How To Make Skiing With Kids Easy

Any parent who loved hitting the slopes pre-kids dreams of becoming one of those skiing families. You know the ones. They glide effortlessly down blue runs in neat formation, have deep and meaningful chats on the chairlift and linger over long lunches on sunny alpine terraces. There’s just one small snag in this picture-perfect mountain fantasy: your children have to actually learn how to ski first

And if you’ve ever tried to wrestle a four-year-old into ski boots at 8.30am while they insist they’re suddenly “too tired”, “too cold” and “definitely not skiing today”, you’ll know this not a straightforward task. Add in missing gloves, a helmet that “feels weird”, and a ski school start time that waits for no one, and you may already be questioning all your life choices

Let’s be honest: skiing with small children is not always easy. There will be tears (theirs and possibly yours), tantrums on the nursery slope, and at least one moment where you mutter, “Why didn’t we just book a beach holiday?” while peeling soggy mittens off tiny hands

But before you give up and resign yourself to a decade of sandcastles instead of snowploughs, don’t panic. With a bit of planning, a lot of snacks and a healthy sense of humour, a family ski trip can be fun -even, dare we say it, magical – and doesn’t have to feel like an extreme endurance sport

So whether you are already acing the black runs or just want to try skiing for the first time with the kids, here are some top tips to help make a trip to the Alps considerably more enjoyable and remove (most of) the hassle – so one day, you might actually become those families on the mountain after all.

Choosing the right resort is everything. While the thrilling black runs of Chamonix or Verbier may once have been calling your name, when you’re skiing with small children it’s time to reset expectations. What you need now are excellent beginner slopes, not icy vertical drops

In the very early days, when your little ones barely leave the nursery slope, this matters slightly less. But the minute they’re ready to graduate to green and blue runs, you’ll want plenty of gentle, forgiving pistes that let them progress without terror. Do your homework and pick a resort that offers pleasant, confidence-building runs – because nothing kills enthusiasm faster than a slope that feels scary

And when choosing a ski resort with young kids, the most important question isn’t “How big is the ski area?”, it’s “How easy is it to get started?” Resorts where the nursery slopes sit right in the village are worth their weight in gold. If you need buses, multiple lifts or a long uphill trudge just to reach a beginner area, the day will unravel before it’s even begun

Small children have very limited tolerance for cold, heavy boots and standing around wondering why this is taking so long. Look for resorts with magic carpets, gentle gradients and clear signage – so you’re not wandering around carrying skis, poles (yours and the kids’, obviously) while a child who has suddenly forgotten how legs work collapses dramatically in a heap. Personally? We’d check out Moar Gut and AKI first for this

Once you’ve picked your resort, it’s time to focus on accommodation. Whether you opt for a hotel, apartment or chalet matters far less than how close it is to the slopes

When travelling with young children, ski-in/ski-out isn’t a luxury – it’s an essential, and one that’s absolutely worth paying for. Every extra step between your front door and the snow multiplies the chances of tears, lost gloves and a full-scale meltdown (theirs… or yours). Aim for somewhere close to beginner lifts, ski school meeting points and rental shops, ideally all grouped together. If you can nip back for a nap or to pick up a forgotten lift pass without it turning into an expedition, you’ve made an excellent choice. Club Med, for example have a ton of great family-friendly hotels in a range of resorts

Next, think about what you want your holiday to look like when you’re not skiing, because this is not a first-lift-up, ski-home-in-the-dark-after-après kind of trip. You’ll almost certainly spend more time off the piste than on it, so having other activities to fall back on is key

Swimming pools, ice skating and even soft play (yes, really even in the Alps) are worth their weight in gold, particularly if the weather turns and you’re faced with a white-out day. If you’re booking a hotel, look for connecting rooms or family suites, plus some kind of child-friendly entertainment. Until they’re old enough to enjoy après themselves, kids are universally delighted by a games room, waterslide or cinema room to collapse into after ski school

Find somewhere that ticks these boxes and you can kick off your ski boots, pour yourself a vin chaud and enjoy a moment of peace while they burn off their last reserves of energy. Win-win

There is a way to enjoy the holy grail of family ski holidays – the one where you actually get to do some proper, grown-up skiing. But until your children are confidently cruising the slopes, this usually requires enlisting a little help in the form of great childcare that parents and kids will both appreciate equally

