How young can you start to snowboard?

My 11 year old has gone over to the dark side over the summer thanks to some cheap lessons on offer at Tamworth snowdome and seems to be coping fine with it.

Age and snowboarding is not a matter of years so much as bone development. At four years old the average child still has relatively soft bones and only partially formed cups in their knee joints. The kind of twisting pressures that snowboarding can exert can invisibly damage their joints before they have stabilised. Skiing constitutes less of a risk.

Wrist guards are a must, I broke my wrist first time snowboarding, 5 years on and I still love it, still wear wrist guards, under the glove ones are best, especially if your kids are concerned with looking good

boards are available for five years old, the kid may have more fun in a sled or learning how to ski. recommend that you wait a few more years until better muscle and coordination are developed. )

I have seen children as young as 8 on a board.
But I think, (gievn the amount of strain on the knees), that 10+ is a better age.

When learning I found a decent pair of wrist guards, knee pads and padded shorts invaluable for both confidence and minimising bruising.
...it will also given them confidence when they are learning to do controlled stops. IE - If they get too much speed up, they can just drop onto their knees without any damage.
Good luck with it all....
They'll have more fun on a board.. lol
<ducks and runs for cover>

we go to tamworth snowdome and they would not let my son board until he was 10. i dont know what the age limit is in the alpes.
he is now 13 and getting pretty good i must admit.

I started snowboarding at the age of 10. But safety first so helmet etc ... an absolute must have!
Cheerz,
Stefan

I started my son at 5, he is 10 now and is very good. He can go down any run linking turns all the way. I sent him with instructors for about 15 days the past 2 years as well as summer camp on mount hood this year. He can do anything that 90% of his instructors can do. They usually look like they are doing some sort of partners dance coming down the hill on their snowboards. I only put him with instructors because he is better than any of us in the family and better than all of the snowboarding class kids so he always ends up being in a private lesson type of setting with only him and MAYBE one other student. It also makes him step up to their level of boarding to keep up. Sometimes by the end of the week they are trying to keep up with him.... He loves it. I make him wear protective gear always, if I catch him without it he is done for the trip, no exceptions. I dont need/want a head injury kid....