Free Skiing for 5th Graders in Washington, Idaho & more!

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Free Skiing for 5th Graders

We learned of several FREE skiing (and often snowboarding) options for 5th graders in Washington (& parts of Idaho as well) last year & it looks like they are back again this year. This is a great opportunity for kids to try out skiing for the first time to see if it’s something they want to pursue further. The good news is that we should not lack for any snow this year in the Northwest as there is already a ton of snow in the mountains, so it’s a great time to have your child try out some snow sports!

For those of you in other states, it looks like many ski resorts around the country offer FREE ski/snowboard options for 5th graders – just google free skiing for 5th graders and you’ll find a lot of information. I did not find any info for Oregon ski resorts yet, though.

All of these options do sound like they can take a few weeks to get the programs set up for your child, so make sure to sign up as soon as you can for this ski season.

Plus, if you are in the Pacific NW and need skis for kids (first-time skiers) you will want to check out the Snovana Ski Sale events coming up. They happen in both Seattle and Portland, but the Portland sale includes the free skis for kids giveaway. 

• They happen in October in Seattle (October 18-19 this year)
• and at the Oregon Convention Center in November (November 1-3 this year)

Here is what they say about the free skis for kids (happening at the Portland Sale): 

Next Adventure is giving away a free pair of kid’s skis to the first 1000 never-ever kid skiers. “My first pair of skis” will allow kids to practice walking in skis and get accustomed to the awkward feeling of “oversized feet.”

In addition to free kids skis, you will also find up to 70% off on new and used gear, 20+ ski resorts offering lift ticket deals, ski/stay packages, and more.

Epic SchoolKids Passes::

The Epic SchoolKids Whistler Blackcomb Pack is a free program for Canadian and Washington State Kindergartners through 5th graders that provides five days of free skiing and riding at Whistler Blackcomb. You need to sign up for this pass by October 11th for the 2023-2024 season.

Stevens Pass 5th Grade Ski & Ride Free Program::

Stevens Pass Ski Resort in Skykomish, WA (Highway 2) has offered FREE Season Passes during the previous Ski Season to all of Washington State’s 5th-grade students to ski or ride for free.  You’ll need to visit in person, or call the number listed to get your 5th grader their free pass (and make sure to check out the documentation necessary to have with you). They are not advertising it on their website this year, but you can contact the number below for information on current seasons.

Fine Print:

• If you have any questions please call 206-812-4510.

Mt Baker Ski Resort Free 5th Grade Lift Ticket::

Looks like enrollment opens for this program on October 7th.

5th Graders are eligible for a FREE lift ticket any time he or she visits Mt Baker during the season. Students must be enrolled in the program ahead of time, though, in order to take advantage of this deal. They will not make the 5th-grade ski-free cards at the ski resort, you need to do this by mail or at the Mt Baker Business Office ahead of time. There is an admin office at the Heather Meadows Ticket Office and also one at the White Salmon Ticket Office. If you are sending it by mail, expect it to take up to 1-3 weeks.

Fine Print:

• There must be one accompanying adult who has a season pass or purchases a lift ticket per two FREE Program Participants.
• Must have proof of 5th grade enrollment for each child with a report card, School ID, teacher note, or certified letter of intent.
• Participants must be between the ages of 9-11 as of December 31 to qualify for the 5th Grade Ride Free Program

Mt. Bachelor – Kids Ski Free

Last year Mt Bachelor offered FREE Ski Tickets for all kids 12 and under when their parents purchase tickets of 3 days or longer (with advanced purchase). We are still waiting for them to announce this year’s program (will it be just 5th graders, or all kids 12 and under again). Keep an eye on their Facebook page for that info to be announced (last year you had to buy the tickets by October 8 – and they announced it on their Facebook page on October 6), so we would expect an announcement sometime soon if they will be offering the program again this year.

You can also find more Kids Ski Free deals for Mt. Bachelor here.

Here are the participating resorts::

• 49 Degrees North – Chewelah, WA
• Lookout Pass – Mullan, ID – Just off I-90 at exit 0 on the Idaho/Montana Border (also near Silver Mountain Resort if you are looking for someplace to stay)
• Mt. Spokane – Mead, WA
• Silver Mountain – Kellogg, ID (this resort has an indoor waterpark too – it is so fun. Find our review here).
• Loup Loup – Okanogan, WA

White Pass – 3rd Graders Ski Free!

***Update – this program was suspended last year, and we will update here if we see it come back for the 2023-24 season.

Another option in Washington for skiing free for kids is at White Pass, but they do their program a little differently in that 3rd graders ski free at White Pass ski resort.  It sounds like kids need to take a class in order to get the pass, although the details are not specific on this, so I’d call for more information.

Let us know if you hear of other participating ski resorts offering FREE skiing or snowboarding for 5th-grade students! We’ll make sure to add to the list if we find more options!

We’ve also got a post all about the Whitefish Ski School in Montana. We loved our time at the ski school at the Whitefish resort with our family if you’re looking for a good recommendation.