A child’s first experience of skiing is usually a mix of excitement, curiosity… and a bit of a struggle. Stiff ski boots, long skis, unfamiliar terrain and the cold environment can make those first few minutes on the snow more challenging than many families expect. From a motor skills perspective, the problem isn’t so much the equipment or the slope, but rather that the child’s body hasn’t yet recognised the movement patterns specific to skiing.
In this context, interesting proposals such as Dry Moves have emerged; this is a project developed by Immanuel Meier that puts forward a very simple idea:
“to familiarise children with the basic movements of skiing before they go to the slopes”.
Rather than practising these movements directly in the snow, the concept is based on trying them out at home first through play, balance and proprioception.
The aim is not to replace the real experience of skiing, but to create a preliminary environment for motor exploration. From a biomechanical perspective, this type of approach can be very useful in preparing a child’s neuromotor system before their first day at the ski resort.
The first day of skiing: a challenge for children’s neuromotor system
When a child puts on skis for the first time, their nervous system is confronted with a number of simultaneous stimuli. They must manage dynamic balance, shifts in weight distribution, gliding and postural control, all within an environment that can also be emotionally intense.
Biomechanics tells us that skiing requires constant control of the centre of mass over an elongated, sliding base. An adult with motor skills can adapt to this relatively quickly, but a young child’s brain needs time to build up these reference points.
Three key skills come into play here:
- Proprioception, that is, the ability to perceive the body’s position in space.
- Dynamic balance, necessary for controlling lateral movement.
- Cross-segmental coordination, particularly between the legs, trunk and arms.
If these elements have not yet been mastered, the child may feel unsteady or stiff in their movements. And when that sense of losing control sets in, the initial experience of skiing can become less enjoyable.
That is why many motor learning specialists recommend introducing movement patterns related to a sport before practising it in a real-life setting; and for this reason, we believe that the concept developed by the German Immanuel Meier, is a good idea.
Proprioception and play: why informal training can help
The concept behind Dry Moves fits perfectly with this approach to motor learning. Its products – such as drySki, dryBoard, drySurf and drySlope – are not designed as technical skiing equipment, but as play tools that stimulate balance and body awareness. From a biomechanical perspective, what is interesting about this approach is that it introduces key skiing movements indirectly, such as the first movements on a sloping surface, lateral movements, constant adjustments to balance, activation of stabilising muscles and core control on a moving surface.
These stimuli are very similar to those the body has to cope with when skiing, although in a much simpler and safer environment.
“The child’s brain thus begins to create sensory maps related to sliding and stability.”
This type of learning through play has a significant advantage: the child does not realise they are practising. They simply explore movement, adapt, lose their balance, regain it, and repeat the process naturally. In terms of motor development, this trial-and-error process is precisely what enables the development of solid motor skills.
Although that doesn’t mean you’ll be skiing with ease straight away, it can lead to something very valuable: less frustration at the start.
In many cases, the child feels more at ease because the movement isn’t entirely new to them. And that sense of familiarity reduces tension and allows learning to flow more naturally.
An interesting approach for families who want to introduce their children to skiing
In recent years, there has been much discussion about new learning methods in children’s sport. The general trend across virtually all sports is towards more open environments for motor exploration—less structured and more play-based.
That is why, at I Love Ski, we believe that initiatives such as Dry Moves fit in quite well with this philosophy. They do not seek to replace traditional ski instruction or become a technical simulator, but rather to offer a pre-skating experience that prepares the body for movement, achieved through play and guided discovery. The only limits are the child’s parents’ imagination, allowing them to include challenges that encourage the child to adapt their stance and movements on skis at home.
From the perspective of biomechanics and children’s motor development, these kinds of tools can be useful if viewed within that context: to encourage balance, proprioception and coordination before engaging in the actual activity.
Ultimately, the aim is simple. When a child arrives at a ski resort for the first time, they shouldn’t find gliding, balancing and sideways movement completely unfamiliar. And that first run should, above all, be a positive experience that marks the start of many future days in the snow.
