KidStuff

Child care: Kiddie Corral is for ages 6 months to 6 years. Cost is $99 all day with lunch or $77 half day ($92 all day, $73 half day during value season). Parents must provide lunch for kids younger than 18 months. Prepaid reservations required for all care programs. Cancellations must be 24 hours in advance to avoid being charged. Call the Kids' Vacation Center, 871-5375 or (800) 299-5017. Steamboat's children's programs have been very highly rated over the years by various magazines.

Other options: Baby's Away (800-978-9030; 879-2354) rents and will deliver baby needs to your lodge, such as cribs, strollers, car seats and toys.

Children’s lessons: Ages 2–5 can opt for a one-hour private lesson and all-day child care for $220 including lunch ($205 value season). Ages 3½–4 who want more time on the snow can take all-day clinics that have two to four hours on snow plus playtime and lunch for $112 ($105 value season). Ages 4–kindergarden can get even more time on skis in either a half-day program at $87 ($83 value season) or full-day for $104 ($97 value season). No lift ticket is required for kids ages 5 and younger.

However, lift tickets are extra for all programs listed below (see Lift Tickets to see which kids need to pay for a ticket and who skis free). Ages first grade–15 pay $105 for an all-day lesson with lunch or $80 for a half-day afternoon lesson ($98 all day, $75 half day during value season). Classes are grouped according to age and ability. Kids 8 and older who are at least intermediate skiers and riders can take a half-day freestyle park and pipe clinic for $85. During Holiday weeks and mid-February through the end of March, kids age first grade through 15 also have a Desperado Ski and Snowboard Week program for $525 ($490 during value season). For 5-6 year olds, it's Jackalopes Ski Week for the same prices. The lessons are all day and lunches are included. Kids stay with the same instructor the entire week.

Ages 13-17 who are at the intermediate level or higher can join the "Steamboat Teen Challenge" an all-day program (with lunch) offered at select times. The cost is $105 per day ($98 during value season). Steamboat also has the Billy Kidd Performance Center for ages 8 and older who are at least of intermediate ability (see Adult Lessons).

Child tracking: Kids enrolled in Steamboat's children's programs are issued a Steamboat MountainWatch, a Wi-Fi tracking device that allows their instructors to know their whereabouts at all times. Parents wishing to also know where their offspring are can buy a watch for $5 per watch per day or $25 for four watches for 3-7 days.

Skiing with your children: Steamboat has four kids-only lifts and two special teaching areas with their own moving carpets. More advanced children have kids-only ski terrain at Rough Rider Basin with its own lift plus Indian teepees, a frontier-style fort and the Beehive kids' terrain park. One child 12 or younger rents gear free with each five-day parental adult rental; certain restrictions apply. Rentals are available at the Kids' Vacation Center. Helmet rentals also are available.

Special activities: Kids Adventure Club offers a "Kids' Adventure Club at Night" for kids, ages 5–12 years, every Tuesday through Friday evening from 6–10 p.m. Held in the Kids' Vacation Center, it's a camp environment with supervision, pizza, snacks, games, movies and rest time. Children ages 5–7 can go tubing and children 8–12 are involved in a variety of activities including tubing, a climbing wall and swimming. Reservations are required by 4:30 p.m. on the day of the requested date. Walk-in guests are accommodated on a space-available basis. Cost is $45 per child.

Photos courtesy of Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp.