Shredder Urban Ski and Snowboard Park, Boulder

It's an old maxim that the best way to become a good skier or snowboarder is to start early in life, and go often. Shredder Indoor Ski and Snowboard Park takes it one step further: practice even when there isn't snow on the ground. The gym's ski instructors invite youngsters to strap on their ski or snowboard boots and plow down the carpeted indoor slope, available even when the resorts are closed or snowy roofs are still littered with Christmas decorations. As kids learn fundamentals and conquer the oft-frustrating early learning curve, the budding denizens of the black diamond build healthy traits such as endurance, balance, and strength. Kids up to 10 years old participate in a variety of programs from private lessons to summer camps, while parents can join in the action at Yeti School, structured for kids age 10 months to 3 years.