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For ski chat, join the Mumsnet Ski forum. Check out our guide to the best resorts in Europe and our family ski holiday packing list.

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For ski chat, join the Mumsnet Ski forum. Check out our guide to the best resorts in Europe and our family ski holiday packing list.

Ski & snowboarding

What age did you take your children skiing/snowboarding?

35 replies

LittleMissBrainy · 02/02/2019 19:18

Just wondering really, we have two DD aged 1 & 2, so I know it's not going to be for a few years yet. But I'm really missing the mountains so I'm daydreaming and wondered what age you took your children on their first snow holiday and how they coped?

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NicoAndTheNiners · 02/02/2019 19:23

11 months with esprit.

She skied for the first time at 3yo amd took to it like a duck to water. Was shooting down blacks at 7yo.

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Dangerousplan · 02/02/2019 20:25

Dc1 was 9 dc2 was 6. We did long weekend, 2 days skiing to see if they liked it.

Been skiing every year since🙂

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tablelegs · 02/02/2019 20:26

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Onatreebyariver · 02/02/2019 21:37

Oldest had just turned 4 and loved it. Youngest will just turn 3 when we take him next month. Hoping to god he tolerates it 😁

But I haven’t put him in ski school as I don’t think he’d like it. I just plan to try him on skis myself on the nursery area and then sledging and swimming the rest of the time.

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minipie · 02/02/2019 21:40

Watching. We were going to go this winter with DC age 6 and just 4. But have pushed back to next winter as the younger DC isn’t good in the cold and just seems too young for proper ski lessons. I don’t want to spend £££ and use a week’s holiday for her to just pootle around in the baby enclosure, also it would be nicer for them to be in lessons together, so we’ll wait.

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minipie · 02/02/2019 21:41

PS I learned at age 5 and don’t remember a time when I couldn’t ski.

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museumum · 02/02/2019 21:44

18months. He was in nursery with crystal then we discovered esprit and he was in their nursery at 2.5 and loved it. They had him on skis at 3.5 and 4.5.
This year at 5.5 we’re back to crystal due to finances (school holiday prices) but he’s had a few dry slope lessons and can snowplough turn and is so excited to go

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LittleMissBrainy · 02/02/2019 22:55

Thanks everyone, that's given us lots of hope that it won't be too long. Also going to Google Esprit. Are they a company that specialise in Toddler Ski holidays?

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museumum · 03/02/2019 11:43

Esprit ski childcare is awesome. Particularly for “spritelets” age 3&4 just starting on skis. Ds was in a group of 4 kids with a nanny and an instructor so 1:2 adult:child.

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User5436477 · 03/02/2019 17:37

We took ours from a baby and he started skiing at 3. Personally, I think Snowbizz have a better set up for 3-4 year olds starting to learn to ski. Esprit didn’t work very well for our family.

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juneau · 03/02/2019 17:39

As long as there are creches available (and all the family-friendly companies have them), then you can go right now. We took ours when DS1 was 4 and DS2 was 10 months. We got them both skiing at age 4, but before that they were with the nannies/on-site creche while we skied.

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LIZS · 03/02/2019 17:40

Most skischools won't take them before 3 or sometimes 5. Both dc went before 1 but did playing , sledding or childcare until ski age. Ds learnt at 4, dd from 3. You have to be realistic about their stamina and attention span , especially short in poor weather ime, so pick a resort with other activities.

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User5436477 · 03/02/2019 17:44

We used the local French nursery in Morzine when our son was too young to ski. It was really lovely and our son had the same keyworker each time he went.

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NicoAndTheNiners · 03/02/2019 17:45

Esprit specialise in family ski holidays. Mainly I would say 11yo and younger. They have crèche with nannies for the little ones. Snow rangers for the older kids who take them to their ski lessons and do snow club with them in the afternoon. Once they're about 7yo they can go to evening cocoa club. The chalets use the snow rangers to do a baby listening service in the evening for any babies/toddlers in bedrooms.

I've found them spot on. Never used any other company so not sure how they compare to Mark Warner, etc. I suspect they're not quite as high end as them. Saying that their new chalet hotels such as the Courchevel one are amazing.

I think the childcare is where they excel. Food is ok, wine is free and as much as you can drink. Some accommodation is a bit tired but they did seem to be upgrading stuff and getting rid of the older chalets.

