Kids programs at Yellowstone Ski Festival

Fri, Oct  22, 2010 - By Sara Hoovler

Don’t wait for the whine over Thanksgiving Break this year. Bring the family to the Yellowstone Ski Festival and start a new holiday tradition. Spend time together and on-snow. Create memories to last a lifetime. With all the fun that is planned for this year, the dreaded phrase “I’m bored…” will not be heard.

K-6th Grade

Register now for the Montana Outdoor Science School. Class space is limited and registrations are requested by November 1st to ensure the feasibility of this excellent program. The youngsters will learn, play, and ski under the supervision of MOSS instructors on Friday 11/26 and Saturday 11/27. Take this time to hit the trails while the little ones participate in half day or full day classes. www.outdoorscience.org

The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center is offering daily 30 minute hands-on activities during the Yellowstone Ski Festival. Conveniently scheduled just after lunch, the center provides a great opportunity to sneak in education during a ski vacation. The best part - the Wild Winter Program is all fun and games! www.yellowstoneskifestival.com/kids-clinics/

Teens and tweens

Junior skiers without a team may register for the adult clinics. Parents should review the daily schedules to see which clinic is a good fit for their skier and contact the clinic coaching staff for advice. The West Yellowstone Teen Center will be open Friday night. The Teen Center is available to kids aged 12-17 and offers a safe, supervised hang out area.

Kids of ALL AGES

Family-friendly evening presentations include the Backcountry Film Festival, a Birds of Prey exhibit featuring live raptors, a hands-on demonstration from the National Park Service, wax clinics, dessert auction, and a good, old-fashioned S’more party. The Thanksgiving Turkey Trot is free and a great way for the whole family to work up an appetite.

Kevin Michael Connolly, the festival’s keynote speaker, appeals to a wide audience and should not be missed. He is an author, photographer, skier, skateboarder, and student. Connolly presents regularly across the nation on his travels and continually tries to challenge the way people view disability and its connection to art, athletics, and lifestyle. His dynamic presentation will cover topics from growing up in

Montana without legs, medaling at the Winter X Games, traveling worldwide sneaking pictures of people sneaking stares at him, to writing a memoir before the age of twenty-five. Cross-country skiing starts in West Yellowstone and first tracks for skiers 13 and younger are half price during the Yellowstone Ski Festival (one day and three-day passes). Forget about missing holiday sales. If you can’t find a unique gift while in West Yellowstone, there is always cyber-Monday. Think Snow and make plans now to attend the 2010 Yellowstone Ski Festival. For more information, visit www.yellowstoneskifestival.com.