Getting kids outside might seem like an antiquated yet obvious sentiment, but for many young kids today, consistent outdoor activity – like skiing and snowboarding – is far from a reality. It is well understand THAT kids should get consistent outdoor activity, but it is not as easy to understand WHY it is so beneficial for them.
Evolve Snow Camps offers ski and snowboard lessons on Saturdays for 8 weeks (January 12, 2019 to March 2, 2019) with busing from Toronto, York Region, Mississauga, Thornhill, Richmond Hill and Barrie to Mount St. Louis Moonstone (MSLM).
Evolve provides skiers and snowboarders of every skill level the opportunity to improve and train with Ontario’s best ski and snowboard instructors. We offer two different Snow Camps programs: our traditional downhill ski and snowboard lessons, and our Evolve Freestyle program, which focuses on skill development in the terrain park.
Top 6 Reasons To Get Your Kids Skiing And Snowboarding This Winter
1. Outdoor recreation promotes healthier, more active lifestyles.
It is no secret that North Americans are trending towards a dangerously sedentary lifestyle – overweight and obesity rates for youth have doubled over the past two decades. Outdoor recreation is a proven remedy to obesity, disease, poor immune systems and decreased life expectancy… not to mention, it’s awesome!
Adventure sports like skiing and snowboarding help by making physical activity enjoyable, while providing the excitement that may be lacking in other forms of exercise, often resulting in lifelong participation.
2. Skiing and snowboarding is not just all physical – there are mental health benefits too.
The majority of mental health ailments – stress, depression, poor self-worth (to name a few) – have all been proven to dissipate through outdoor activities like skiing and snowboarding.
Kids involved in outdoor recreation also find that they discover things new things about themselves that they are proud of. There is a lot that goes into a person’s identity and for most of us, our hobbies and passions play a huge role. When these outdoor activities are viewed as a form of self-expression, young people find an escape from the stressors in their lives, strengthen their identities, and define themselves in a way they may not have previously.
3. Skiing and snowboarding builds confidence.
Outdoor recreational experiences have been proven to increase the self-confidence of participants. Though skiing and snowboarding can be group activities, they are fundamentally individual in nature. Unlike most sports, there’s no one waiting on the sideline to sub you out and your progression depends entirely on your mental toughness and willingness to push yourself to improve.
4. Skiing and snowboarding builds stronger communities.
Recreational opportunities are essential to a healthy community… plain and simple! They bring neighbours together, encourage safer and cleaner shared spaces, and contribute to the cultural fabric of our communities. Recreation reduces alienation, loneliness and isolation, drawing people out of their homes and into the community. For young people, positive outdoor outlets are exceptionally important, as free time tends to be a risk factor for them more often than not.
5. Skiing and snowboarding promotes greater academic achievement.
Evaluations continue to demonstrate that young people who participate in outdoor recreation, like skiing and snowboarding, perform at a higher academic level than their peers. Through outdoor participation, kids gain a wide array of skills necessary to build and strengthen academic achievement.
Physical activity leads to increased brain functioning imperative to high academic achievement, with concrete connections between increased activity and stronger concentration and memory skills.
6. Skiing and snowboarding cultivates environmental responsibility.
There’s no better incentive to start taking care of our shared outdoor recreation spaces than the understanding that someday in the not-too-distant future, they could be gone. North America’s young people must be engaged in outdoor participation to ensure healthy and active communities, as well as a future for outdoor conservation efforts. Skiing and snowboarding encourages participants to consider the interconnected nature of the mountains, the lakes, the forests and, most importantly, their role in the protection of their community’s natural resources in order to ensure outdoor recreation and enjoyment for many future generations to come.
No matter how much experience your child has in skiing or snowboarding, we strongly encourage you to check out Evolve Snow Camps. We offer the best quality programming for kids in the Greater Toronto Area – and we know for sure that you will notice the benefits that outdoor recreation has on your child. For more information about this upcoming Snow Camps season, please CLICK HERE or email info@evolvecamps.com.
