knees slightly bent.
• If you fall – let go straight away and get out of the track, to the side.
• Only let go where the sign says so, and glide straight off to the side, out of the track.

Small, light children often struggle with ordinary button lifts. Many children's areas have their own slow children's lifts, and the lift attendant can often slow the lift down. Ask the lift attendant how small children ride that particular lift, as it varies between lifts and resorts.

The chairlift with children

There are fixed limits here. At Swedish ski resorts, anyone shorter than 125 centimetres may not ride a chairlift unless accompanied by someone taller than 140 centimetres. The resort may also have its own, higher limit for a child to ride alone – in Norway 140 centimetres is common, because the child can then reach to pull down the safety bar themselves. Most children reach 140 centimetres at roughly eight to eleven years old. The limit is posted at the lift's boarding point.

Chairlifts are built for adults. A small child gets the edge of the seat at hip or back height and can end up hanging with their elbows on the seat without being able to get up. The Norwegian Safety Investigation Authority (Havarikommisjonen) has investigated one such case. A six-year-old girl never got up onto the chair, her mother held on to her for about 400 metres and couldn't lower the bar, and in the end the girl fell about 14 metres. The lessons apply to all chairlifts:

• Tell the lift attendant that you have a small child. The lift can often be slowed down at boarding.
• Stand on the line, look back towards the chair and sit down at the same time. The child sits furthest in, bottom against the backrest.
• Pull down the bar straight away, and keep it down until the sign says to raise it.
• If the child can't get up – shout stop and let the child down straight away, while the chair is still close to the ground. Never try to hold on to a child hanging outside the chair as it starts to rise.
• Don't take more small children than you can help. There's no limit on how many children one adult may take, so it's up to you.

Small children can also slide out under the bar during the ride, or when the bar is raised before getting off. Keep a hand in front of the child until you're at the top.

The piste rules, children's version

The rules on the slopes apply to everyone, even three-year-olds. Keep them short, so that the child can say them on their own:

1. Look uphill before you set off. The slope must be clear before you start.
2. The one above gives way. When the child overtakes someone, it's the child's responsibility to keep clear.
3. Stop at the edge. Never in the middle of the slope and never below a ridge, where nobody can see you.
4. If you fall – get up or move to the side.
5. Ski so that you can stop. Your speed should suit the slope and what you can do.
6. Walk up at the side and follow the signs. Closed slopes and lifts are closed for a reason.

Also agree on a place to meet if you lose each other, for example the bottom station of the lift. More routines on the slopes are in ski trip with children – tips and advice, and what's good to have with you if someone gets hurt is in first aid on the trip.

When is it time for ski school?

Ski school is often better than you are if any of this applies:

• Your child listens better to others. It's common and nothing to take personally. Children do things for an instructor and a group that they refuse to do for their parent.
• Progress has stalled. Your child can snowplough and ski the children's slope, but you're not getting any further.
• You're unsure skiers yourselves. It's hard to show something you can't do confidently yourself.

The three steps in this guide don't replace ski school – they're a good start before it. A child who can already walk, glide and get up gets more out of their first lesson. How a ski school for children is organised at a Swedish mountain resort is described in the ski school in Idre Fjäll. During sportlov, the Swedish February ski break, the groups fill up early, so check your week in sportlov 2027 (Swedish February ski break) and book well in advance.

End the day before your child gets tired of it

Stop while it's fun. A child who stopped happy wants to go back tomorrow. A child who stopped in tears remembers the tears.

Signs that it's time

• The child falls more often than half an hour ago.
• They sit down in the snow and won't get up.
• The tips keep crossing.
• They cry over little things, or go quiet and stiff.
• They say their hands or feet are cold – how to read the cold is explained in how cold is too cold on the slopes.

Never say "one last run" to a tired child

The last run when the legs are already worn out is the one that most often ends in a fall. Instead, finish after the best run. Say "that was your best run today – now let's go in and warm up".

For a three-year-old, a morning with two short sessions and a hot chocolate in between can be a full ski day. Finish with snow angels or sledging, so that skiing becomes part of a fun day and not the whole day. It's usually the adults who want more, and that's the most common trap – read more in the guide to common mistakes on a ski trip.

Where should you start?

These three steps don't need a big ski resort. A small slope near home with a gentle children's slope and a button lift is plenty for the first two steps, and then your child can already snowplough when you get to the mountains. See ski slopes near Stockholm or Isaberg with kids if you live in southern Sweden.

If you're travelling, choose a resort where the children's area is close to your accommodation and has a magic carpet and a children's lift. For help choosing, see how to choose the right resort for the trip, and one example of a resort with several children's areas to choose from is Sälen with kids.