Kids who love winter embrace all activities on snow and ice, but there's lots more going on in the Wood River Valley for kids to do. Sun Valley Resort is ready to make young people happy this winter with several opportunities to learn to ski and snowboard or to try freestyle tricks and rail jamming.
Sun Valley SnowSports Supervisor Dave Bolte said it's a kids' world in Sun Valley this winter.
In the past, Sun Valley has offered one session of lessons for six or seven days over a three-day weekend, which was known as the Blaine County Kids Program at the Sun Valley SnowSports School. This year, the camps are called Sun Valley SnowSports Camps Spud Sessions, with three sessions. The first is Jan. 8-9, Jan. 15-16 and Jan. 22-23. Session 2 will take place Jan. 29-30, Feb. 5-6 and Feb. 12-13. A third session will take place Feb. 26-27, March 5-6 and March 12-13.
The program is open to children kindergarten through sixth grade. Each three-week session will have morning and afternoon options available. Ski instruction is limited to the first 150 skiers per morning and afternoon sessions. Snowboard instruction is limited to the first 100 snowboarders per session. Snowboard instruction is available for children 6 and older only.
On the first day of each session, all registered children, regardless of ability, meet at Dollar Lodge at 8:30 a.m. for the morning classes, which are 9-11:30 a.m. The afternoon classes take place from 12:30-3 p.m. Advanced skiers and boarders will move to Baldy on Sunday. The cost is $150 and includes lesson and lift tickets.
Sun Valley offers Burton's "Learn To Ride" camps for young snowboarders ages 6-12 and clinics for adults over age 13. The children's Learn To Ride camps are daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. All Burton "Learn To Ride" camps and lessons are conducted on Dollar Mountain.
New this year are Little Spud Sessions for kids 3-5 years old at Dollar Mountain. Session one is Jan. 11-12, Jan. 18-19 and Jan. 25-26. Session two is Feb. 1-2, Feb. 8-9 and Feb. 15-16. A third session will take place March 1-2, March 8-9 and March 15-16. Session times are from 1-3 p.m. Registration must be completed in person by a parent or legal guardian at River Run Lodge. The only requirements for children are that they must be potty trained and want to learn. The cost is $180, which includes lessons and lift tickets for the entire session.
The Snowsports School will also offer 360 Freestyle Camp for skiers and snowboarders ages 6-16 who are level six or above. Two-day sessions are Jan. 15-16, Feb. 26-27 and March 26-27 on Dollar Mountain. The all-day camp is $360 per session.
Freeride sessions for ages 6-18 years old for skiing and snowboarding will take place from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturdays, Dec. 4 through March 19 with a break on Christmas and President's Week. The cost is $550 for the season with all-mountain skiing and riding including avalanche awareness on Baldy.
The Sun Valley Resort regular ski school operations will take place every day from opening day to closing day with no advance reservation required. For details, call 622-2289 or visit www.sunvalley.com.
The Blaine County Recreation District offers its Recess from School program, Dec. 20-23 and Dec. 27-30, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Community Campus in Hailey for $35 per day. Activities include snowshoeing, ice skating, sledding and more adventurous and winter activities. Kids should bring warm clothes, lunch and snack or money for the snack bar as well as equipment and clothing suited toward the day's activity. For details, call 578-2273 or visit www.bcrd.org.
The Wood River Community YMCA in Ketchum will have a winter camp Monday, Dec. 27, through Friday, Dec. 31. Activities include sledding, swimming, rock climbing, art projects, making culinary creations, exploring the world of music and language activities. One day during camp week, children will do community service in the Wood River Valley. The cost is $190 for Y members and $230 for nonmembers. The camp will take place 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. for ages 5-11. For details, call 727-9622.
Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com
Winter kids activities
- Nordic skiing at the Sun Valley Nordic & Snowshoe Center is located at the Sun Valley Club. For details, call 622-2250 or visit www.sunvalley.com.
- Skating lessons at the Sun Valley Outdoor Ice Rink. For details, call 622-2194 or visit www.sunvalley.com.
- Spirit 'n' Motion Athletic School in Hailey. For details, call 720-4306 or visit www.spiritnmotion.com.
- Wood River Gymnastics Academy in Bellevue. For details, visit www.wrgymnastics.com.
- Ice hockey in Sun Valley. For details, call 622-2194 or visit www.sunvalley.com.
- Ice hockey and ice skating at Atkinson Park in Ketchum. For details, call 726-5501.
- Ice hockey and ice skating at Roberta McKercher City Park in Hailey. For details, call 788-3325.
- Quigley Nordic lessons at Quigley Nordic in Hailey. For details, call 578-2273.
- Nordic lessons at Galena Lodge, 23 miles north of Ketchum off Highway 75. For details, call 726-4010.
- Swimming, indoor climbing and other indoor activities, at the Wood River Community YMCA in Ketchum. For details, call 727-9622.
Kids take to the air on a ski-cross course at Dollar Mountain in Sun Valley. Photo by Mountain Express
