Posts tagged ‘cross country skiing’
Downhill or Bust: Lessons from the Ski Slope
Some kids like speed.
Kids love to go downhill.
They like the speed.
They like the thrill.
I even think that some of them like wiping out.
Speed freaks ignore cries of “slow down.”
“Snow plowing is bogus,” said Gavin, and nothing I could say would change that.
Never mind that Gavin is a first time skier and that the hill at Blackhawk Ridge doesn’t have obstacles or turns.
So how do you teach a kid like Gavin to slow down?
You don’t.
What goes down must come up: Life lessons learned while skiing
What goes down...
Learning to ski is a humbling experience.
Fall, get up. Fall, get up.
Poles and skis slip and slide and get tangled up in the weirdest of ways.
That’s pretty much how it goes for first-timers,
especially as they learn to maneuver hills.
I can’t think of a better metaphor for life.
If kids can get past the initial frustrations, they learn so much. That’s why we ask kids to make an 8-week commitment to ski club. That way, they have to work through their frustration. The end result is always a joyful celebration on the last day.
In the mean time, there’s more agony of defeat than the thrill of victory, but the victory is so very sweet.
Check out these photos from this week’s lesson at Black Hawk Ski Club. They really do say it all.
Is it ever too cold to Get Kids Outside?
Thursday was cold, very cold. Temps topped out at about 10 degrees with a nasty wind chill.
As a result, kids at Lowell and Emerson Elementary schools had no recess – their second in a row.
Now, it was my turn. Would I take 11 kids cross country skiing? We did the week before and the kids froze because we were out in the open. Would today be a repeat?
After consulting with Molly, the lead instructor at Blackhawk Ski Club, I decided to go – even though my boss had already told the kids it was too cold. Molly’s plan was a good one – stay in the woods and keep ‘em moving by sending them on a scavenger hunt.
It worked. The kids were not fazed by the cold and they had a great time on the scavenger hunt. No one complained. Plus, it was safe.
Blackhawk Ski Club isn’t exactly wilderness. There’s a warm chalet, hot chocolate and snacks. If kids wanted to go inside they could, but none of them did. They all stayed out for a full hour.
The kids had a blast and they learned something about the cold – if you dress right, keep moving and stay out of the wind, you’ll be fine.
Meanwhile, students at Emerson and Lowell Elementary schools learned to fear the cold. While safety is always important, I disagree with this policy.
When kids don’t get enough exercise, they are less able to focus and more likely to act out in class. Inside recess focuses on board games, not on being active. So, I suggest the following:
Why not let parents make the choice?
Why not base the choice on outerwear?
Why not let them out for a short time under the supervision of a trained teacher?
Why not structure a moving activity, such as a run around the playground?
It seems to me that going outside for recess is a lot like going skiing at Blackhawk Ridge: Kids are close to a warm building and there’s supervision.
I think we’re doing our kids a disservice by not teaching them how to dress for the cold.
What do you think? When is it too cold to go outside? What are you doing to help kids enjoy winter in Wisconsin?
Diane Schwartz takes kids cross country skiing at Blackhawk Ski Club every week until March 4. You can also find her at Winterfest on February 19 teaching kids and families the joys of winter. Of course, that will be a lot easier now that a warm front is on the horizon.
Bad Van Behavior Kills Ski Fun
What is fun? Cross Country Skiing
What kills fun? Driving a 15-passenger-van full of kids, three of which are fighting in the back.
Last week Thursday was the first day of ski lessons and everything was going great: the trip to Blackhawk Ski Club went well; the kids loved skiing; and the weather was perfect.
And then we got in the van to go home.
Joan started talking trash and couldn’t keep her mouth shut. To make things worse, her brother and another girl egged her on.
Things got so loud I had to pull over and sort things out. I split up Joan and her brother which meant displacing two other kids who were acting fine. I hate this.
Being a teacher is tough sometimes. I want to have fun with the kids, but I also have to be safe and take action when necessary. I’ll talk to the kids and parents and make sure they understand behavior expectations and the consequences. Right now, I’m thinking that if behavior results in pulling over the van, then the children involved will be removed from lessons. This may sounds harsh, but when it comes to safety, I’m not going to mess around. Besides, most of the kids are fine. It’s not fair to the others to allow this kind of behavior.
One thing is clear, if I don’t take action, it will be a very long 8 weeks.
I’ll let you know what happens after this week’s lesson.
What are you doing to help kids with behavior issues? What works? What doesn’t? How do you decide when to remove children from an activity?
Diane Schwartz is an Outdoor Education Teacher at Goodman Community Center in Madison, Wisconsin. She is also the Site Coordinator at Schumacher Farm County Park in Waunakee. Register for this blog now and receive your free 11-page Bubble Activity Guide. Thank you for visiting.
Blissful Solo Skiing: A Joyful Escape to Indian Lake
On Sunday, I went cross-country skiing at Indian Lake County Park .
Without kids. Without anyone.
It was blissful.
