Great deals. No kidding.

Getting the kids interested in skiing is a win-win situation. It gets them out into the fresh air and involved in a sport they can enjoy throughout their lives, and it gives you an excuse to be out there, too ("But honey, the kids have to ski this weekend!").

To keep costs down, a number of state ski organizations are offering some pretty killer deals. Take a look:

New York: Fourth Grade Ski and Ride Passport. For $19. a booklet, you get three lift tickets to each of 35 resorts. There's a Learn to Ski Passport, too, which offers one free beginner lesson and 20% off a second. Go to 44Free.com

Colorado: Fifth & Sixth Grade Passports.: Fifth graders get three free days at each of the 21 participating resorts. Sixth graders get four days at each resort for $99. Go to coloradoski.com

Michigan: Cold is Cool Ski & Ride Passport: Fourth graders get three free lift tickets to each of 22 participating resorts. Go to goskimichigan.com

Utah: The Fifth Grade Passport offers three free ticket at each of the state's 13 ski reosrts. The Sixth Grade Snowpass gets one free day at each. Go to skiutah.com.

Vermont: Fifth Grade Passport offers three passes to each of the state's 21 resorts. Go to skivermont.com

New Hampshire: Fourth Grade Earn Your Turns Program. Fourth grade students must research some aspect of the history of skiing in New Hampshire, and summarize the information in a report to their teacher. If the teacher finds it satisfactory, the student gets a book that gives him one free lift pass to each of the state's 37 resorts. Go to skinh.com.

Be sure to visit TheSkiDiva.com, an internet forum especially for women skiers, where women skiers can connect with one another to talk about everything and anything ski-related.