The last thing you want on your family trip snowboarding is to realise you’ve forgotten something when you first get out on the slopes. Trust us when we say - it’s a dreadful feeling! The list below will provide you with all the essentials you need to ensure your kids have a fantastic time.

Baselayers

Good base layers are essential for a successful family snowboarding trip. These will help keep the moisture out and prevent the day from finishing early due to your kids crying over being too cold. With temperatures often below freezing when you snowboard, this might well happen if you forget your base layers! Ideally, these will be either wool or synthetic material and not cotton (cotton gets cold when wet). You want these to be snug - but not too tight - as you don't want them to be restrictive when snowboarding.

Socks

When it comes to snowboarding socks, aim for long and tight socks. Having socks snug on your kids’ feet will prevent them dropping down into their snowboarding boots - and avoid your kids constantly stopping to pull them back up. Winter tights are great, but it is much easier to replace wet socks in a wet feet emergency.

Ski mask

It is always best to have a couple pairs of ski masks as they can get wet and snotty over the course of the day. Kids get cold and you want to have some backups just in case. Longer necked ski masks work best and will stop kids from needing to adjust their neckline every couple of minutes - as well as keeping their necks warm.

Fleece 

Fleeces are perfect to keep your kids nicely insulated and warm while on their board. As kids' snowboarding jackets are aimed at being large, anything bigger than a fleece will be too bulky underneath their jacket and restrict movement.

Jacket/Trousers

Your children’s snow jacket and trousers are their first line of defence against the snow, the wind and while they snowboard. You can expect your kids to fall off at least a couple of times so these will keep them dry when they inevitably crash into the snow. They both need to be waterproof and insulated at minimum. If at all possible, try and get a jacket with a detachable hood. In certain situations where you are snowboarding and there is snow actively falling, you can remove the hood to prevent it from collecting snow. It’s a great hack to use when it starts getting properly cold!

A long jacket and high waisted pants will provide extra protection from the elements, if possible try these both on at the same time when purchasing to make sure the jacket length goes past the waistline.

Gloves

Nothing is worse than cold hands - or even worse - wet gloves. Waterproof, long-wristed gloves are ideal to stop snow finding its way to your hands as they prevent your gloves catching on the sleeve of your jacket. 

You also want to be careful of frostbite, so gloves are a very crucial part of your children’s snowboarding gear.

Helmet

As the saying goes, safety comes first! Helmets are essential for kids while snowboarding to provide them with sufficient protection and to give you more peace of mind when they are carving up the slopes. Functionally, there is no real difference between a snowboarding helmet and a ski helmet, they just look slightly different aesthetically.

Goggles

Goggles are a great purchase because unlike clothes, these will last for many snowboarding seasons as your child grows. Even on a clear day, goggles are crucial as they will protect your kids eyes from wind, bugs, and cold chills. They need to be well-vented to prevent the inside of the goggles from fogging up. In order to make sure they fit correctly, it is best to try these on with the helmet before purchasing. 

It is completely understandable if you can't try both the helmet and goggles on before purchasing. If this is the case then don’t stress too much, just aim to purchase the same brand of helmet as the goggles to ensure they fit correctly together. 

It can be daunting preparing what is needed for your kids when they are taking up a new sport, hopefully the list above makes sure you have all the basics covered and guarantees a successful (and organised!) trip.

Photo by Grant Criddle