Where do you reckon is best to go skiing with a 3.5yr old next year. Are there any ski schools you know of or ski clubs we can put her in where they will take her out and show her very very basic skiing.
Any info you can provide would be really helpful.
Thanks
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Joey, ESF normally do lessons for three year olds, she'll ski outside but in an enclosed area.
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?
Joey, I've often recommended the Hotel Cachette at Arc 1600 for this. It's a while (16-20 years) since my kids were that young, but they had a great time in the children's ski school, which is incorporated into the hotel complex as a kind of nursery school and creche. The family rooms are great, and the food was terrific when we stayed there:
3.5 years is exactly when one of my daughters started. At that age they really only want to play a bit, and do some simple downhill runs, maybe in the snow for just a couple of hours a day. You need a specialised set-up which understands this, providing lots of indoor time.
Joey, oh, and also check out Esprit, lots of peolpe on here reccomend them.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Powder Byrne have a club called Yeti primers that is for 3 year olds, the spend sunday to friday in the creche, but go out skiing 10-12 every morning on skis, will have very small groups and they use local english speaking ski instructors as well as a powder byrne member of staff. it is the expensive option, but you pay for the fantastic service..
A lot of ski schools will take kids from that age - they'll start on the "magic carpet" and a small gradient and progress to other drag lifts if the group is able.
You'll find that there'll be options available for mornings/afternoons/whole day/include lunch etc - depends how confident your child is and how you feel about being away from your child.
I put my daughter at 3.5 in to the CSA skischool in Obertauern and they looked after here really well and she enjoyed it immensely.
I'll also recommend the Roten Profis ski school in Mayrhofen that she was with this year(at 4.5).
Obertauern may be a better bet though - the resort is compact so it's simple to get back and meet for lunch etc.
I'd also say go later in the season rather than early if you can - you've got a better chance of good weather then - and I would guess that can make quite a difference to how much child enjoys the experience.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
N.American resorts have, IME, excellent childcare facilities. There is often a slopeside creche which will offer the kids one or two hours, maybe more, a day of ski lessons, if the kids are upfor it. The one in Banff is excellent (or was about 10 years ago).
After all it is free
After all it is free
If you're considering Canada, I'd definitely recommend Fernie. I got nicknamed "Davecare" for all my time instructing in the Daycare this year - it's a good program, I'd definitely recommend it to anyone taking their little ones skiing...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Now I don't use them any more and won't be fighting you for space, I can heartily recommend Ski Famille (you can find the web site easily enough). Took our two from ages 4 and 1 1/2, finally stopped using them last season as we just had no need for the nanny care (or other parents clucking over their precious darlings ).
Not that it matters, but the MD is a
Do not use ESF unless you want a cold miserable lonely kid with wet knickers.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
hi Joey
ESF in Vaujany seemed to have good programs for kids as young as yours. I didnt use their services myself (no kids), but I did have a few chats with a couple of the people minding the little ones in between their skiing sessions. They appeared a nice enough bunch from what I observed, seeing to the little ones' meals, rest, loo-breaks, drinks etc. Most of the kids I saw looked happy enough, apart from maybe one or two which I felt may have been due to language problems - the minders/instructors spoke a mix of french/english/german and a few others, but there was always the odd one to miss out i guess, and being as young as that and not being understood or finding it hard to understand an adult must have been somewhat daunting.
The setup appeared reasonably flexible depending on whether it was just lessons or lessons and minding, for a couple of hours a day, half-days, etc.
Vaujany itself is a convenient spot because of its connection to Alpe d'Huez and came across as being family-friendly with a good creche in the village as well. One our group (my cousin) had his 1.5 y.o. daughter with us on the trip, and he was pretty impressed with how well they cared for her.
No doubt there are plenty of other places with similar facilities though - all the best with your search
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Quote:
Do not use ESF unless you want a cold miserable lonely kid with wet knickers.
another desperate generalisation. I agree there are probably better (though far more expensive) options but I see many, many, happy kids out with ESF all winter. Can't vouch for the state of their knickers, though. My daughter, aged just 4, enjoyed a ski school in Austria although all the other kids were German speaking and the instructor spoke no English. She was one of the older and more competent kids in the "teenies" beginner class and that made a big difference.
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.
