Monday, November 13, 2017

A Ski Family's Holiday Gift Guide

There's lots of snow in my backyard, the skis are out, and I've already been listening to Christmas music since November 1st. (yes, I'm one of "those" people.) My annual holiday gift guide has always been one of my most popular stories, and this year I have chosen my family's favourite winter hobby as the theme. Skiing!

A Ski Family's Holiday Gift Guide 


Gift Ideas for the Downhill Family 



Ski Discount Cards


Didn't jump on seasons passes this year? No problem. Put an RCR Rockies Card in each adult or teen family member's stocking and you'll be able to afford multiple ski days on the slopes this winter. Each card costs less than $100.00 and includes three free days of skiing at four awesome resorts including Nakiska Ski Area, Calgary's closest resort. And for creative gift wrapping, wrap the discount card in a pair of ski socks or a new pair of gloves.

The Sunshine Super Card is another great discount card offering free days and discounts at Sunshine Village, Marmot Basin in Jasper, and Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

And finally, we love the Lake Louise Plus Card where you can get three free days of skiing at 5 great resorts including Panorama and Castle Mountain Resort. You can also link children to your Lake Louise Plus Card so that they receive discounts every time you use your card.

Read more about ski discount cards in the following stories:



Ski discount cards allow for more days on the slopes this winter!


A New Thermos for the Day Lodge


Save money on overpriced hot chocolate and coffee at the ski hill by bringing your own thermos with you.  You can also bring a hot lunch for the kids in a food thermos.

Thermos Suggestions:



New Skis


There must be somebody in your family who could use a new pair of skis. I know my husband hints about this often! Or at the very least, buy your wife a new pair of ski poles if she's been using the same ones since she was a teenager. (Yes, that's a true story!) And I should add that new ski boots also make a great gift idea. (Also good for the wife who's had the same pair since she was probably 18 years old.)

And if the kids need new ski boots, I suggest checking out the adjustable Roces Ski Boots from All Out Kids Gear, Affiliate Partner.


A New Ski Helmet


Kids grow. Helmets get too small. Upgrade to a newer helmet this Christmas and protect those noggins.

You can find great helmets for the kids from All Out Kids Gear where you'll get free shipping on all online orders of $49.99 or more (before taxes.)

Ski Helmets make great Christmas gifts


New Ski Goggles


My son will be getting  a new pair of ski goggles this Christmas because I just realized that he's been wearing his current ones since he was 2 or 3 years old. (He's now 8!) Helmet-goggle gap is a "thing" apparently, and so you'll want to make sure your child has a cool pair of goggles to fit his or her helmet.

You can add goggles to your cart on the All Out Kids Gear website when you're shopping for helmets and ski boots.


Two Way Radios for the Ski Hill


Have you ever lost a kid on a ski hill? Or a spouse even? I have, and it's terrifying! With two way radios, you can ski worry-free, even if your little shredder accidentally gets ahead of you and takes a wrong turn.


Get your family geared up for ski season!



Gift Ideas for the Cross Country Family



Ski Passes for your Local Nordic Centre

I'm thrilled that I actually have a seasons pass for the Canmore Nordic Centre this winter, and I plan to get out a LOT mid-week when my son is at school.



A New Thermos for the Trails

Invest in a vacuum insulated thermos (as already mentioned for downhill gift ideas) and bring tea or hot chocolate with you on the trail to stay warm.

Cross country skiing is a great family activity

New Skis

I'll never forget how happy I was when I received a pair of waxless cross country skis for Christmas a few years ago. (no more wax problems on sticky spring days!)

And there are so many different kinds of cross country skis out there, it shouldn't be hard to think of a new pair your partner would appreciate (skate skis, light touring skis with metal edges, actual skinny Nordic skis if he/she only has wider touring skis...)

And then of course there are the kids, who just won't stop growing!!

And you might be buying new boots to go with the skis.


A Pair of Adjustable Trekking Poles for the Kids

I grew tired of constantly having to buy my son new poles every year or two (for both cross country and downhill skiing.) So last year we just bought him some adjustable trekking poles and he uses one pair of poles for everything!! Brilliant, right?

Shop trekking poles from All out Kids Gear


Not bad for adjustable trekking poles!


