Teaching a kid to ski or snowboard can be a big task. From getting them bundled, to schlepping gear to the mountain, sometimes you spend more time prepping than you do on the snow. As a parent, that can be exhausting and disheartening, especially if all that effort results in a meltdown followed by hot coco in the lodge.

As an alternative, I recently discovered Shredder Ski School, an indoor ski facility utilizing turf to create the feeling of sliding on snow. The classes are catered for kids from toddlers to teens with private lessons available for adults. Shredder Ski School has locations Colorado, Illinois, Michigan and Texas, and there are both once-weekly class sessions (which can last from five to 10 weeks) and one-off drop-in sessions that you can take advantage of.

I took my daughter (age 22 months) to a Yeti School class designed for kids who have stared walking from ages 1 to 3.

Signing Up

Shredder ski school offers multi-week classes, summer camps, open gym time, parents night outs, and birthday parties. We attended what they call a “Showcase” class. It is a single class meant to be a sampler of what a weekly class entails.

Be aware the Yeti class for young kids requires full caregiver participation, so plan to stay with your child the whole class if they are young.

Before You Go

All of the equipment is provided, but my kiddo had her own ski gear that we brought with us. If your child has a bike helmet, bring that with you as it will suffice for an indoor class. If you don’t have a helmet, Shredder will provide one, just be sure to purchase your own snow sports helmet when you go out to the real mountains.

Also make sure you have socks for your child and yourself as no shoes are allowed in the skiing area. I suggest using the same tall ski socks your kid will wear when skiing outdoors.

The Class

The Shredder Ski School in Livonia, Michigan, had a large flat carpeted area as well as one carpeted slope and one steeper turf slope.

The class we attended encompassed a wide range of ages from 18 months to 3 years old. We began with circle time led by our instructor, where everyone introduced ourselves and got familiar with the facility. We then moved on to dryland training, where all the kids worked on balance and coordination through an obstacle course of short balance beams, flat foam “rocks,” sloped pads and other elements.

Next, it was time to put on our gear! You have a choice between skiing or snowboarding and are welcome to bring your own gear or use the gear provided by Shredder. To get used to the boots (some kids had never worn ski or snowboard boots before) we did another lap on the obstacle course with boots on.

We then clipped into our skis! Each pair of skis had a tip attachment (a cord holding the two skis together at the front) with the ability to clip a leash on and pull the kids around a flat surface. The snowboards had a front leash as well, and we spent time pulling the children in a circle in both directions to get them used to the feeling of sliding.

Our final step was to slide down the hill! This slope is carpeted with soft mats that help mimic the on-snow sliding feeling. Each child was pulled up to the top by their parent, and then the smaller kids slid down with parents kneeling in front of them, controlling their speed. Some of the 3-year-olds slid a bit on their own — and after a few laps each we finished class back in our circle.

My Take

As a ski instructor, I have to admit I was a bit skeptical of how an indoor turf-based class would help with on-snow skills. I was pleasantly surprised to find the class helpful for my kid as well as the other kids in the class. A lot of skiing with toddlers is simply getting them used to the gear and the feeling of sliding down a hill without immediately bursting into tears (like mine did) or sitting down on their butt (like the kid next to us).

Shredder gives toddlers a more accessible place to practice these skills, requiring less bundling and gear than a day on snow, as well as less cost than buying a lift pass.

I have not witnessed the classes for older children (Little Shredders ages 3 to 5 and Ski & Snowboard School for ages 5 to 10), but my opinion is that this is a perfect to start for children in the 1- to 5-year-old age range. Above that, starting on snow is going to be your best bet unless you live somewhere that is warm year-round and you want to prep for a ski vacation. That being said, even the little ones should get on snow as soon as possible as nothing can replace the full experience of skiing on the mountain.

As for us, I think we are going to sign up for a Yeti session in the fall to prep for the full skiing experience this winter.

---

Lauren Loria-Corbat is a writer and photographer who skis, rock climbs, hikes and backpacks. She loves introducing people to outdoor sports through journalism as well as hands-on teaching as a ski and climbing instructor.