Your kids won't notice, but these games actually teach a host of basic skiing skills:

SHARKS AND MINNOWS

One player starts out as the "shark" and the rest are "minnows." The object of the game is to move from one side of the snowfield to the other without getting tagged by the shark. You can use your poles to set the boundaries. If tagged, you become a shark and help round up the remaining minnows. Play continues until there is only one minnow left, who becomes the shark for the next round.

FREEZE TAG

Play freeze tag the traditional way (skiers tagged by whoever is "It" are frozen until tagged by another skier), or try this Nordic version: Players can't be tagged if their skis are in a wedge (with tips touching) or in a herringbone (with tails touching).

RELAY RACES

Try classics like having teams ski with an egg in a spoon or try a relay where skiers have to get from one side to the other by sidestepping or making herringbone wedges.

RED LIGHT, GREEN LIGHT

Start out by forming a line some distance from whoever's It. The It then calls out "green light," while covering their eyes. Players ski forward until It calls "red light," at which point they must stop. Players caught moving must return to the starting line. Play this first in a flat area. As skills progress, move the game to a slight slope where it's harder for players to stop themselves.

OBSTACLE COURSE

Use ski poles to create an obstacle course. Players can ski underneath poles stuck in the snow to form an upside-down V or step over a pole laid on the snow (a great balance exercise). Other poles can mark the start and finish lines. To add a biathlon-like element to the course, one pole can also indicate a station where skiers must stop and accurately lob a snowball at a nearby tree.

Games For Kids