Here’s To Surviving Your Family's First Time on the Snow

The powder has arrived, and so has the time for your child’s first time on the snow. It’s such an exciting time for everyone, regardless of whether you are an expert skier or prefer a hot coffee indoors while watching the skiers!

While it is tempting to hop in the car and head to the slopes, planning is key and that’s where we can help.

Parent’s Guide to Your Child’s First Time on the Snow

New Zealand has some amazing ski fields and for many toddlers and young children it is at one of these that they experience their first time on the snow. To ensure it is a positive one, some planning and preparation is key, including:

Organising the right clothing – snow is cold, wet and can be rather hard when landed upon. Dressing your child in multiple layers of woollen or polypropylene clothing is important, as are hats, thick warm socks, gloves and of course a waterproof outer layer. Our fleece lined pants are ideal, helping keep your child warm and dry. Or you could even pop on a pair of Coveralls over the top for all over protection. Also, spare clothing is essential, so pack plenty of it!
Sunglasses – yes, sunnies are not just for Summer! We know that UV rays can cause damage to our eyes during the warmer months, but did you know that UV rays reflected off snowy surfaces can actually double your UV exposure? An hour in the sun on a snowy day can cause more damage to our eyes than a full day out in the summer sun. (We have two super cute kids sunglasses styles to choose from – or grab a Kids Snow Pack and save $15!)
Bring plenty of snacks – playing in the snow is hungry work, and the last thing you need is a hungry and grizzly toddler who doesn’t like the café food (which is often rather pricey too!).
Sunblock – the sun reflecting up off the snow has the potential to cause very bad sunburn, and a sunburnt toddler is not what you need. Make sure that sunscreen is liberally applied.
Toys – it’s just like a giant sandpit (almost), making a bucket and spade important toys to bring with you to the snow. A sled or a tarpaulin are fun to slide on and can be used to transport tired toddlers around on.
Get out the ice cubes – just how cold snow is can come as a shock. While a few ice cubes aren’t a great substitution, they are a good introduction to touching and playing with something cold. Reading winter themed books and watching movies or video clips about snow are also good ideas. You could even practice putting all their clothing on and testing it outside on a cold day.
Coffee – this isn’t for your child, but rather for yourself! Something to warm you up and give you the caffeine buzz to keep making snowmen and digging plenty of holes in the snow!
A spare set of dry clothes for the drive home.

Do you have any tips or stories to share about your children’s first experience of snow? We’d love to know, so please share in the comments below.

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