Be a Better Skier With Banff Kids Ski School
There’s no time like the present to get your kids out on the mountain taking leaps and bounds forward with their skiing or boarding. Whether they’ve been making turns for years now or it’s their first time strapping on skis or a snowboard, there’s always the perfect program with Banff Ski School. The Kids Programs are brilliantly designed by ski instructors who understand kids and who are themselves big kids at heart. While you head off on your mountain adventure your kids will be having the time of their lives in a safe and encouraging learning environment. If your children are between 3 and 18 years old, they can get involved in a Ski and Ride Program, Private Lessons, or Multi-Day Ski Camps. There’s even childcare for the tots who are still preparing themselves mentally and physically for the challenge of skiing.
Children of all ages are welcome in Banff-Lake Louise where youthfulness is a friendly byproduct of amazing ski days. All three Ski Big 3 resorts (Lake Louise, Sunshine, and Mt. Norquay) have unique ski schools that are perfect for the little ones to learn new skills and make new friends. A variety of indoor and outdoor activities are offered, with a balanced lunch and snacks included to keep the kids fuelled for a big day of ski school. All the children’s programs are licensed with the Children & Youth Services of Alberta and are sure to be a load of fun. The hills all have the a wide mix of terrain to suit everyone’s comfort level so no matter what your skill level is, you’ve come to the right place. Ski Banff-Lake Louise-Sunshine recently won the Neilson Marque of Excellence for its family-friendly ski school for the fifth year, and it’s no surprise why. Note: These lesson programs are highly popular and they often sell out, so please book early to avoid disappointment.
Mt. Norquay
Mt. Norquay is praised for its family friendly layout, where parents can kick back and relax in the lodge and watch their children make their carves and turns down the slopes outside. Lessons are available at Mt. Norquay in combination with the daycare program, available for children ages 19 months to six years. Your kids/teens will learn in a fun relaxed atmosphere with an abundance of opportunities for solid skiing or riding as they gain confidence exploring the many wonders of the mountain. No matter what your kid’s skill level, there is the perfect program for him or her at Alberta’s best valued and longest running mountain snow school programs. Norquay’s newly expanded beginner terrain will help all levels of skiers and riders improve their skills.
Lake Louise
Lake Louise Ski Area offers several levels of ski school for children, from daycare (for children ages 18 days to six years) to the Kinderski program (helping three and four year olds learn to use skis and balance on the hill). The Minute Maid Wilderness Adventure Park is a special ‘kids only’ zone, where the little ones can have all the space they need to practice their turns and build confidence and skills in a safe, supervised park. For the bigger kids, Lake Louise offers a ski and snowboard teen program (for youths aged 13 to 17), where they take their freestyle skills to the next level and learn how to master steep off-piste terrain, basic airs, choosing a line, identifying hazards, and basic park riding.
Sunshine Village
The Tiny Tigers Ski & Play program at Sunshine Village is the perfect place to learn the skills necessary to be a tiger on the hill. Tiny Tigers offers one hour of skiing in the morning and again in the afternoon in small groups (in a maximum size of three), ensuring full attention and care. Teens will enjoy the Sunshine Mountain Rider workshop – a program designed specifically for youths of all levels looking to improve their skills and enhance their technique. The fully certified instructors make learning easy and fun with their contagious enthusiasm and Sunshine guarantees your little boarder or skier will not only improve but have a blast as well – and if you don’t they’ve been successful, they’ll arrange for another lesson free of charge. . At the Sunshine Village Ski and Snowboard School, they’re dedicated to offering the best quality programs to guests and striving to make you a better skier or rider while adding to your total vacation experience.
| Level | Description | |
| Novice | 1 | Never skied or snowboarded before. |
| Novice | 2 | I would rather ski/ride at slow speed. Green runs remain a challenge. |
| Novice | 3 | I can link turns on green runs, I rarely venture onto a blue run. |
| Intermediate | 4 | I ski/ride at moderate speed on blue runs. |
| Intermediate-Advanced | 5 | I ski/ride blue runs & sometimes black runs. I might like to learn short turns, moguls and powder. |
| Expert | 6 | I enjoy the challenge of skiing/riding in all conditions and terrain. |