Ski Clothing and Outerwear Gift Ideas


  • Ski Socks - Can you ever have enough ski socks? 

  • Ski Gloves - Skiing is fun when hands are warm. 

  • A New Toque or Beanie

  • A New Set of Long Underwear for the Kids  - Again, kids grow, and chances are they won't fit last year's base layers anymore.

  • A New Buff to Wear Under a Ski Helmet - Kids tend to chew holes in their buffs (at least my son does) so chances are, your child could use a new ski buff. 

Shop online from All Out Kids Gear

You'll also find great toques and beanies from  Sunday Afternoons.


Warm toque, fleece buff, and warm gloves for ski day victories



Stocking Stuffers



Hand and foot warmers


Fun granola bars - the expensive ones or flavours that you never buy because they don't come in bulk from Costco.


Fun snacks - Christmas themed chocolate, fun items to take on the trails, or anything the kids beg for (and never get.)


Ski Wax - There's always a new and better ski wax for cross country skiing.


Ski Repair Equipment (base repair kits, metal scrapers, repair tools and kits)


Ski Lock- I just received a few of these and look forward to trying them out at the ski hill this winter


Ski Socks - Because you can never have enough pairs of ski socks


Take my suggestions and browse to find what works for you. There are dozens of different products available for ski tuning, waxing, carrying and strapping skis, or caring for your skis.

And by ordering off of Amazon, I "might" receive a few dollars as an Affiliate partner.


Load the stockings with items to make skiing more fun this winter


Ski Books 


The book that I have on my Christmas list is Ski Trails in the Canadian Rockies - 5th Edition - It is the ultimate ski touring guidebook for cross country skiers looking to get off the groomed and beaten path (and for backcountry skiers looking for a scenic ski tour.)


Follow this link to browse a giant list of other Ski Books off Amazon.ca.

Including these ski books:

- Summits and Icefields - Alpine Ski Tours in the Canadian Rockies

- Backcountry Ski Safety guidebooks

- Avalanche Safety guidebooks

- Ski themed cookbooks

- Tips for teaching kids to ski

- Powder: The Greatest Ski Runs on the Planet

- DIY Ski repair


Buy "Ski Trails in the Canadian Rockies" and find hidden trails like this one in Banff



And, if you're looking for some great ski-themed children's books, check out a few of these Ski Books for Kids off of Amazon.ca. 

Top Suggestions for Picture Books would include:

- Ollie's Ski Trip

- Squirrels on Skis

- Learning to Ski with Mr. Magee

- Bunny Slopes

- It's a Day for Ski and Play

- First Tracks

And for chapter books:

- Ski School Sneak (Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew)

- The Little Rippers: Volume 1 - Here come the little rippers

- Go West Little Rippers

And, check out this Skiing Coloring Book!


As mentioned already, if you buy a book or two here off of Amazon, I "might" make a few dollars to order a few for my family too.


Inspire the kids this winter with some fun ski-themed books


Fun Ski-Themed Gift Ideas



Ski-themed tree ornaments

A mounted photo of one of your favourite family ski days - Take one of your favourite ski photos, take it down to any photography shop, and get it dry mounted for your rec. room. (It would also be great on a child's bedroom wall if it was an epic ski photo of your little ripper.)

A favourite ski map, dry mounted - My son LOVES ski maps. He would love a giant map on his bedroom wall for his favourite ski resort.

Ski Wall Art Decals for the House 


And again, these contain links to Amazon.ca. Browse around if you want and support my affiliate efforts. 


Never a bad day on skis


Check out my complete holiday gift guide collection

 




86 comments:

  1. What wonderful gift ideas and giveaways. Any of them would be welcome.

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  2. Great gift ideas. And so true about the fancy and fun granola bars not coming in bulk at Costco!

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  3. Ha! I couldn't find a way to edit the comment, anyway I love your stocking stuffers! Never thought of those!!!!
    Our fave trail is probably Heart Creek, there's no whining there as kids can jump in the stream all the way!
    Our winter adventure probably will be Grotto Canyon, and finally trying for first time XC at the Nordic Centre

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  4. What is your favourite family hiking trail? We really enjoyed exploring Lake O'Hara the past summer. Great family place to explore.

