5 Tips for Skiing Holidays with Toddlers and Young Children

Last Updated 4th August 2020 at 4:49 pm

Skiing with a young family? We have built a reputation for offering unrivalled ski holidays to parents travelling with toddlers and young children.

If you have always loved to ski, and now have a young family, you may be apprehensive at the idea of taking your toddlers or young children to the mountains for the first time.

However, there are a few easy steps to ensure you enjoy your family skiing holiday; we have put together 5 tips to help families skiing with young children this season!

1. Make sure you book a child-friendly ski resort

As experts in family ski holidays, we know that parents can only unwind and truly begin to enjoy their holidays, whether it’s skiing in the Alps or relaxing on a beach, once they feel that their children are happy, safe and well looked after. That’s why all of our family ski chalets and ski resorts (La Plagne, Les Bruyeres, Reberty 2000 and Les Gets) were handpicked with families in mind.

Each of our family ski chalets offers so much to cater for babies, toddlers and younger children:

• High chairs and cots
• Buggies suitable for the snow
• Free nappies and wipes
• Bed guards, baby baths and booster seats
• Sterilisers and baby monitors
• Loads of age appropriate toys and games for the children

To make your family ski holidays easier and hassle-free, we offer in-chalet childcare options in all of our ski chalets.

If you are travelling with a young family, it is best to research the ski resorts and find one that is not only family friendly, but also has activities and clubs purposely set up to cater for younger children. Ski Famille offers a fantastic selection ski chalets within the best family ski resorts in France.

Monty the Marmot

2. Why not go with friends or share your ski chalet with another family?

There are so many benefits to skiing with groups of friends or with larger families, not only can families share costs, you can also book your accommodation together which means the children can play amongst themselves in the evening, giving you the chance to unwind and relax with a well-deserved glass of wine.

Our a la carte ski chalet childcare service is provided in the comfort of your own ski chalet 6 days a week at all times by our team of qualified and DBS-checked childcare staff and private nannies, handpicked by us.

We offer four childcare options for families suitable for children aged from 4 months all the way up to 12 years old. For more information on our in-chalet and ski childcare options please call one of our friendly team on 01252 365 495 or visit our a la carte childcare page.

3. Practice and be prepared for the slopes

Skiing is great fun, and hopefully your children will learn to love skiing as much as you do. However, if you have never taken toddlers or younger children skiing before, immediately expecting them to hit the slopes might be a bit much to ask. If your children are a bit too young to hit the slopes, even under the care and guidance of our ski schools, there are still plenty of childcare activities to keep them entertained whilst you enjoy the slopes.

Before your family ski holiday why not take your children for some practice runs at an indoor ski school? That way they will feel much more confident when you start your ski holiday, and will reduce the risk of any anxiety-induced temper tantrums!

Skiplex Centres offer revolving, fully adjustable slopes that replicate a real piste and provide a fast and economical way to learn. Suitable for all ages and skill levels these centres are a great starting point for families who are new to skiing together. Skiplex centres can be found in Reading, Basingstoke and Chiswick.

4. It’s all about picking the right time to go skiing

If you are hoping to go skiing for a week or two, then one of the first things you will need to decide is when you want to go away. We recently wrote a blog about 5 reasons to go skiing on Premier Neige Week, which highlights some of the benefits gained from heading out to the mountains on the opening week of the season. Quieter slopes and shorter queues, as well as great savings on lift passes and accommodation, are just some of the benefits you can expect, making Premiere Neige a great choice for a family skiing holiday.

The first two weeks of January tend to be a quieter time for most ski resorts, whilst half-terms and the Christmas holidays tend to be more popular amongst family skiers. If you can get away outside of the school holidays, your ski resort will be quieter, the slopes will be clearer, and the ski schools will be less busy.

There are advantages to both skiing during the school holidays and outside of them, of course. But if you are skiing with toddlers and younger children for the first time you may want to consider going outside of peak times.

5. Should you rent or buy your ski gear?

If you have young children and only plan on skiing once a year, we would recommend hiring their equipment instead of buying it all one year and having to replace it next. Children grow out of their ski gear so quickly, so make sure to check eBay, Gumtree and even Freecycle for amazing deals on salopettes, gloves, hats and other important ski wear for children. Our advice is to make a list of everything you can think of that you will possibly need to make your family ski holiday easier. Make sure you do it in advance so you can keep adding to it later and get everything you need in good time.

What you should pack for your children’s ski holiday:

With the 2015/16 ski season almost upon us, it’s that time of year we start to plan, arrange and think about what we need to pack for our family ski holidays. Packing for young children is not easy by any means.

We have put together a quick list to make sure you get the essentials for your children on their ski holiday:

• Waterproof Ski Gloves
• Ski Goggles
• Thermals or base layers
• Thick Socks
• A Warm Hat
• Plenty of Suncream
• Salopetttes
• Ski Jacket
• Long sleeved tops

Top Tip: Try to buy merino wool for your children’s base layers as they can wear it all week, stay warm and smell fresh as a daisy.

Try to avoid cotton against your child’s skin as it won’t absorb sweat, and they could freeze (poor things)! It’s also important to think about the little extras like snacks and a mini first aid kit for bumps and scrapes.

For more information on our in-chalet and ski childcare options please call one of our friendly team on 01252 365 495 or visit our a la carte childcare page.