Hestra
Ages 1-9Baby Zip Long Mitt
What We Love
- Very warm for cold-weather outings
- Long cuff + zipper makes them much easier to get on
- Reinforced palms and fingers improve durability
Worth Knowing
- Expensive for baby mittens
$38.50
Training Tool
Liberty Imports
Hula Hoop
Ages 2-4Ski & Snowboard Gear
$11.99
What We Love
- • Cheap and easy to find
- • Helps very young kids stay upright without leaning on you
- • Gives parents basic speed control and spacing
- • Can assist with towing on flats
- • Snaps apart for easier transport
Worth Knowing
- • Easy for kids to rely on instead of developing balance
- • Doesn’t teach turning or stopping
- • Bulky and awkward to carry
A hula hoop is a low-cost alternative to purpose-built ski training tools, but it only works if you understand what it’s actually doing. Used correctly, it gives very young kids (typically 2–4) a sense of connection without letting them hang on your body. It encourages them to support their own weight while you maintain control of speed and spacing. It can also double as a simple tow assist on flats or slight inclines. But it’s not a teaching tool for actual skiing skills. It doesn’t help with turning or stopping, and it’s easy for kids to lean on it instead of finding their own balance. Most instructors who use tools like this do so briefly, then move on once the child is comfortable sliding. Practically, you’re also carrying a bulky hoop around the hill, which gets old fast.
