Skiwiland
My First Ski School
Skiwiland is our fully licensed, Early Childhood Education (ECE) centre catering for children aged 2-5 years located right next to our base building here at Coronet Peak.
Skiwiland offers 2 epic programmes, Snowplay (ages 2-5), and Group Ski (ages 3-5), both designed to boost your child's confidence on the mountain and foster their love of snow young.
Our qualified teachers and instructors are uniquely skilled to help your child adapt to our mountain environment and progress in ski school & beyond into snowsports.
What will my child learn?
At Skiwiland, we believe children learn best through play, exploration and positive relationships.
Our Snowplay and Group Ski programmes introduce children to the mountain in a fun, supportive environment. They’ll explore snow and its unique properties, get comfortable moving in their snow gear and build confidence in a new environment.
Through guided play and practice, children develop balance, coordination and control, both on and off skis. They’ll learn to use their equipment, ride the magic carpet and grow their independence along the way. For those in Group Ski Lessons, they'll be lapping with smiles and discovering just how much fun skiing can be in no time.
As a licensed Early Childhood Education service, our programmes are guided by Te Whāriki, the NZ ECE curriculum. We nurture wellbeing, communication, social competence and a sense of belonging through meaningful relationships and experiences.
It’s a thoughtfully designed introduction to mountain culture set to build independence, friendships and a sense of belonging on the maunga.
Skiwiland Programme Schedule
CHeck out our Full-day runsheet
What Programme Should I choose?
Picking from Snowplay or Group Ski
Every snow adventure starts somewhere. If it’s your little one’s first visit to the Peak, Snowplay is the perfect introduction to life on the mountain.
For first time skiers aged 3+ joining us for multiple days, we recommend starting with Snowplay on day 1, then progressing to Group Ski on day 2 as their confidence grows.
Children aged 4–5 who are confident in new environments or have already experienced snow can jump straight into Group Ski.
Skiwiland Snowplay
Ages 2-5
Snowplay allows children to experience snow, discovering its properties, slipperiness, and temperature, all while mastering the right clothing for snowy adventures. Your child will learn to ride the magic carpet, observe ski lessons, and gain their independance in the snow, shaping their understanding of Snowsports and mountain culture.
Skiwiland Group Ski
Ages 3-5
Once your child is confident in snow and on the mourntain, Group Ski is a fantastic option. Through play, our expert teachers will challenge their balance in fun ways helping your child to find a stable skiing stance. They'll learn the basic fundamentals of skiing, including: riding a conveyor lift, control, and stopping all in Skiwiland's secure outdoor yard.
what to pack
Waterproof outerwear
lAYERS
Change of Clothes
Beanie & Socks
Comfort Items
Mittens
Goggles
Nappies/ Pull ups (if required)
Formula/Bottle (If required)
Top Tip
Preparing for Skiwiland
Help your tamariki feel ready for their first day by getting them used to their ski gear, a couple of days before you visit.
Get them excited too with our free printable book, My First Ski School.
Skiwiland & Beyond
Ski Pathways at Coronet Peak
Skiwiland is where little mountain adventures begin, building confidence and foundational mountain skills through play and exploration.
As they grow in age and ability, children can progress into Kids Snowsports lessons and programmes, with pathways for every stage of their journey that tie seamlessly with the transitional skills taught in Skiwiland.
Got an older child or a little skier ready for more? We’ll help you find their next step on the Peak.
Let’s get you shredding too
Superpass
- A full day, all-access Lift Pass
- Choose to ski at Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Mt Hutt and 9 more New Zealand ski areas
- Ski any day! No bookings required and no holiday blackouts
- Fully flexible, swap unused days for off-mountain activities if you need a rest or the weather isn't on
Parent Pass
Tag-team the turns. The Parent Pass lets two parents share the mountain, one at a time.
- Full mountain access one at a time while the other parent looks after the family
- Available to purchase from Guest Services - both parents must be present
Lift, Lesson & Rental Package
- Full Day Lift Pass for access 9am - 4pm
- Group Lesson from 10am - 3:30pm in small groups
- Equipment Rental: skis/boots, poles/wrist guards boots & helmet
- Book more days & save
faqs
Snowplay is the best product for 2-year-olds. They do not usually have the physical strength to keep up with the skiing group and struggle with the group lesson component. In snowplay, they are still learning the routines of a ski school, how to ride a magic carpet and the properties of snow. This prepares them well for Ski lessons in the following season.
For your children’s early experiences of ski school, we recommend Skiwiland Group Ski. The physical environment and play based learning culture facilitates enthusiastic participation in snowsports.
The security of the indoor classroom attached to the fully fenced exclusive yard creates a sense of safety for children to explore from.
The centre is well resourced for encouraging children to challenge their balance and have fun on skis. The experienced teachers are sensitive to when your child is ready to start learning the lateral and rotational movements that allows them to control their speed using a wedge.
As trained early childhood teachers we are often able to meet the needs of neurodiverse learners.
We know many neurodiverse learners thrive in a group setting, which is why we welcome and encourage them into our Group Lessons including Skiwiland, our fully licensed childcare programme for tamariki aged 2–5.
To help make the experience as smooth and magical as possible, we can tailor support within the group lesson environment.
If you’re considering lessons for a neurodiverse learner, we encourage you to get in touch ahead of time. The more we know, the better we can plan so they can get the most out of every turn.
As this is a new environment where children are taking the time to develop a sense of belonging and connection to our mountain, we ask you to be thoughtful about your visits to Skiwiland throughout the day.
Visits can be disruptive and unsettling especially when skiing where they can often be distracting and interrupt focus. Sometimes, when a parent visits, our tamariki can think it is time to be collected which can cause confusion.
Visiting over lunchtime can also be disruptive to the safe supervision of eating.
We understand that you know your child best, and ask you to take on this information when considering visiting your child.
At Skiwiland, our certified teachers and ski instructors work together to build your child’s confidence and skills at a pace that’s right for them.
Throughout the day, our teachers track progress on your child’s Skiwiland Progress Card, covering the skills they’ve explored and how they’re progressing.
Progress goes beyond skiing. We focus on communication and contribution, from listening and following instructions to carrying their own equipment and participating in a group lesson.
As confidence grows, we introduce skills to prepare children for Learner Zone Snowsports lessons, including side stepping, speed control, stopping and independently putting skis on and taking them off.
Have a particular goal in mind? Let our teaching team know at drop off and we’ll help them work towards their next step.
- Waterproof clothing and suitable footwear
- Any comfort items that will support your child to enjoy their day and transition from your care to ours
- Food and water are provided, however, if your child has severe allergies or special dietary requirements you may like to bring their own food. We do recommend contacting the teaching team prior to your visit if you have any special requirements
- Spare nappies if your child is using them
- Spare set of clothes, snow can be quite wet
- Appropriate Socks for skiing. Knee length socks are preferable
- Your child only needs to wear one set of leggings, trackies or tights under their ski suit
The best time to watch your child is just before afternoon snack time, around 2:30pm. This will allow your child to develop a sense of belonging, develop some understanding of what skiing is and then if they really want you, most of the lesson has already taken place.
If you are booked for the group ski, we recommend arriving between 9 and 9:15 to ensure sufficient time for completing enrolment and handover information. Time to fit boots and skis and for your child to practice moving in new equipment before heading out onto snow for the morning. If you arrive after 9:45 your child may need to do snowplay for the morning to avoid rushing and overwhelming them.
If you are booked for snowplay, we recommend arriving between 9 and 10am, although we can accept your child at any time. However, please avoid lunch time drop-offs as there is often no teacher available for handover.
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