Haven't used them for 7 years as dd is older now but have had some fab holidays with them.

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famousfour · 03/02/2019 17:50

Tried ski esprit at 3 and 1 but was only ok as youngest was miserable in crèche (no reflection on esprit). Also whilst childcare was good wasn’t my cup of tea due to mediocre food and hotels (being the compromise for end to end childcare).

Tried again at 5 and 3.5 when youngest could ski school properly and was a dream. Just booked them in the resort ski school. My then 3.5 year is quite mature though with a good attention span.

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FanSpamTastic · 03/02/2019 17:50

I would also recommend Ski Famille. They have in chalet nannies. You could go this year if you wanted but the little ones would not ski yet.

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FadedRed · 03/02/2019 17:59

5 months 😁! Crèche for a few hours so we could ski, then playing/tobogganing in the afternoon until two and a half, then hired some baby skies and played on them in the afternoons on the baby slope. Properly skiing on blue runs at three and a half, taught by me. Way ahead of us by six/seven! Only went to ski school to learn to board when young teens.
Obviously it has to been a very gentle introduction to snow sports, because if they don’t enjoy it you could put them off it altogether and then your screwed until they are old enough to be left at home. So no pushing or forcing, lots of breaks to warm up with hot drinks, carefully choosing the resort. If you are a couple or in a group, then you can have a few times when one minds the children while the other has a few hours to ski the more challenging runs, then meet up later as a family.

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OKhitmewithit · 03/02/2019 18:05

3 and 1, both have skied from age 3. I was home much more then so a week of childcare was not going to put me off. We did Mark Warner and Esprit for a few years, then independent nanny. Now lessons and family ski.
Love skiing as a family.

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Polly99 · 03/02/2019 18:11

We started ours at 3, which is about as early as you can. At 3 lots of kids are still not strong enough to snow plough or turn (ours were not really). It was age 4 or so when they started to have a bit of control.
We were told to wait until they can go up and down stairs without holding the bannister, which seems a good way to tell when they are ready. Of course, before then they can have loads of fun in the kids club...

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EffYouSeeKaye · 03/02/2019 18:15

3 and 5 when we first went. By the third year they were both confident on blues and chair lifts. We no longer need the childcare package holidays now and just all ski together. Absolutely love it.

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massistar · 03/02/2019 21:50

3 for DS and 1 for DD. Went with family and just took turns initially. Both had private lessons at 3 and into ski school from 5. At 10 and 13 they're now way better than me!

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user1494670108 · 04/02/2019 17:35

I took mine at 3&5 and again at 4&6 but frankly they didn't take to it brilliantly (suspected dyspraxia, some hyper mobility etc). So I left it and went without them (!) for a few years and went again at 9&11 3 years ago. They're still not brilliant technically but they both love it and we're all super excited for half term.
The difference in them being able to pout on all their own gear and mostly carry their own skis was immeasurable, especially as its just me and them for skiing as DH doesn't.

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cloudtree · 04/02/2019 17:36

3 and 5

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oobedobe · 05/02/2019 19:11

We took ours at 4 & 8 (snowboarding). The youngest did 2 hour lesson on nursery slope then daycare, oldest did full day lessons. This year DD2 is 6 so will do full day lessons for the first time (10-3pm) with the big kids.
DD1 is progressing well and now in the intermediate group.

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Cyclingforcake · 05/02/2019 19:26

We took our just 4 year old this year. We’ve put him in crèche/childcare before but this was the first time in skis. He’s a tall athletic (as far as we can tell - he loves running, ball games, bikes, scootering etc) child but ski school was not a success. He was really looking forward to it and very excited after the first day but then it went down hill. He was the youngest in his group (4-6y) and he really looked it. He didn’t seem to have the strength or coordination to snow plough and quickly became disengaged. Everytime we went past he was lying in the snow or crying. So we took him out after 3 days and gave up.
So I would recommend age 4 min and probably 4 and at school so they’re used to being taught. 4 and still at nursery was probably too young. We also went in school holidays which meant there weren’t many pre-schoolers around. During term time there might have been more 3/4y olds which might have changed the dynamic. And have a back up plan if they hate it.
We went with ChilliPowder this time who were fantastic and it wasn’t their fault he hated it. We’ve also had some Mark Warner holidays (childcare excellent, hotels quite tired and food mediocre) and used L’Outa the crèche in Morzine which was lovely for tinies.