Family Skiing and Snowboarding in Vermont – Stowe Mountain Resort

First-timers, families and experienced skiers and snowboarders all love Stowe Mountain Resort. My husband and sons had never been on snow and I had been away from all winter sports for 25 years when we decided to Vermont. Hitting the slopes was one of the highlights of the year for our family.



Adventure Center at Stove Ski Resort. Photo credit: Marina K. Villatoro


Family Skiing and Snowboarding in Vermont – Stowe Mountain Resort


Something that you might not know about me is that, back when I lived in the US, I was a semi-pro downhill skier. Another thing you might not know is that it has been over 25 years since I have been on the slopes.



That’s why on our winter trip to Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont , I was feeling nervous. It was almost as if I was a beginner. Plus, I was sharing this trip with my sons and husband, who were total newbies. My sons hadn’t even seen snow before. So I took advantage of the situation and joined them taking snowboarding lessons, leaving the skis behind.



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My husband and I took snowboarding lessons together at Stowe. This was his first time ever on any snow apparatus and my first time ever on a snowboard. Stowe offers private classes, but we thought it was much more fun for us to experience together.



As fun as the experience was, after being a skier for such a long time, I wanted to return to skiing. By the time the snowboarding lesson was done, I was ready to hop back on the skis.



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Snowboarding Lessons for Kids, Photo credit: Marina K. Villatoro


Change Your Mind – and Your Equipment


The rental store made it really easy for me to change my mind and my equipment. For a tiny fee, they changed my snowboard for skis. I highly recommend coming here if you plan on trying both sports.



There is also a world-class children’s Ski and Ride School within the Adventure Center at Stowe. The state-of-the-art building offers the latest and greatest equipment for kids for snowboarding and skiing.



This is where all the kids’ adventure camps and lessons start as well.


Programs for Kids Offered at Stowe Ski Resort


While we were there, I noticed that the programs for kids are quite different. The snowboarding classes have tiny groups, so the kids get personalized attention. The skiing ones had slightly larger groups. This might be my observation or simply good luck .



But even the largest groups for the skiing lessons never had more than five kids. I truly loved the personalized service that my boys received.



Ready for some fun at the Stowe Mountain Resort slope. Photo credit: Marina K. Villatoro


The Lessons Offered for Kids at Stowe



Full Day Program for Kids 3 and 4 years old


It includes:




Full-day group lesson



Lunch



Snacks




Where: Adventure Center at Spruce Peak When: 9 am – 3 pm daily



This starts promptly at 9 am; you need to come earlier if you are renting ski equipment



$299 for one day; equipment is another $53.25


Full Day Program for Kids 5 and 6 years old


It includes:




Full-day group lesson



Lift ticket



Lunch



Snacks




Where: Adventure Center at Spruce Peak When: 9 am – 3 pm daily



$299 for one day; equipment is another $53.25, and lift ticket is $39


First Time Half Day Program


This is the beginner-level lesson program for first-time skiers and riders only. This two-hour semi-private lesson is a great introduction for children interested in learning to ski or snowboard. This is what my kids took before we did a full day on the slopes the following day.



It includes:




Semi-private lesson,



An afternoon beginner lift ticket




Where : Adventure Center at Spruce Peak



When: 1 pm – 3 pm daily. Price: $199 Includes lesson and beginner lift ticket; rental equipment is $53.25.



There are half-day programs for 5 and 6-year-olds, and for kids ages 7-14.


Full-Day Program for 7-14 Year-Olds (Skiing or Snowboarding)


Their full-day programs group kids by ability level and progress. This program includes:




The full-day group lesson



Lift ticket



Lunch



Snacks



Beginner ski lift




Where: Adventure Center at Spruce Peak When: 9 am – 3 pm daily.



Adventure Program is $299; rental equipment is $53.25 and lift ticket is $39



Snowboarding diva taking a break. Photo credit: Marina K. Villatoro


Family Time


As much as we loved the way our boys were treated in their classes, we took them out early so that we could all enjoy some family time at the slope. We took the beginner’s slopes and the easy lift for beginners.



Andddd…..



What do you do after a full day of snowboarding?



You definitely need to leave some time for playing in the snow!



But that’s not all. In addition, Stowe has this insanely awesome outdoor pool. During our stay the temperatures hit -20 Fahrenheit – NO JOKE.



But this didn’t stop my kids. You enter the room, which is heated up to 80 degrees, inside and then go through the plastic curtains to enjoy numbing weather while soaking in the pool.



I was too chicken to give it a go, but my kids couldn’t get enough of it. The post Family Skiing and Snowboarding in Vermont – Stowe Mountain Resort appeared first on She Buys Travel .