 Poster: A snowHead
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 looking for recommendations for resorts in Europe that have good non skiing activities for toddlers. I. E. Parks, sledging, pony rides, walks, swimming etc
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Maybe Morzine or Avoriaz?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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What else matters? All will have walks, many will have sledging (which most, but not all, toddlers will enjoy) and many will have swimming. Toddlers can spend happy hours poking the snow with sticks and doing the same kind of "bucket and spade" things as they do on a beach. But for fairly short periods of time. Which means having snow right outside your accommodation so you can whisk them in to get warm and dry when it all begins to fall apart.
"Sledging" for a toddler can mean sliding down a nearby snowy bank on their bottoms and clambering back up again. A lot less tiring for the supervising adult than pulling them up a formal toboggan slope.
Also, they will inevitably spend a fair bit of time indoors, especially if it's cold and windy. So all the same things they do at home!
You need lots of gloves/mitts. But good luck getting them to keep them on.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Someone with relevant experience will be along to talk about the Austrian "kinderhotels" which provide tailor-made facilities for kids. They sound like an excellent idea but all my experience with kids of all ages in ski resorts has been of the DIY variety!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Kinderhotels are great but they’re at the ‘full service’ end with 12hr+ per day childcare and amazing facilities. At toddler age ours were happy poking about in the snow and going round on the Carousel (Morzine) and…. Riding on the bus!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Ones with good childcare 
Sorry. I jest, well partially anyway. Toddlers generally can’t ski and that’s where I want to be myself most of the time when I’m in the alps.
My kids at toddle age and older have always enjoyed the childcare aspect of a ski holiday, snow angels, building snowmen, hot chocolates, sledging, crafts etc. usually delivered by someone else I’ve paid a small fortune to.
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@v1cky24, that's usually the choice, I suppose. Much of my toddler/childcare experience has been as a grandparent. That's the other option. Get the kids fed and entertained, for nothing, by someone who loves them and with any luck will pick you up at the airport too! One of the moments I remember with affection was walking on a path near our apartment (with no kids) and passing a grandmother sitting in the snow with a wee lad about 20 months old. She had built a wondrous layout of roads and bridges and he was happily brooming his little cars and trucks around it. Perfection!
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@winterstickboarder,
Tignes. Check Evolution 2.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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One of my granddaughters, playing with a bucket of snow and some bits and pieces, outside the apartment. This was on the sunny south-facing side of the building - late season. We carried the snow round for her as there was plenty on the shady dark side. Kept her happy for ages, completely immersed. And I could sit inside, tidy up, have a coffee, whilst ensuring she came to no harm (not that there was any harm to come to!!). Some buckets and spades would be easy to pack, going on holiday.
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@Origen, Well that’s a precious picture! I wish grandparents could have been an option for us. One of them isn’t here and the others don’t like the cold sadly!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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If we are talking pre-skiing age (1 to 3) I wouldn't take them as it's a right pain.
If no choice then playing in the snow, walking, sledging and swimming is easily sourced in most resorts.
As Origen says you have to take games and stuff for indoors.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Is this for you to have a ski holiday, or to show them the snow?
If the former, it will only happen if someone else looks after them all day, whether pro childcare (expensive) or family/friends with zero interest in skiing. If you try to do both yourself, count on 1.5 days skiing maximum. And probably with arguments. That’s an expensive ski holiday (again).
If the latter, you don’t need the high prices of a ski resort, only somewhere with 3 inches of snow.
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A lot will depend on what your toddler likes and how young they are. When my son was 18 months he loved going up and down gondolas for ages but as he got older he liked more active things like playgrounds.
Here are a few places that might work based on experience, these may not be the best (I'd think there would be some good Italian and Austrian options I don't know about)
Saas Fee. It is a relatively large car free town with playgrounds and walking trails, when I was there some of the cafes had small kids areas with toys and books. There are plenty of lifts that a toddler could potentially ride on (at least 4 gondolas out of the town) and you can access most of the mountain as a non skier. You'd need to check which take walk ons and the cost but there is potential there. The hostel 4000 close to the bus station has a leisure pool open to the public with a toddler section, it used to keep my son happy for an hour or more when he was two (they also had a selection of toys and books in the cafe area). You can stay in a family room at the hostel 4000 which means you can access the facilities without going outside (we just went down in our swimming stuff and bathrobes). https://www.youthhostel.ch/en/hostels/wellnesshostel4000-saas-fee
Tignes le Lac may work with the swimming pool and the lake. Would depend on which lifts you can take them on and what the cost would be. In theory the Toviere gondola and going up the funicular and cable car from Val Claret (via a bus) may also work. You'd be able to get accommodation very close to the slopes and swimming pool. It could be very cold though.
Les Arcs 1950 is another option, you'd be able to book something ski in/out with an on site pool. Fewer accessible lifts though but there is usually some activities going on in the main square in Arc 2000 (accessible by walk on lift).
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You know it makes sense.
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@winterstickboarder,
Possibly use a child specialist tour operator?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@winterstickboarder, How old is the toddler?
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Poster: A snowHead
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The Dachsteinkönig, Gosau, Dachstein West.
Family hotel. Abundance of activities and facilities. Right opposite the main uplift for skiing and the kinder/beginner area (literally 200m plus the hotel operates a “train” from the front door to the kinder play area and beginner slopes - magic carpets).
https://www.dachsteinkoenig.at/en/
I wouldn’t delay booking - it’s usually at least 80% full in Winter (near 100% in Summer!).
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