Birkie Trail Kids
Mission
To promote healthy, active lifestyles for area youth by engaging them in year-round outdoor recreation activities. Birkie Trail Kids encourages children to develop skills and confidence in a non-competitive, supportive atmosphere. Sessions are offered in both the winter and summer months.
Winter Programming
Registration is now closed!
Lessons are open to children ages 3 years old – 5th grade. Teach your child to love skiing and the great outdoors with Birkie Trail Kids!
Birkie Trail Kids Winter (formerly Hayward Nordic Kids) lessons are held at the Samuel C. Johnson Family Outdoor Center at the OO Trail System on Sundays from 1:00 – 2:30pm (lessons for ages 3-5 will be from 1:00 – 2:00 pm). Lessons typically go from early January to early March. There are no lessons the week of the American Birkebeiner. Special lesson dates include a costume day, Treats on the Trail, Friday night Glow Skis, and the year-end Birkie Trail Kids “Race”.
Parents are asked to be present during lessons. The younger groups may not ski for the full hour, so please confirm with each head coach about length of lesson. On colder days, lessons may be shortened. Please do not walk on the trails, even if you are helping with your child’s group.
2024 Winter Calendar
Watch your email or check our Facebook posts for cancellations due to weather. Calendar is subject to change.
- January 7, 2024: First lesson
- January 14, 2024: Lesson
- January 21, 2024: Lesson – Dress-up Day – Ski as a butterfly, superhero, dog, whatever you can dream up!
- January 27, 2024: Saturday night family Glow Ski event at the American Birkebeiner Trailhead at 5:30 p.m. Glow necklaces, fires, smores and hot chocolate are provided; all children must have an adult to ski with.
- January 28, 2024: Lesson
- February 4, 2024: Lesson – Meet the groomer day! Kids can meet the groomers and check out the equipment they use to groom the ski trails.
- February 11, 2024: Lesson – Treats on the Trail
- February 16, 2024: Friday night Family Glow Ski at OO, 6:00 p.m.
- February 18, 2024: Lesson
- February 25, 2024: NO Lesson (Birkie Week events February 21-25, great opportunity for kids to participate in the Barnebirkie!)
- March 3, 2024: Race – Wrap up the year with a great end-of-the-season celebration.
Equipment Rental
We have skis, boots and poles available in all sizes for you to rent for the season. The cost to rent equipment is $45. Equipment rental handout will be in early December at the Samuel C. Johnson Family Outdoor Center at the OO trailhead in Seeley. Please sign up for a time to pick up your rental equipment during registration. Volunteers will be on hand to help fit your child for skis, boots and poles.
Lesson Details
Children in Birkie Trail Kids are grouped by age and skiing technique. We teach the classic technique through 2nd grade and then allow children to choose to either learn the skate technique from 3rd-5th grade or stay with the classic technique.
Groups are designated by age or grade. The Bunnies are 3-4 year-olds; Jack Rabbits are 4-5 year-olds; Arctic Foxes are in Kindergarten; Wildcats are in 1st grade; Timberwolves are in 2nd grade; Snowflakes are in 3rd grade, using skate technique; Blizzards are in 4th grade, using skate technique; Avalanches are in 5th grade, using skate technique; Grizzlies are in 3rd-5th grades using classic technique.
