Once your kids are strong enough to walk and communicate well, they can start to enter the world of skiing for themselves. This is a really exciting time for the children and for you as well, so let us help get it right and make it even more special.

We have three top tips for skiing with young children:

  1. Get them the right kit. This starts before you get to resort. Make sure they have layers so they can stay warm in all temperatures… and good gloves… not because they’re going to fall over lots… but because they’ll be making snowballs at every opportunity! When you’re in resort, make sure you use a supplier who has the right kit for young children. It’s important that the boots are a good fit and also that the skis are not too heavy… this is really critical if they are at the very youngest end of this spectrum.
  2. Get a good instructor… get your child excited about this… but then leave them to it. For 3-4 year olds there won’t be all that many ‘group’ options. Usually children of this age are only going to ski for an hour or two at most… so many ski schools offer taster sessions over lunch which can be ideal for this. Once they are a bit older and strong, so maybe 4 but often 5… then they can enrol in their first ski school group. There are loads to choose from and our team can help find the right company for your child.
  3. Be realistic… it’s easy to think that because your child is now on skis you’ve hit the childcare nirvana and can blast around the slopes care free all day. Unfortunately you’re not quite there yet. Realistically… even basic skiing at this age will be really tiring for most children… usually after a few hours they will be shattered. We would recommend picking either a morning or afternoon lesson, during which we’d get on the slopes ourselves… and then planning to spend the rest of the day having some fun in the snow with the skis – building snowmen, throwing snowballs and perhaps even some sledging!

Obviously you can combine ski school with some childcare if you want to get out on the slopes a little more… but in our experience this is a great time to spend with your children. Chris, our Managing Director says “I can honestly say that being sat on a chairlift for the first time with my child is perhaps one of the most surreal but also magical moments in my life… that ski trip for me wasn’t so much about my own skiing… it was about enjoying this amazing world with my child and seeing their face light up as it all started to click.”

(Main image ©Sylvain Aymoz)