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  5. We love Roces boots too! They are genious

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    1. Love and highly recommend them! Good for many ears especially with 3 boys.

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  6. We loved exploring the heart creek caves this past summer

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  7. What snowy adventures do you have planned for your family this winter? Lots of skiing!

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  8. Looking forward to getting my kids outfitted and ready for many winter adventures together.

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  9. Great suggestions! We are also doing new goggles as gifts--I realized my kids have had theirs since toddlerhood too!

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  10. What is your favourite thing to do outside in winter as a family? I think skiing is at the top of our list.

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  11. We are hyped for my office's annual trip to Panorama, fave hiking trail is probably Bow Valley Ranch - so convenient for a quick visit! This year we are going to get into snowshoeing. And my kids love sledding more than anything else.

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  12. The kids say our favorite hiking trail is bear's hump in waterton for summer and troll falls in winter ��

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  13. We love sledding and skating outside in the winter. And this year we are super excited to have downhill passes... lots of skiing and boarding as a family hopefully

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  14. Great ideas here! We winter bike, ski, sled, and sit at cozy fireplaces. And I love the ducksday winter suit in the pictures.. we have one for our youngest and the eldest is jealous.

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  15. We love to ski at Nakiska! I love watching the kids get stronger and braver.

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  16. We want to spend lots of time skiing and cross country skiing at confederation park, the mountains and hopefully a trip to fernie!

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  17. Our favourite thing todo outside as a family is definitely tobogganing

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  18. Our family loves ski days in the beautiful South Okanagan

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  19. Our family is excited about getting up the mountain and doing some skiing together! Would love some near gear to stay a little warmer

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  20. We toboggan in our driveway ALL THE TIME

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  21. Our dog loves hiking in the snow

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  22. We can't wait to get our two kids out - so we are looking to the first ski trip of the season. Wherever!

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  23. As a family, Ptarmigan Cirque is our fav!

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  24. We have sledding, skating and xcskiing planned!

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  25. Our favourite outdoor activity is sledding.

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  26. We will be skating, skiing, snowshoeing, and tobogganning in our backyard!

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  27. We're actually planning an adventure to the mountains to take Christmas photos in a couple weeks. We haven't been "snow people" in the past, but I think this might be the year.

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  28. This summer our 4 year old rocked Ptarmigan Cirque - which was really exciting and makes it our new favourite family hike!

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  29. Our winter plans for this year include LOTS of skiing, introducing cross-country skiing to the mix, winter hiking, tobogganing and skating

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  30. Our snowy family adventures this winter include a ski weekend at Panorama, xcountry, skating and fat biking at Nipika, Santa Claus parade in Banff and lots of tobaganning!

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  31. We love snowshoeing in the Sierra!

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  32. Following Altitude Sports in Instagram!

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  33. We love to go sliding in the winter!

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  34. we have lots of sliding and skating trips planned!

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  35. Our favorite thing to do outside in sliding!!!

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  36. Lots of great ideas here. Thanks for a good job again! Fav. hiking trail - why choose one, try a new one each time. Fullerton Loop is a nice easy accessible one that comes to mind. This year's snowy adventures - try a new to us ski resort :) And fav thing to outside as a family, probably just a walk because it is always accessible, followed closely by downhill skiing then xc skiing...

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  37. Great ideas!
    My fav hiking trail is Cirque Peak. Sadly not one that I could with my kids anytime soon :(

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  38. As far as snow adventures go, nothing planned just yet.

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  39. We love Johnston Canyon and Mt St Piran! Followed All Out Kids on instagram - love their stuff. :)

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  40. Our family favorite is a ski trip that includes a hotel stay with a waterslide. We try to get out to locally every weekend but we aim for one hotel stay at either Fernie or Golden a year. The kids think a waterslide after a ski day is about the most perfect day.

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  41. We love a good family day at troll falls. This is kids first successful hike and we try to do it a few times a year. It's a great moral booster for all of us.

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  42. My daughter loved her intro to xcountry skiing through school last winter.

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  43. The kids would probably say their funnest times outside in the winter are sledding on the local toboggan hill and skating on the outdoor pond.