Classic Groups for Ages 3 – 6
| Bunnies | Jack Rabbits | Arctic Foxes | ||
| Typical age(s): | 3-4yr | 4-5yr | 5-6yr | |
| Typical grade(s): | NA | Jr K | K | |
| Typical skiing ability (# of K’s able to ski): | 1k | 2k | 2.5 – 3k | |
| Fundamentals | ||||
| How to fall | X | X | X | |
| How to get up without poles | X | X | X | |
| Balance Drills – games without poles | X | X | X | |
| Relaxed arm swing | X | X | X | |
| Pole introduction | X | X | ||
| How to get up with poles | X | |||
| Downhill | ||||
| Skiing down in track | X | X | X | |
| Downhill tuck | X | X | X | |
| Snowplow | X | X | ||
| Wedge turns on hills | X | X | ||
| Snowplow/wedge turns on bigger hills (ski around cones) | X | |||
| Uphill | ||||
| Duck walk “herring-bone” uphill (bigger hills) | X | X | X | |
| Uphill striding, stomping on ski to grip (small hills) | X | X | ||
| Technique | ||||
| Diagonal stride walking/shuffling in track | X | X | ||
| Skiing in track – weight transfer without poles (toe-knee-nose) | X | |||
| Star turn/step turn | X | X | X | |
Activities to learn skills:
- Everybody fall/ legs up like a bug/straighten skis
- Elephant arm swings
- Hot potato (with ball)
- Simon Says (balance, side steps, etc.)
- Red Light, Green Light
- Red Rover, Red Rover (ski under legs or connected arms)
- Hot Snow (hop from one foot to another)
- Chariot Rides (pull with inner tube, stop with snowplow)
- Hokey Pokey
- Tag games
- Obstacle course/ski around cones
Classic Groups for Ages 7 – 10+
| Wild Cats | Timber Wolves | Grizzlies | ||
| Typical age(s): | 7 - 8 | 8 - 9 | 10+ | |
| Typical grade(s): | 1 | 2 | 3 - 5 | |
| Typical skiing ability (# of K’s able to ski): | 3ks | 4 ks | 5 to 6 ks | |
| Fundamentals | ||||
| How to get up with poles | X | X | X | |
| How to get up without poles | X | X | X | |
| Balance Drills – games without poles | X | X | X | |
| Balance Drills – Double pole in tracks with one ski lifted | X | X | X | |
| Downhill | ||||
| Snowplow/wedge turns on hills | X | X | X | |
| Snowplow/wedge turns on bigger hills (ski around cones?) | X | X | X | |
| Skiing down in track | X | X | X | |
| Perfecting ability to step out of track on bigger down hills | X | X | X | |
| Step turn fundamentals on small hill | X | |||
| Step turn on bigger hills (ski around cones?) | X | |||
| Uphill | ||||
| Uphill striding, stomping on ski to grip (small hills) | X | X | X | |
| Duck walk “herring-bone” uphill (bigger hills) | X | X | X | |
| Duck walk, using inner edges (bigger hills) | X | X | X | |
| Technique | ||||
| Skiing in track – weight transfer without poles (toe-knee-nose) | X | X | X | |
| Skiing in track – weight transfer with poles | X | X | X | |
| Perfecting pole placement when striding, core crunch | X | X | X | |
| Double pole | X | X | ||
| Double pole with kick; improve technique, pick up the speed | X | |||
Activities to learn skills:
- Obstacle courses
- Slalom Courses
- Frisbee games (soft frisbee)
- Relay races
- No pole drills
- Tag games
- Chariot games (with inner tubes)
- Skooter game (ski with one ski)
- Stop sign game (stop on hill)
- Jump turns (how far can you jump around, 90-180o)
- Bathroom scale (stronger with straight arms or bent arms)
Skate Groups for Ages 7 – 11
| Snowflakes | Blizzards | Avalanches | ||
| Typical age(s): | 8 - 9 | 9 - 10 | 10 - 13 | |
| Typical grade(s): | 3 - 4 | 4 - 5 | 5+ | |
| Typical skiing ability (# of K’s able to ski): | 3-5k | 5-7k | 6-10k | |
| Fundamentals | ||||
| How to fall | X | X | X | |
| How to get up with poles | X | X | X | |
| How to get up without poles | X | X | X | |
| Balance Drills – games without poles | X | X | X | |
| Balance Drills – Double pole in tracks with one ski lifted | X | X | X | |
| Downhill | ||||
| Snowplow/wedge turns on hills | X | X | X | |
| Snowplow/wedge turns on bigger hills (ski around cones?) | X | X | X | |
| Step turn fundamentals on small hill | X | X | X | |
| Step turn on bigger hills (ski around cones?) | X | X | X | |
| Skiing down in tuck position | X | X | ||
| Uphill | ||||
| Duck walk, using inner edges (bigger hills) | X | X | X | |
| Diagonal “V” – focus on weight transfer to glide during “duck walk” | X | X | X | |
| V1 uphill drill poling on favored side | X | X | X | |
| V1 uphill drill alternating poling from side to side | X | X | ||
| V2 uphill drill on gradual uphills | X | |||
| Technique | ||||
| Double pole | X | X | X | |
| Marathon skate | X | X | X | |
| “Diagonal V” – modified herring bone/duck walk with glide | X | X | X | |
| “V1” on favored side (right or left) | X | X | X | |
| “V1” on non favored side (right or left) | X | X | ||
| “V2” – poling on both sides | X | X | ||
| “Alternate V” – poling on one side only, time different than “V1” | X | |||
| Transitions – starting into hills, coming down from hills & rolling hills | X | |||
Activities to learn skills:
- Simon Says
- Relays
- Scooter Ski Relay (one ski)
- Obstacle Course
- 360 degree Jump Turns
- Falling forward w/partner (hips farthest forward on skis with heels down before you fall)
- Extended Diagonal Motion
- Slalom course
- Samurai Swordsman
- Tandem Scooter Ski (have a pair each take off inside ski and ski together)
- Four Square (cross poles on ground, jump from one square diagonally to another)
- Longest Glide
- Train Ski
- Lie Down Sprint Races
Additional Lessons
Is your child looking for more than just one ski lesson a week? Then consider registering for our Thursday night ski class. Add-on lessons begin Thursday, January 4, 2024 from 4-5pm at the OO Trailhead, and end on February 15,2024. This program is for kids of all abilities, ages 7-11. You can register for this program during the registration for Birkie Trail Kids. Cost is $70 for 7 lessons.
Coaches will get kids skiing and having fun on the trail- all while working on balance, coordination, and technique, but mostly fun! Techniques include classic and skate – anything goes! Cost is $70 for the 7 week program.
Who: Kids of all abilities, ages 7 – 11
When: Thursdays, 4:00pm – 5:00pm
Where: OO Trailhead
Cost: $70.00
Coaches and Volunteers
Birkie Trail Kids coaches are all volunteers, and we appreciate the time and effort they contribute each week to teach your children the lifelong sport of skiing! We always welcome volunteers and coaches at any level to help make each lesson great. Whether it’s getting out on the beautiful Birkie Trail system to coach or assisting our hard-working coaches, we’d love to have your help. Each season is fun and successful because of the great help we receive to make Birkie Trail Kids a great experience for all skiers. Please consider volunteering to help a child enjoy winter and learn a lifelong sport! We welcome new ideas and value enthusiasm from parents, coaches and volunteers, new and old. To volunteer with Birkie Trail Kids, please click HERE. We’re looking forward to a great season!
Interested in helping with season planning, equipment, or lesson planning? Email birkietrailkids@gmail.com!
Summer Programming
Summer Trail Kids will include:
- Adventure running
- Biking
- Ski training
- Biathlon & triathlon
- Water sports (canoeing/paddleboarding)
- Strength & flexibility training
Who: Kids of all abilities, ages 6 – 12
When: Mondays and Wednesdays, 9:00am – 10:30am
Session #1: 3 Weeks | June 12 – 28
Cost: $60.00
Session #2: 5 Weeks | July 10 – August 9
Cost: $100.00
Ending with a youth triathlon at Silverthorn Park!
Where: Samuel C. Johnson Family Outdoor Center at OO Trailhead
Register for both full sessions in one transaction and receive $10.00 off!
2023 Registration is Open!
Registration is Limited, sign up soon!
Contact Us
Email birkietrailkids@gmail.com if you have any questions!