This doesn’t mean that I’m out of the kid business. Ski lessons start in a few weeks, so that day is coming. What it does mean is that solo escapes are a necessary part of working with kids.
Teaching kids how to ski is rewarding, but it takes patience. They are learning, and in the beginning, there is more falling than skiing. They need help with their skis. They need coaching and lots of encouragement. I tend to get cold quicker because I’m not moving as much. That’s why taking time for me is so important.
It felt great to sink into a downhill turn and swoosh up the next hill unfettered by others. Unbelievably, I was the only skier in the park. The miles ticked by quickly and by the end of the red loop – about 4 miles – I didn’t want to go. I stopped by the fire pit and talked to a few sledders before taking off.
What a great day in the woods.
What are you doing to get ready for your next adventure with kids?
You can find Diane teaching kids how to cross-country ski at Black Hawk Ski Club in Middleton starting in January 2011. Contact her at getkidsoutside@gmail.com. Looking for inside Bubble Fun? Subscribe to my blog now and I’ll send you an 11-page bubble activity guide FREE.
Cross Country Skiing with Kids: Final Reflection
Last Thursday, was the last of our eight week ski lessons at Blackhawk Ski Club. It was a beautiful sunny day in the 30s. Perfect. Molly, the instructor had the kids go through a series of games. They skied through hula hoops, played red light green light, and picked up candy on the trail while going downhill. They liked the candy pick-up the best.
I was very proud of these kids. After eight weeks, they were going down hills and skiing with confidence. They could snowplow, stop and start again, and not get flustered by wiping out. It was gratifying to see this.
We started with 13 kids and ended with 9. Our sole 5-year-old quit after the fourth week. Next year, perhaps we’ll not have little ones do the course. One fifth grader kept saying she was sick, but she wasn’t. I think she struggled because of her weight. Watching her, I noticed it was difficult for her get up and stay up on skis. The other fifth grader quit after her third grader sister quit. They quit for no specific reason. They just said, “I don’t want to go anymore.” This was very disappointing. There is so much to learn from sticking with something.
For example, one boy was in tears about half way through the program and wanted to quit. He cried, he pouted and he wailed. He called his Mom and begged her to let him quit. Anyone listening would have been sure this kid was being tortured. His mom didn’t yield. I’m glad. He was one happy kid on the last day. He couldn’t stop smiling even when he fell down. The next day, he came up to me as said, “Hi Miss Diane.” He face was glowing. He was so happy. I was so happy for him. He learned more than how to ski, but how to finish something he started. He learned how to persevere and reap the rewards of completion. In addition, everyone learned how play outside in really cold weather. They learned about the “other” side of town–the west side. They experienced the culture of cross-country skiing and now have access to a sport which is primarily practiced by middle to upper middle class white folks. (Of the 13 kids who started the course, 5 were African-American, 7 white and 1 mixed. I don’t know income levels). They met new people and even a blind dog named Izzy. But most of all, they learned the fun of skiing.
I saw that on Thursday. The kids didn’t care about wiping out. They loved it. They went downhill with confidence, or fell, got up and tried it again. It was a very satisfying day and one that makes teaching worth it. My hope is that they will keep skiing as adults. Time will only tell.
Next up.. hiking and biking. We have a bon fire planned on March 26th at Picnic Point. A few days later, we’ll be going to the MacKenzie Wildlife Center to learn about maple syrup harvesting.
Stay tuned.
Giving Back: Cross Country Ski Lessons
I love to XC ski. I love feeling warm while I’m outside in the winter; I love being outside in beautiful, snowy places; and I love how I feel afterward. For me, it’s a spiritual activity that gives me so much. I learned how to XC ski as an adult and started by skiing on Lake Mendota. After college, I moved to Wausau and really learned to ski. I skied Nine-mile, Winter Park, Under Down and many northern trails. I enjoyed citizen racing and even came home with a few medals from Badger State Games and the Birkie. Because of this passion, I was happy to offer kids XC ski lessons this winter.
Through a partnership with the Blackhawk Ski Club in Middleton, Goodman Community Center been able to offer XC ski lessons to 13 kids in grades Kindergarten to fifth grade. The club provided the lessons, volunteers and all the equipment. This allowed us to offer the lessons at no charge for kids. We are now in our 6th week of lessons and the kids are really looking good. They are going down hills without wiping out and are growing more confident as a result. They are learning how to enjoy winter and love snow. For me, skiing is a gift that they will have all their lives.
It hasn’t always been easy for them. Their hands got cold. They had to walk
down and up some steep stairs to get to other trails. And of course, they have all wiped out and have had to learn how to get up. They have hung in there though and are now reaping the benefits.
So far, 3 kids have quit. This is sad to me, but I can’t force kids to go. The good news is that they didn’t quit because they didn’t like it. Two quit because they wanted to do other things at our Center’s after school. The other child quit because she had difficulty balancing on skis. Still, I am sad that they didn’t complete the course.
With two more weeks to go, I’m looking forward to giving these kids their certificates. They have really worked hard and I’m so proud of them. Plus, spring will be right around the corner.
