OP here. We ended up going to Liberty this weekend and it was awesome! We got there mid-afternoon on Saturday and went snow tubing. We stayed overnight at the Hampton Inn Gettysburg which was very nice. Breakfast at the hotel Sunday morning and back to Liberty shortly after 8am. Since it was Superbowl Sunday, it wasn't crowded at all. We have the 4th and 5th grade Snowpass for my son which is a fantastic deal - his learn to ski package was free and my husband's was half off. They took a 2 hour class together and by the end they were skiing like they were born to it. My 3 year old and I did a private "ski with me" lesson. I picked up some great tips to help her learn. She loved it! Back when I learned to ski, they didn't have these shaped skis - just the old "pencil" skis. The shaped skis make it so much easier to learn (and in my case, get my skiing groove back after all these years). It really is just like riding a bike. We all had so much fun that we are planning to do it again soon. Thanks so much for all your suggestions - we just may become a skiing family after all!

Anonymous wrote:OP here - thanks for all these great suggestions. I'm getting the feeling that Liberty might be a good option for us. If we wanted to stay overnight after a day of skiing, what are the rooms like at Liberty? Or should we find someplace to stay in Gettsyburg (which I gather is the nearest town)?

When we take our kids skiing at Liberty we leave in the afternoon and stay the night at the Sleep Inn in Emmitsburg (which has a pool) and eat dinner at the Carriage House (which the kids think is a treat) and then get up early and start skiing around 8:30am (before the crowds hit), break for an early lunch (also before it gets crowded), ski a few more runs in the aftetnoon and then go home.

Spending the night adds to the cost but it also adds to the fun.

Snowshoe in WV.

OP - I started my kids skiing at age 5. My youngest was actually 4 but we only went once or twice his first year. I also had not skied mucfor about 10 years but after a few trips down the slopes I could manage the bunny slopes with my little ones in tow. It comes back quickly. That being said I would vote for ski lessons to start them off right and give you time to feel comfortable again.
I don't know any programs for 3 y.os except a few very large facilities might offer private lessons. Most I looked into would not start until 4 or even 5 y.o.
My parents live near Scranton so we go there to ski. We have down Elk, SNO, and Camelback. Heading to VT in a few weeks for the first time.

Good luck - so happy now that all 3 like to ski. This is an activity you can do as a family forever which is what I like so much about it.

Wisp has a good kids program and nice kitchenette rooms for families. Kids program is long enough that you can go practice on your own and it includes rental and helmet.

PA has a 4th and 5th graders ski free (3x /yr) program. And 3 is not too young, but it depends on the kid. I have seen 3 yr old whizzing by me on the slopes. When they fall, they are so close to the ground, especially on a slope that they don't fall very far. But do get helmets. I think most resorts now also rent helmets. I would try a parent and child ski lesson. Most resorts have those programs. We started my DS at 4, but he is pretty coordinated and has strong legs. We tried DD at 5, but she wasn't as strong. So again, it really depends on your kid.

Definitely don't waste your $ staying overnight. Your kids probably won't ski for more than 4-5 hours. Unless you are going to do 2 days, I wouldn't bother.