Ski resorts with good non-ski activities we can do with our 4 & 6yr old

[Wildstrawberryhouse]

Hello
I'm new to posting on here, but have spent weeks looking at ski resorts without success so hoping someone can help....
We're going on our first ski holiday since having children this year (yippee!). I want my girls to come back loving skiing as much as I do, so the holidays going to be more to do with making sure they have a good time, than us getting in loads of skiing.
We're not planning on using childcare for our youngest, as she's taken some time to settle into preschool, but would perhaps do private lessons. Our oldest would do some time in skischool. The rest of the time they would be with us, so we would probably need some fun non-skiing activities that we can do with them.
Can anyone recommend any resorts? I'm leaning towards Austria or Italy (as France at half-term could be too busy). Is there anywhere where you can do lots of fun snow activities?
Have heard a lot about Obergurgl with Espirit, but not sure what this is like if you're not planning on using the childcare?
Thank you for your help

Not Europe, but I love Whistler and would recommend it if the flights are manageable for you. If you avoid the US holidays you can get great deals on accommodation and lessons, including privare ones for your family. The kid's club looks good fun if you choose to use it. There's a nice green area for absolute beginners. The hotels seem to have mini kitchens as standard which could be handy. Hopefully this'll be a useful bump for those who know Europe .

Have you thought of scandinavia? We have just booked our third trip to Levi in Finland, which is lovely for young families. Skiing area is relatively small compared to the southern European resorts, bit perfect for the first few ski trips with new young skiers. Out children are now 5 and 7 and they have a private ski lesson in the morning amd we either ski as a family in the afternoon or do a different activity such as reindeer sleigh rides, huskies, visit to ice hotel, skidoo rides - you can even go and visit Father Christmas if you like :-) We always book everything independently and you do have to change flights in Helsinki, but its straightforward and the upside is the resort is 10 mins in a taxi from the airport. The tourist information website is great for booking everything including skiing lessons. Some accommodation comes with free lift passes and children under 8 don't need one if in a lesson or with a parent. We self cater as find it easier with children and find food prices not too awful! www.levi.fi

We chose to live and work in Arosa (Swiss Alps) for the exact reasons you state. Our children are now 10 & 9 years and love it here as it it one perfectly sized adventure playground. We know an excellent private ski instructor for children - he took our Down Syndrome Guest for the full week last year and she had the most amazing time and progressed massively. Ski School is door to door from our Chalet (accommodating comfortably 2-3 families or one extended family - it is very popular with three generations of family) on our free resort ski bus. Guests with young children either ski as a family in the afternoon or do a different activity such as tobogganing, open air ice skating (with zimmer frame & strap on skates for the little little ones) cable car trips, train rides, forest walks, feeding squirrels & ducks, playing on ice castles, horse & sleigh rides ranging from 30 minutes to 3 hours, skidoo rides. Travel to Arosa is family friendly too, with Fly-Rail Baggage Service via Zurich Airport, an Intercity Play Carriage between Zurich & Chur and a modern hourly train winding up the stunning Schanfigg Valley from the walled city of Chur (pronounced Kuer). All in all the Swiss Rail Service to 1800m is not to be missed by anyone - Arosa is celebrating 100 years of the rail link this year. Cars are not necessary in Resort, trust me, the transport system is sown up & everything is easily accessible! The snow quality & skiing routes are excellent for all abilities, events such full moon 'party' skiing from 2600m are popular - the hiking trails & cross country skiing circuits are first class - Arosa is a gem to discover.
For our guests who stay, we are a good source of local knowledge to tap - we host you as friends into our own home, and provide meals and wine to get excited about. We even have ten wooden toboggans for non-stop entertainment & steam room to recover from the laughing. Look us up, we have 60cm of snow in the garden already! Best regards, Helen & Mike.