Children love snow, and they love to play outside, but sometimes it seems hard to motivate them to strap on their cross-country skis.
Going for a ski tour does not seem to be interesting enough for kids who want to play, be challenged and discover new things. So, what should you do if you want to get the whole family going on cross-country skis? Be creative!
Pick an easy trail that does not demand too much of your child. Plan breaks and pack a picnic or hot chocolate and cookies. Stop for a snowball fight or build a snowman by the side of the trail.
Let your child bring a friend for company and have small challenges on the way – a race up a hill or a contest to see who can glide the longest on one leg or ski backwards. Then give them a break and pull them along with a rope you brought along or have them kneel on their skis with their hands on their ski tips and push them along a trail or down a small hill. If you plan a full day in the snow, switch activities to keep it interesting: Go for a short ski, then take the kids tobogganing, then strap on snowshoes for a walk through the forest.
Check out what your facility has to offer – most Nordic ski areas present plenty of possibilities for making cross-country skiing enticing for children.
Some have so-called adventure trails, which are narrow, winding, rolling routes through interesting terrain and forests that naturally teach children balance and coordination.
Even more exciting are ski play areas. Like a playground for skiing, those Nordic terrain parks are groomed with different types of rollers, bumps, small jumps and slalom courses, uphill and downhill. While playing on this modified terrain, children (and adults) develop fundamental ski skills and build confidence.
Climbing and descending, which can be exhausting and terrifying, happen naturally in a ski play area because it is a necessity to move through the different features.
Skiers will progress faster within an hour of ski play than within an hour of skiing on the trail! And you can be sure that your child, who might not usually be a fan of climbing, will herringbone up the same hill 20 times in a row to go down an exhilarating downhill route over bumps and rollers.
Club programs kick off this weekend
On the weekend of Dec. 6 -7, the local Nordic clubs will start the winter season with children’s and adults’ programming. Children age 4 and older can participate in the clubs’ multi-week sport programs, which feature Nordic activities like cross-country skiing, biathlon and even ski jumping on Whistler Olympic Park’s newly constructed 20 and 40-metre beginner ski jumps.
New this season, multi-week programs will be organized jointly by the Sea to Sky Nordics, Whistler Nordics, Spud Valley Nordics and by Whistler Olympic Park. This means that every Saturday and Sunday and on Wednesday nights, different age or skill groups from all clubs will train together at Whistler Olympic Park, which will create an exciting learning atmosphere.
There will be further training sessions at the different clubs’ home bases in Pemberton, Whistler and Squamish. Qualified coaches will be provided both by the clubs and by Whistler Olympic Park.
It is not too late to sign up. Registration is available directly through one of the local clubs, www.seatoskynordics.ca, www.whistlernordics.com or http://spudvalleynordics.com.
