Ski holidays With kids: what to know

There’s no shortage of great domains that cater extremely well for kids. Most domains offer nursery slopes and some have snow gardens, while still having a decent spread of trickier slopes for the adults or older children.

Look for domains with snow gardens and nursery slopes. Snow gardens are areas specially designed to help little ones (from around three years old) to learn the basics in a safe environment and get used to wearing boots and skis. They’re equipped with ski tows and magic carpets for children under the age of six and games are used to make learning to ski even more fun.

If your kids are fairly able skiers already, be sure to pick a resort that has a good selection of blue and green runs, so that your children get some variety in their skiing. It’s also a good idea to look at resorts that you can ski in and out of via blue or green runs. It’s much easier for the kids to ski to the resort door rather than lug equipment around or wait for a shuttle bus. La Plagne (France) has a phenomenal range of wide, gentle slopes that are ideal for more experienced beginners. La Rosiere is known for its exceptional 180° panoramic south-facing view. Les Arcs Panorama has a gorgeous forest view it is also a perfect resort for families.

The golden rule with equipment for kids is to rent where possible. As your children grow, what fitted last season, or even a few weeks ago, will most likely not fit at the time of your holiday. If you’re sourcing all your equipment from a ski shop at your domain, make sure you find one that is either close to your hotel or somewhere en route between the hotel and the slopes. It’s better not to have a trek every morning and evening to pick up or drop off your gear, especially with kids in tow. If you’re hiring equipment from Club Med, it will be kept in secure lockers at your resort’s ski service room.

See our comprehensive packing guide for a list of all essential items to take with you on your skiing holiday.

Making your way to your ski resort can take a while and could require a couple more hours of travel even after a plane fight. Make sure you have planned ahead to stop kids getting bored and fidgety on the journey so you can relax more and look forward to your holiday. Bring some games along to keep them entertained, preferably not one that requires lots of pieces that can get lost down the side of your seat. A first aid kit containing antiseptic wipes, plasters and antihistamine will hopefully cover any minor accidents or ailments. Tablets can be incredibly useful when on the move. Bring some snacks to avoid grumbles about them being hungry.

While it is important to choose a resort offering the right level of skiing for the whole family, it is also vital to find a resort offering the right kind of entertainment for the family away from the slopes, whether that is fun restaurants that cater for the kids, or water parks, cinemas and bowling alleys, in case they want a day away from the slopes. Avoriaz in France is renowned for having an embarrassment of riches when it comes to activities, while Italian domains are always a great shout when it comes to feeding the troops. Who doesn’t want pizza and pasta after a day of skiing?

Starting a family does not mean you need to miss out on your skiing holiday. When you travel to a Club Med resort you will find professionals who can take good care of your very young children while you catch some time on the snow. We can also make mealtimes a pleasure by providing everything you need to to prepare dinners and lunches for your little ones as well as facilities that will make feeding time that much easier. This includes a baby-corner in our restaurants where you will find an assorted buffet, sweet and savory baby food, bottle warmers and a microwave. We even have dedicated Baby Restaurants offering balanced meals. Our “Biberonneries” will find all that is needed to prepare your baby’s meals. Steriliser, bottle warmer, microwave, mineral water, savory and sweet baby food are all available 24/7.

Many ski schools will start teaching children at the age of 3 and this is also the case at Club Med where all our resorts have ski-ing lessons for children. Toddlers can enjoy their first baby friendly ski holiday with Baby Club Med® where we have the equipment, meals and babysitters to deal with everything. We can also start introducing them to the pleasures of the sport. Our course for toddlers is run by our professional G.O.s who will use their expertise and guidance to start your little ones with their journey to becoming exceptional skiers. The introductory ski course is run in parallel to our Petit Club Med. You kids will thank you when they are hitting the black runs in a few years’ time.

Junior Club Med is focused on teenagers and the activities they love to do on holiday, including personalised ski lessons. And who says snowboard thrills are just for adults? At Club Med, children can also learn how to snowboard with classes ranging from 8 years and up. Lessons are run in groups for beginners, intermediate and advanced snowboarders.

Why not give your older kids the freedom to enjoy their holiday away from parents for a little while and make new friends? Teens can enjoy a bespoke Club Med Ski experience programme tailored for 11 to 17 year olds. They will acquire new Alpine skiing techniques such as Freestyle (Snowpark), skiing on the edge of the piste and through the forest, slalom, ski-cross and ski jumping taught by our ESF ski instructors. Get together in the evening for some fun and everyone will fully enjoy their ski holiday.