Finding adventure outdoors is a must for my children and with the right outdoor clothing, you’re all set for whatever the day holds which is just as well when I tell you what Ollie was invited to recently. Kids birthday parties have come such a long time since the ones I attended a friend’s houses when I was a child. A few weeks ago Ollie was invited to his friend’s 8th Birthday Ski Party. When the invite came through I just assumed it was a tobogganing party like he had been to before but as the big day approached Ollie told me he was nervous about ‘skiing’. I said, “don’t be silly you have done tobogganing before you’ll be fine”. He replied, “no Mummy, it’s an actual kids ski party” and then my nerves kicked in too!
Getting Kitted Out
It was a chilly morning as we arrived at the dry ski slope, the boys were all eagerly getting kitted out with ski boots, skis and kids ski helmets, they certainly looked the part as they trekked out to the slope. The instructor at Tallington Lakes was a young lady who had a brilliant way with the boys, she showed them what they needed to do but encouraged them to do things for themselves rather than relying on the adults watching. I definitely think it gives the children a great sense of achievement when they do things for themselves. She began by teaching them how to pull their skis apart and clip them back together to make it easier to carry them up the slope.
One Step at a Time
Once they had the basics of their kit covered, it was time to pop one ski on. The instructor wanted them to get used to the feel of sliding in their skis so they put just one ski on and used their other foot to push them along rather like skateboarding. She did this with each foot, all the while getting them used to clipping and unclipping their skis.
Learning to stop
It’s all very well learning how to slide down a hill but the important part is learning how to top so this was the next part of their lesson. The instructor took them just a little way up the slope and got them to stand sideways on the slope. This in itself to prove a tricky situation for many of the boys who struggled to keep their balance in their skis. Whilst here they learnt how to ‘sit into’ their skis and to lean forwards onto the front of their skis and then they were taught a snowplough turn also known as a ‘pizza slice’ which they picked up really quickly.
Onwards and Upwards
Each time the boys made it safely to the bottom of the slope and the instructor felt they had achieved each level of their learning she moved them further up the slopes and set them new challenges like skiing whilst singing ‘Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes’ and doing the actions or waving their jazz hands. Of course, the boys all thought this was hilarious so much giggling ensued.
My Little Skiing Natural
I have to hand it to Ollie, he completely shocked me by how well he coped on the slopes. Ollie can be quite accidental like me so I expected him to fall over more than he did, and even when he did fall he brushed himself off and tried again. I have never tried skiing myself as I imagine I will come home with broken bones (I can do that running on flat ground) but Simon has been skiing a few times so perhaps Ollie takes after him in that skill set. One thing I will say is that he and his mates had a blast. By the end of the party they were flossing and squatting their way down the slopes, they had so much fun. A Ski Birthday Party certainly isn’t something that I would have thought of before but I definitely would in the future for my little adventure seekers.
