Everything We Have to Get Our Two Year Old Out on The Ski Hill
Base Layers-
REI Base Layer Top & REI Base Layer Pants (super soft & stretchy material)
Patagonia Base Layer Top & Patagonia Base Layer Pants
Mid Layers-
LL Bean Fleece Long Sleeve Shirt & Pants
Socks– We went with Euro socks because they aren’t made of wool & Mackenzie has very sensitive skin & these are very soft! 4XXXX Small is perfect for her & will probably last a couple of seasons.
Bibs- They’re expensive but, I like these bibs because they are adjustable & we’ve gotten 2 seasons so far out of them!
Coat– This is very similar to the coat Mackenzie is wearing now. This is definitely our last season in it, but again we’ve gotten two winter’s out of it!
Neck Gaiters– We have a Seirus neck gaiter that is the perfect size, but I can’t find it online to link. My other favorite one is this turtle fur one that Mackenzie’s been wearing on ski days. We have it in toddler size & it’s perfect. It’s stretchy & she seems comfortable when wearing it. If you’re looking for the balaclava style (has the stretchy part that stays on your head) then I would definitely size up in this turtle fur style.
Mittens– We went with these because they zip all the way open so they’re easy to get one.
Helmet & Goggles- It’s important to get fitted properly for a helmet so check out a local shop so you can have your kid try it on. MIPS is also very important to have in your helmet (for both adults & kids).
There are a few different learning tools to use & I’ve listed a few below:
Ski Tip Connector– we have tried two different ski tip connectors & my favorite is the original, more popular one The Edgie Wedgie. We used it most recently & it stayed in place, was easy to get on, & you could tie a knot it in to shorten it if needed. I originally didn’t pick the edgie wedgie first because I thought screwing it on would be a pain so I found one that clips on & thought it would be easier to use. I liked it, but it definitely moved around a lot more on the tip of ski, it wasn’t as easy to tie a knot in it to shorten it, & worst of all it did come off a few times.
Harness/Leash– A harness is a good idea so you can always pick them up or have some extra help when getting them on the chairlift. I’ve linked the one we bought & it does come with a leash as well. I’m not thrilled about using a leash because I don’t think it’s the best tool, but she did not like having the hula hoop in front of her so we are going to try the leash for a little until we can start using something like the slope ropes.
Hula Hoop- This is another way to teach your kiddo to ski. We tried it, but Mackenzie didn’t like having the hula hoop in front of her. It also doesn’t give the adult behind them a ton of space.
Slope Ropes– This is another tool that I’ve seen a lot on instagram. We just bought this after using the leash one weekend because Greg felt like he was causing her to fall since he’s controlling her from her hips while using the leash. We like the idea of the slope ropes better because it’s not actually attached to her, but he’s still able to control her. The one down side I have seen about this is that it’s not easy to store when riding the chairlift (Greg has some figuring out to do next time he takes her out on the hill!)
Boot/Ski rentals– kids grow so fast so it doesn’t make sense to buy at this age, so we rented from a local shop by Mount Snow
Boot Bag– this is not necessary, but it’s nice to have so I can store all her stuff in one place
Picture Books– we have a few picture books that are about skiing & it helps to read these, especially the night before skiing!
Learning to Ski With Mr. Magee
Outdoorsy Families Skiing Guide– Go to her website & sign up to receive her FREE skiing guide. Her website also has a ton of information about teaching your little one to ski!