Many family-friendly hotels offer superb kids’ clubs, and they’re useful for more reasons than you might think. Firstly, they cater for children who are too young to ski, often from as little as a few months old, or those who have decided, with great conviction, that skiing is not for them and really just need a day off. Secondly, they can pick up where ski school leaves off. No small child can ski for hours on end, so after a morning lesson they can head off to the kids’ club to play, rest and warm up while you head back out onto the mountain

In some hotels staff will collect children from ski school, instructors can drop them off, or you can do a quick handover yourself before jumping back on the lifts. Some larger chalets also come with play areas and supervised kids’ clubs on site (or in a neighbouring chalet), offering similar setups and helpful staff. Companies such as Family Ski, VIP Ski and Ski Famille are just a few of many that build this kind of support into their holidays with excellent age-appropriate care along super family facilities. Think amazing indoor activities and kid’s meal times with great fuss-free menus

Unless you’re feeling exceptionally brave, do not attempt to teach your child to ski yourself. A bit like driving or GCSE maths, some things are best left to the professionals. A good ski instructor manages to cast a kind of magical spell over kids: they will (for the most part) behave, listen, and comply with whatever this mythical person in a jumpsuit and goggles tells them. So pay your money, step back, and let them get on with it

Private Lessons

Private lessons are fantastic, especially for younger children, because everything is tailored entirely to them. Instead of trying to keep up with a group, the session moves at your child’s pace, matching their energy, confidence, and attention span. This allows for more breaks or a gentler start and builds confidence quickly. Instructors can spot small issues early, fix them before frustration sets in, and this also helps kids progress faster. Private instructors are more flexible too with longer lessons and less rigid start and end times. Plus they can drop the kids back to you at a specific restaurant for lunch or to your hotel’s kids’ club

Children have an uncanny ability to confidently announce that they are “not cold”… while slowly turning blue. Ignore them. Layer them like you’re preparing them for a polar expedition. Think thermal base layers, mid-layers, waterproof outer layers, neck warmers, mittens – and spare everything because someone will always lose something under the table at lunch

Snow has a magical talent for sneaking inside clothing through gaps no one even realised were there. And assume, with absolute certainty, that at least one child will sit in snow, fall in snow, or decide it’s a brilliant idea to dump snow down a sibling’s or friend’s back. So have dry kit at the ready back at your room. Comfort is everything. Frozen kids don’t ski, they protest and nobody enjoys that. Visit Snow + Rock, Little Skiers and The North Face to find everything you need from socks to snoods. Last but not least – sun cream. Don’t go near the slopes without slathering it all over their faces – even on a cloudy day

As tempting as it is to escape the sweaty chaos of the enormous queue at Intersport on the first day as fast as you possibly can, take the time to get boots and helmets that actually fit. No one wants blisters (stock up on Compeed plasters at the airport – better safe than sorry) or a helmet that slides over their eyes so they can’t see where they’re going as that’s a one-way ticket to A&E.

Wherever you rent your child’s kit, ask the store team for advice. Better still, reserve it in advance online or by phone. Some swish hotels and chalets even offer delivery services or have their own rental equipment – if that’s an option, take full advantage.

Happy, well-layered, properly booted kids = happier parents and that is what keeps a family ski holiday rolling

A family ski trip with little ones is never going to look exactly like the ones you used to do, but if you want to pass on your love of the sport and share it with your children one day, it’s so worth putting in the hard yards. A bit of extra research, planning, and patience goes a long way in making it work for everyone.

Remember: everything is new to them and it can feel a bit scary or daunting at first. Not all kids (or adults for that matter) find their ski legs straight away. Patience is the name of the game, and constant encouragement, mixed with frequent treats, is the way to help your offspring follow in your tracks. Just like almost every other parenting scenario, it’s always a good idea to pack snacks. Shivering, exhausted kids turn feral with astonishing speed and hunger is the match that lights the tantrum bonfire. Sugar is your friend here. Bring snacks you wouldn’t normally allow. This is not the time for moral high ground. Sweets, biscuits, mystery cereal bars found at the bottom of the backpack – whatever you know will cheer them up and keep them motivated till you can find that nice cosy mountain restaurant and a hot chocolate the size of their head

They will fall a lot, make snow angels mid-run, and occasionally plop down in the middle of a slope for no reason at all. Try to enjoy these cute little moments as one day they’ll undoubtedly be better skiers than you and you’ll be left trying to keep up while nostalgically remembering the days when they proudly showed you their snowplough on gentle green runs