How old do children have to be to ski rather than just go to a creche?

[ManIFeelLikeAWoman]

I am hoping to make a skier out of my baby daughter when she is old enough - I am competent but no great shakes so can't teach her myself and will need to investigate ski school for her wherever I go.

How old do children have to be to have ski lessons rather than just be looked after? How old, for example, are "the locals" when they start (she can join a French-speaking group if need be).

Must stress she's less than a year old at the moment so this is very much long-term planning - have a feeling I might need to start saving ...

My Ds was three years and 9 months and could actually ski. We came back to Scotland (can ski locally) and he was giving people advice. We didn't know where to look.

Just got back and dd is 3 and 2 months and ws on skis in ski school type of thing for the week. She can manage a snow plough down a green run and although doesn't turn as much as I would like can stop when she wants.

Dont wait until she is 4. My youngest DS had ski lessons with Esprit when he was just 3. He loved every second of it and the instructors were having to pull him off the nursery slopes to take him back to chalet. This will be his second year and altho he still fits age-wise into the 3-5 years category, we are considering entering Pushy Parents territory and asking if he can go one group up.....he was doing blue runs with us on the last day, alongside of DH (am total novice compared to DH's 30 years on slopes) and the only reason we didn't let go of him (despite protestations) was that he wasnt able to "pizza" or stop himself

Take her as early as you and local ski schools feel comfortable. You won't regret it.

Our DS1 was 3 in October and has just spent a week in club piou piou in Morzine with ESF.

We could only get afternoons for him (mornings had 21 kids already signed up, afternoons only 7) which was a bit of a shame as he was getting really tired by the afternoons but he was desparate to give it a go so we decided to let him.

The instructor was lovely and all in all there were 3 staff to look after the 7 kids which I thought was a great ratio.

They played in the snow aswell as spending time on their skis. He went on a magic carpet lift and was sliding down gentle slopes on his skis and loving it. The best bit was when he'd had enough he could just go inside and rest or even go to sleep as they had little beds in the nursery building.

It cost ?180 for 3 hours a day for 6 days. Private lessons would have been ?60 an hour so there was no contest really.