Wa ... Wa ... Want to Learn How to Ski?

Here's a look at another great snow sports school as Grace, my 5-year-old daughter, learns how to ski.

Last Saturday, we took a trip to Wachusett Mountain in Princeton, Mass., just north of Worcester. Wachusett is as fascinating a place as there is in the industry because of several factors, namely a catchy jingle, a variety of terrain over its 1,000 vertical feet, a lodge that is the envy of many snow sports areas, a night racing program and the ability to churn out snow despite being so far south.

But Wachusett also has Polar Kids, a top-notch snow sports school for children 4 through 12, and Grace certainly improved her skills while having a lot of fun.

Here are a few factors that make Wachusett stand out.

• The drive. Is it even fair to call it a drive? Its just about 75 minutes from Vernon and most of north central Connecticut, right up Interstate-84 to I-90 to I-290 to I-190 and then Mass. Route 140. 

• The facilities. Wachusett has a huge lodge, yes, but in a separate building is the Polar Kids headquarters. HQ features a spacious lodge area where kids and instructors can spread out for boot, ski and board fitting and three separate teaching areas on the mountain.

• The philosophy. In his second year as children's director, Sean Belanger has brought the parent's perspective to the Polar Kids program. But he also makes sure the kids come first. He stresses fun, safety (helmets are included on rentals) and enjoyable experience for the family. "If the kids have fun, then the family has fun,'' he says. "Then, everyone wants to come back.''

• The fun. The kids get shuttled around on a sled puled by a tractor. Enough said. OK, there's more. The staff is made up of both young people and adults, who know how to mix up the instruction, the breaks and the games. It's a good combination. Most of the classes have great viewing areas for parents.

• The program. In level 1, the kids learn to get comfortable and move around on skis or a board. Then, the begin turning and stopping. Level 2 is more advanced stopping, turning and controlling yourself on the mountain. The first two levels utilize Magic Carpet surface lifts. The third level puts the kids on a chairlift and they work on speed control on a bigger hill.

Learn more about the Wachusett Mountain Ski Area Polar Kids program at www.wachusett.com.

Grace continued to progress in Level 2. Her turns and control improved markedly and she wants to get back on the hill as soon as possible.

There is still plenty of snow at the resorts, so it could be this weekend.