Dog Days of Winter

Our Buttery Bits of Wisdom About this Film:

• Why It's Worth It: Cuba Gooding, Jr. has a contained energy and seems as though he might explode at any point - either into an angry fit, or a contagious grin. The plot of this film is seriously silly -- especially when the dogs show up on a Miami beach with the sudden ability to talk -- adults may groan as they grin, but kids love it.
  
• Red Flags:  With lots of physical humor, and a few ethnic jokes at the expense of the white father/black son situation, the film is harmless for kids over seven. It has some perilous situations on the sled run, and a bit of sexual innuendo between Ted and his girlfriend. 
• Further Viewing: Movies about skiing tend to be very cheesy with the exception of classic James Bond films, many of which have fabulous chase scenes on skis (see The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only and On Her Majesty's Secret Service -- click here for a funny analysis of the ski scenes in Bond films). Other options: Cool Runnings tells the story of a Jamaican Bobsled Olympic team. Warren Miller is a documentary filmmaker who has followed extreme skiers and snowboarders for over fifty years; any of his films will make your older snow fanatics stare at the screen with jaws agape. And, there's Redford in 1969's Downhill Racer. If it is dogs and snow you like, there's also Eight Below, an exciting film about a sled team that gets left in the Arctic and the musher who goes back to rescue them.

Our Tips for Talking with your Kids about this Film:

• Itidarod Savvy: If your kids are intrigued with the sled dogs, they'll love the Itidarod. Click here for our chapter on last year's race - what our kids love is following the dogs' progress online.
  
• Literary Savvy: Gary Paulsen is a wonderful children's novelist who writes frequently about Alaska and northern climes, as well as the Iditarod. He has a writing credit on the movie. Our favorite books is Paulsen's Hatchet.

Our Buttery Bits of Wisdom about this Adventure:

• What Worked for Us:  Start your kids on skis at an early age (five or six) and they'll be able to pick it up again in later years; our kids learned to ski first, switching back and forth between skiing and snowboarding until they were ten (and chose to be snowboarders).  It's hard to master a sport in a day, so plan on a few trips over a few years; skiing together is one of our favorite family vacations, so start everyone early. One day (we hope) they'll return to skiing; in fact, the trend in extreme mountain sports is back to double-tipped freestyle skiing.
  
• Renting Equipment: We don't recommend purchasing equipment for kids until they stop growing; until then, renting is the way to go. Skis and boards must be fitted to body type and adjusted for skill level, so let a pro do this; boots need to be snug and comfy in order to best protect your kids so this is the area to focus on at the rental store. Kids with cold or sore feet will not stay on the hill. It's best to do this before you get the mountain, where higher prices and longer lines can be discouraging.
  
• Dressing Right: Outdoor clothing is expensive and you won't use it very much before your kids grow out of it, so borrow as much of it as you can from friends. (And be sure to pass forward anything that your kids outgrow!) Long underwear is the key to staying warm so don't leave home without it. Helmets are a must - everyone we know from child to adult loves theirs and wears them religiously. 
• Slope Savvy: Kids are naturally goal (and status) oriented, so before you know it, you'll hear them bragging they were on a 'black diamond' or a 'double black diamond' trail. Green runs are for beginners so you can feel safe making your snowplow turns. Blue runs are for intermediate skiers and riders, so the average speed on the slope increases. Black runs are for expert skiers only. Your kids may beg to run a 'black diamond' but be sure they are ready; the terrain is steeper and bumpier.

Our City Editors Tips for Good Beginner Hills around the Country:

• Google Terms: Google Ski Lessons for Kids and the name of your Town
• Boston: We love Wachuset Mountain, located in Princeton MA just an hour from Boston. for it's variety of trails, family friendly attitude and extensive snow-making. With lots of lessons, family programming and fun events like overnight ski adventures, this is the place to start your kids on snow. Newbies will love the Polar Kids program, and older kids who snowboard and freestyle will love the terrain park.  
• Chicago: Check out Wisconsin's Wilmot Mountain, just an hour from the city, to get started on the slopes.  Or, try a Swiss feeling experience just two hours away, at Alpine Valley Resort, with a cute Hill Hoppers program for true beginners (ages 3-4).
  
• New York:  Hunter Mountain, located in the Catskills Mountains of Upstate New York just two hours from the city, has been a popular adventure for first time skiers for decades. More advanced skiers will still be delighted by the range of trails.  Beginning March 1st they are running the "March into Spring Pass" ski and ride for $149 til end of season! For the non-skier or the weary skier check out their snowboarding, tubing and snowshoeing.
• San Francisco: A day trip is a little out of the question, as the mountains suitable for kids are nearly to Tahoe (three and a half hours out of the city).  Check out Sugar Bowl in Truckee for skiing and tubing that's very kid-friendly, Donner Ski Ranch for the most affordable option, and Boreal Mountain Resort for riders. 
• Washington, D.C.: Whitetail Resort in Mercersberg, PA is less than a two hour drive and is great for families and beginners.  Liberty Mountain, also in PA, is just an hour drive and also a good place for beginners.  Both mountains also offer tubing hills.