Toddler skisa fun introduction and great for balanceNow stop shaking your head at your computer that tiny children don’t need toddler skis because they’re too young to learn to ski.You’re right – children should be at least three years old before they use regular skis. These simple plastic skis are completely different to the ones with bindings that older children and adults use. Well, they’re sort of ski-shaped, but that’s about it. They're very lightweight and are really more suited to playing around in the snow than actual skiing. 
Why use themThe idea isn’t to get your child out on regular runs. Toddler skis aren't designed for that - nor is your child strong enough.What they are good for is:
When to use themThere's a place for toddler skis on family ski vacations if you’re planning to play outside with your children. We bought a pair for our then 20-month-old so she could have some fun tramping around in the snow (and not just in the snow – she’d wear them happily inside, too!).
She happily announced that she was doing the same as Mummy and Daddy and thoroughly enjoyed using them. They were a firm favourite the following season when she was two years old.They've also been used to great effect as arms for a snowman - take a look at the photo on the left. We did try them on a very gentle slope shown below and quickly decided that our daughter was just too young to properly understand what she had to do. Here she is, just about to fall over - but happily smiling. We soon worked out that letting her shuffle around on flat ground was far better and suited her best.
Family ski vacation fun with a two-year-old. Does my child need special boots?No, just ordinary kids snow boots or après ski boots. In the photo above you can see our daughter wearing her snow boots. The skis are held on with simple plastic straps.Tip: Do the straps up tightly over the boots, otherwise your child's foot might slide out. Will my child hurt himself?Unlikely – he’ll just be shuffling along, using the plastic poles too. Seeing our children wearing them always reminded us of how they'd clomp about at home wearing our shoes for dressing up.Tip: Use a regular kids harness is ideal if you're worried about your child falling over. Trying toddler skis will stands kids in good stead when they’re old enough to learn properly - and they’ll have a lot of fun at the same time. Where to buyWe bought our pair from a ski shop during a family ski holiday, but if you'd like to get organised before you head off to the slopes, you can buy a pair made by Manbi here. These strap-on over your child's snow boots and come with a pair of poles.Return from toddler skis to kids ski equipment. Return to the family ski vacations home page. |
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Thanks for the great website - very handy. We are planning our first ski trip for us and our 5 kids!Chrisna
Skiing tips for families. Written by an English couple who love to ski and play in the snow with their children.
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