The mountains in Montana and Wyoming are home to phenomenal ski areas. And many ski hills have family-friendly events such as a Christmas and New Year’s celebrations, or epic Easter egg hunts. But which activities will hold the kiddos’ interests?
These resorts offer unique experiences for our kids – the secret is the bonus for parents. When you plan your family ski vacation, consider what the kids will do while you’re lapping the tram. Here are the top five unique programs to entertain your little ones at our regional ski resorts.
During Christmas and New Year’s, Big Sky’s Lone Mountain Ranch has the ticket for kids’ winter fun. The Winter Outdoor Youth Adventures Program at LMR allows the adults to enjoy their preferred outdoor activity, while the kids partake in their own adventures such as snow-cave building, snowshoeing, Nordic skiing, animal tracking and sledding, and finally hot chocolate and s’mores by the fire. Part of LMR’s Holiday Discovery Package, the program includes authentic Montana lodging, adult Nordic ski and/or snowshoe tickets, three meals a day, yoga, live music, and a family sleigh-ride dinner you won’t forget.
Big Sky Resort’s Kids Club engages your child with daily themes such as Mask Making Mondays, Tie Dye Tuesdays, Wild Montana Wednesdays, and Slimy Sundays, plus special events that involve a bungee trampoline, climbing wall, games, dinner and movies all while the adults take to the slopes on their own. Big Sky Resort boasts “The Biggest Skiing in America,” and offers the Kids Club along with free skiing to children 10 and under staying with their families at Big Sky Resort-managed properties. Additionally, the “Lost Frontier,” a family-friendly adventure area off of the Pony Express Lift, has just opened this season.
After hitting the slopes – or even instead of skiing – take a magic carpet ride up and whiz down Targhee’s specialized tubing park on a huge inner tube. Riders must be at least 42 inches tall and hours are limited. Ready for a break by week’s end? At Targhee, parents and kids can each have their own special night out on Saturday evenings from 4:30-8:30 p.m. Targhee’s Kids’ Night Out provides children ages 2-12 with dinner, gazing at the evening sky, crafts and all around fun. Parents can take in an evening snowcat tour, treatment from Anew Massage, a soak in the heated outdoor saltwater pool, or fine dining at the resort.
Whitefish Mountain Resort offers programs to get your kids proficient on the snow while you enjoy the mountain. The Kid’s Center provides a Child Ski/Board and Play. The option of a half or full day includes an on-snow lesson with tickets or indoor activities. Alternatively, children can be dropped off for daycare if they’re not ready to rip up the slopes quite yet. Young ones can also join the Ski and Ride School, which offers everything from private lessons to kids groups that receive “Adventure Card progress reports” with a Montana Mountain Animal theme, letting you know what terrain your child can handle.
Bridger Bowl Playcare, Torchlight Procession and Fireworks
PHOTO BY JENNIE MILTON
Bridger Bowl Ski Area offers Playcare, a slopeside, sunny facility with qualified caregivers who encourage your children in creative play, snowman building, and sliding in an outside arena. Playcare also has a ski lesson option or a Snowsports School for more advanced kids. You relax and enjoy an adult day of skiing. Just in case you start to miss the kids, some fantastic family fun awaits. On December 30, Bridger Bowl celebrates New Year’s Eve a day early with a spaghetti dinner and festivities starting at 4 p.m. Watch the torchlight procession and fireworks with your family as the sun sets, and enjoy live music in the Jim Bridger Lodge.
A creative and freelance writer, Becky Stirling splits time between Big Sky, Montana and Kauai, Hawaii, working and playing hard to experience life to its fullest.
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019:4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
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Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep inward journey and peak state experience. This experience can activate and clear the chakras, release trauma, reset the nervous system, connect us with higher consciousness, and help us achieve self-actualization. No prior experience is necessary. Register at santoshabigsky.com/workshops-special-events
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
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Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome
Event Details
Come join us at Cowboy Coffee as we celebrate a fun night of drinks, games, and meeting others within the community. This event is from 6-8 and all are welcome to come, if you don’t know who to bring come alone this is a great mixer event! This is an event hosted by Big Sky OUT as we work to provide queer safe spaces throughout the community.
