Kids Ski & Snowboard Lessons

Reservations may be changed or canceled up until midnight on the night prior to your lesson by using our Easy Change Form. Should you need to cancel or change your reservation on the day of your lesson, please contact us at 1(800)543-2754.

The Sunday River SnowSports School is located slopeside, adjacent to South Ridge Lodge, where you'll find signage for each program by age. 

Please make sure to label all belongings.

• Goggles
• Helmet (available for rent at our locations)
• Wind/waterproof insulated jacket
• Wind/waterproof insulated snow pants
• Long underwear, tops and bottoms 
• Waterproof mittens or gloves
• Wool/synthetic ski or snowboard socks (no cotton)
• Neckwarmer

Yes, all children's and adult programming do not include a lift ticket, with the exception of the Adult First Experience lessons. Lift tickets are required to participate.  Buy lift tickets online in advance and save.

• Lessons may include play time, cold weather breaks, and rest periods depending on the needs of the group. As much as weather and temperature permits, groups will remain outdoors. If warm-up breaks are necessary, they will be short and will be coordinated to ensure that groups are not intermingling. 
• Our Full-Day programs include lunch with healthy, kid-friendly menu options. Your child's group may also take a snack break during the morning and/or afternoon session. You may pack snacks and a lunch for your child but please give it to a Team Member at registration. We are a peanut/nut-free ski school. 
• If a child refuses to participate in their program, they will wait inside with a Team Member and a parent will be contacted to pick the child up.
• All children's programs have been carefully designed to include age-appropriate activities. Please do not enroll your child in a program that isn't designed for their age group. 
• Please evaluate your child's abilities realistically, and remember that Sunday River offers varied and challenging terrain. Instructors reserve the right to move a child to the most appropriate program for their ability. 
• Children under 7 will need to ride the chairlift with an adult. Please be aware that this adult may not always be their coach.    

If your child is in a full-day lesson and is having lunch with us, you can expect the following meals from our peanut/nut-free ski school program. Your child may bring their own lunch and snacks if you prefer. 

Lunch Options 
Lunches will be boxed-lunch style with individually packages items. Lunch will include chips, apple slices, carrot sticks, a dessert and one of the following main courses:

• Mac and cheese
• Hot dogs
• Chicken fingers
• Pizza
• Cheese sandwich
• Jelly sandwich
• Turkey sandwich
• Ham Sandwich
• Chicken Salad Sandwich
• Tuna Sandwich
• Soup Option

Drinks

• Milk
• Chocolate Milk
• Orange Juice
• Water

Snacks

• Animal crackers
• Goldfish
• Granola bars
• Cheese Sticks
• Yogurt
• Cereal

Yes. Our essential eligibility criteria, listed below, requires that children are able to use the restroom independently to participate in a SnowSports School lesson. 

Safety is the foundation of our learning environment at the SnowSports School. The Skier Responsibility Code, and if applicable SMART Style and PEEPs, will be incorporated into your children's skier education. It's never too early to learn about safe skiing!

• In case of an emergency, the emergency contacts listed on the registration form will be contacted. 
• Please be sure to notify the Children's Center Team of any medical or emotional needs your child may have, including allergies or other health conditions. 
• Medical information must also be listed on your child's registration form. 

Our Essential Eligibility Criteria for skiers and riders taking lessons at Sunday River SnowSports School may help you determine whether the student's needs can be met best through a group lesson, a private lesson, or an adaptive lesson. All guests are welcome and important at the Sunday River SnowSports School. Our goal is to provide a professional level of care and service for the best possible experience for all.

The Essential Eligibility Criteria (EEC) below outlines the essential eligibility standards that are required for ALL guests to participate in ski and snowboard lessons, group or private, at the Sunday River Resort. Adaptive lessons at the Sunday River Ski Resort are conducted by Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation and may be subject to different EEC's. The purpose of the EEC is to give our Team Members, our students, and their families the information they need to make an accurate, objective assessment when deciding if an individual's abilities are appropriate for a lesson format.  Specifically, the EEC assists in the determination of whether or not a student:

• has a willingness, desire and motivation to participate in the sport of skiing or snowboarding in a lesson environment.
• will or will not present a safety risk to themselves or others.
• will or will not distract from the experience of other lesson participants.  

In order to participate in a ski or snowboard lesson, a student must meet a basic level of physical and cognitive abilities. For some individuals, the basic level of function can be achieved with additional assistance or other reasonable accommodation. 

The EEC listed below specify the most basic functions necessary to allow for the safe participation in a ski or snowboard lesson. Although this list is intended to be comprehensive, there may be situations and variables that do not appear below and there are many different situations (such as weather, crowds, group dynamics, etc.) that make it impossible to list every form in which inclusion may take place. Therefore, this list is not inclusive, and Sunday River Resort reserves the right to determine additional criteria at any time.  

Physical Abilities  The student is able to do the following, independently:

• Visit restrooms by themselves, stop with the lesson on a trail, or maneuver in a lift line.
• Participate in the lesson without being under the influence of any controlled substance, intoxicant, drug, or hallucinatory agent.
• Perform all functions of the lesson within a reasonable time frame, without holding up the movement of the entire lesson.
• Continue with the lesson throughout the day without causing detours in terrain selection, additional breaks or other changes in the normal course of the lesson plan as designed for the entire lesson.
• Negotiate level-appropriate terrain without hindering the experience of other guests or causing risk to personal safety.
• Travel at an appropriate level of speed for their ability.
• Follow the National Ski Areas Association's "Your Responsibility Code," which requires that all skiers and riders:
  • Always stay in control.
  • People ahead of you have the right-of-way.
  • Stop in a safe place for you and others.
  • Whenever starting downhill or merging, look uphill and yield.
  • Use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
  • Observe signs and warnings to keep off closed trails.
  • Know how to use the lifts safely.      

Behavior/ Reasoning Abilities  The student is able to do the following, independently:

• Communicate personal needs to the instructor.
• Follow directions as communicated by the instructor.
• Maintain a reasonable level of willingness, desire and motivation to participate in the sport of skiing or snowboarding in a lesson environment.
• Refrain from discourteous behavior or profane language while engaged in the lesson.
• Socialize with a group of similar age and ability level students, without requiring extra attention from the instructor that distracts from the instructor's reasonable care of the entire group.
• Understand the cause and effect relationships in which an action or behavior may place the physical safety of himself or others at risk.
• Maintain the amount of attention and focus necessary to participate for the full duration of the lesson.
• Make arrangements for an authorized caretaker to dispense medications, as the instructor and other Sunday River Team Members are not permitted to do so.
• Disclose any allergies or medications that could affect their participation in the program to the program Team Member and/or their instructor prior to the lesson. Food allergies must be known ahead of time if the student is to be eating the provided lunch as part of their lesson program.
• Avoid leaving the class without permission.  

The instructor has the authority to cease the student's participation in the lesson:

• The student exhibits any behavior that makes the lesson unsafe to the student, instructor, and/or others on the mountain.
• The student makes it apparent that they no longer want to continue the lesson.
• The prevailing conditions and circumstances warrant.  

If you or your child do not meet one or more of the specific requirements above, please consider taking advantage of the ski programming from Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation, an independent non-profit organization located on-property at Sunday River Resort.

Contact Information:

Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation
8 Sundance Lane Newry, Maine 04261 
207-824-2440 
info@maineadaptive.org 
maineadaptive.org

Gratuities are not included and are not expected. However, they are always appreciated if you feel that the service warrants it.