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  44. We love to go sledding outside in the winter!! SO MUCH FUN!!

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  45. We are hoping to go snowshoeing this year as a family and I cannot wait! We have so many awesome trails that stay open year round in Wisconsin!

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  46. I can't wait to get to the mountains to ski!

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  47. Always full of good ideas Tanya!! Thank you!

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  48. We like the hiking trails around Natural Bridge, KY.

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  49. I have a little one so we won't be out in the winter too much this year.

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  50. We like hiking in Prince Albert National Park.

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  51. We are going to do some winter hiking and exploring adventures.

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  52. Our favourite winter activities are hiking and building snow forts.

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  53. Looking forward to heading to FERNIE!! (no surprise there, lol)

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  54. Favourite hiking trail so far was Grotto Canyon.

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  55. Favourite outdoor activity in winter is sledding!

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  56. Snowy adventures - I hope there are many! Skiing, sledding, hiking - maybe even an adventure with Tanya and family if we are lucky!!

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  57. We are most looking forward to a cross country ski trip to Lake Louise again this year, but also trying to figure out a weekend to try the kids out on downhill skis and still deciding on what hill to try them on.

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  58. We love Johnson Canyon in the mountains and in town we love Waterfall Valley since it is just around the corner from our place.

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  59. We hope to get up to Edmonton for the winter festival this year, there will be cross country ski trips to the mountains for weekends and some of the winter festivals.

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  60. We love to cross country ski as a family and it is definitely our favourite winter activity. Now that our youngest is a little older and stronger we also hope to get more winter hikes in as well.

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  61. We are going to try to snowshoe with the kids for the first time!

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  62. We love the Canadian Bonnechere Provincial Park where we go hiking. Thanks so much for the fantastic giveaway and chance. :)

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  63. We're just getting into hiking as family so we don't have a favourite trail yet but I can't wait to try out some of the suggestions here next summer. As for winter, we've got two mini-adventures planned - staying near Fernie and trying our first time at a hostel in the winter! I really love to cross-country ski and this winter we'll get out as family on the trails as much as we can.

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  64. I'm most looking forward to Lake Louise ski trip! Thanks! Entered as REBECCA ROBERTS

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  65. Thanks for this list, a lot of good stuff in here! We're most looking forward to our trip to Fernie this year!
    We're not huge hikers, we do more hiking. But we do quite a bit of snowshoeing around Calgary during the winter.

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  66. I’m looking forward to a trip to Kicking Horse Mountain this year.

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  67. A snowy adventure we are planning is to get out snow shoeing a lot more. We also have passes to Canmore Nordic so we plan on spending a lot of time xc skiing.

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  68. Our favourite thing to do outside as a family is a day of skiing or skating outside at bowness park or a natural lake.

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  69. Our favourite family hiking trail is either grassi lakes or grotto canyon. As our kids grow I can’t wait to do a summit.

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  70. We had a great first day at Norquay - making memories for the first time all four of us were on the hill ! Looking forward to a family trip to Fernie this year.
    This is the first time commenting - but I am always inspired by your blog and is the first place I go to stir up ideas for family fun days !

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  71. We plan to home a lot this winter!

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  72. Favourite hiking trail is in Exshaw (just out of Canmore). We use to live there. A lot of nice trails to explore right from town.

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  73. Outside in winter as a family: we do it daily... walk by the lake with our 4 pups offleash

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  74. Excited to take my daughter for her first time skiing this year!

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  75. We have been really enjoying downhill skiing this year! It has been great to be able to ski in November!

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  76. Great ideas for our family and exciting giveaways - fingers crossed ;)

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  77. We also bought canmore nordic passes in case there was no snow this year - looking forward to a great season of skiing!

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  78. Ski trip…cross-country Kananaskis exploration as a family (and probably a one-day downhill day)
    Favourite hiking trail…this changes every year as our family changes, but the best from this year was Ptarmigan Cirque…the whole extended family.
    Snowy adventures…mostly cross-country skiing, probably one downhill, and lots of in-city walks.
    Favourite thing to do outside as a family: snowball fights!

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  79. Our favorite thing to do outside in the winter is ice skating

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