Fair enough pam w, I wondered if anyone would pick that up. OK, I should have said "Do not use ESF unless you want the risk of a cold miserable lonely kid with wet knickers". Our youngest had the miserable lonely experience, we know of other parents' kids who were too shy to ask to go to the loo because of the language barrier. I'm sure there must be better ones than that though...
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
andyph, ooh, poor things that is awful. Luckily we have always had positive experiences with ESF, but maybe that's down to my daughter being quite confident and easily makes friends with anyone even when they don't share a common language.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
andyph, not sure if Joey wants childcare too? If so I would recommend skifamile also, never used ourselves but seen & heard enough on our many visits to Les Gets to know that they are very good. They use 360 ski school, and have seen the nannies drop the kids off to join in group lessons. 360 are pretty good and have a max class size of 8. However, I would be looking at private lessons for a 3 1/2yr old.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Also I see that they have a new resort for next season
andyph, your little one must have been very upset - sympathies. The thing is, kids can have happy or less happy experiences and it's a bit unreasonable to tar an entire range of ski schools because of that experience. I might just as well have said "your child will have a lovely time in an Austrian ski school even if nobody speaks a word of English to her". That would be equally daft. A lot depends on the child. My grand-daughter used to cry almost every morning when left at her lovely, very well run, small village pre-school in Somerset. One of my kids used to be a wimp about being left, two of them weren't. Kids vary. Some of the most miserable kids I have seen on the slopes have been with inexpert British parents pushing them to do too much. I swear on all that's Holy that I heard one women saying exasperatedly at her little one, who was still lying on the snow "I TOLD you not to fall over again". I have also heard "Come on James, for goodness' sake, this is a really easy slope!" (also in a cross voice). If people were staying stuff like that to me I'd prefer it was in a language I don't understand.
However, just in case, equipping a child with a few useful phrases mightn't be a bad idea. My daughter enjoyed saying "ich kann nicht Deutsch" if anyone spoke to her in German and "pipi" should be within reach!
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
pam w, wasn't just my son, it was also reports from other parents in our chalet and, anecdotally from nannies, other parents in other chalets. And he wasn't that upset, he just wasn't enjoying it.
Notwithstanding your statisically valid comments regarding schools, getting used to it, difference in children etc, if I'm skiing for a week and I want to be as sure as possible my progeny will be happy for that brief period, I personally would consider a native-English speaking ski school (with British culture as part of the package) a lower risk.
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?
Joey, If you need a big resort I can heartily reccomnd Prosneige ski school at Val Thorens for a child of 3.5. My experience is a while ago but this past season people have been singing their praises too....
http://www.prosneige.fr/en/
Our 3yr 2month old went to ESF ski school in Courchevel 1850 this year. I was very happy with the instructor, the facilities (a typical kiddy nursery play garden slope with magic carpet, and then a longer path through a tunnel and trees that the kids 'ski' down, before returning back up in yoghurt pots.) All fenced off from the main areas. At the end of the week, a very good medal ceremony that was more than jsut 'here's a medal' - but also a bit of instruction to the parents about what the kids can do, and where the parents could take the kids on the hill for more skiiing experience.
The instructors English was fine, but then I imagine instructors in Courchevel have to have good English!
We went to Courchevel(Le Praz) this year with Esprit Ski - second time with them, very happy - Esprit had a dedicated room at the ski school for our kids to leave their gear, and of course they provide 'Snow Rangers' to look after the kids and support the instructor (less chance of lonely kids and wet pants!)
Here's a link to a video of my little darlings first run the slope to give you an idea of the area! (nothing to do with me showing off my boys first run!)
Lou, the amusing bit was when they breifed the mother of the 12 year who was also staying our chalet that "if you want to, you can take her onto the blacks tomorrow.... perhaps start with the Suisses?"
Mum's eyes popped out!
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Joey wrote:
Where do you reckon is best to go skiing with a 3.5yr old next year. Are there any ski schools you know of or ski clubs we can put her in where they will take her out and show her very very basic skiing.
Any info you can provide would be really helpful.
Thanks
We took our son Oliver at the same age to Courchevel 1800, the ESF ski school & creche facilities were fantastic. That was about 7 years ago now though and the hotel prices doubled the following season so we haven't been back since.
If cost is not too much of an issue for you (it is for us) Oberlech looks brilliant for families.
After all it is free
After all it is free
Joey, I heartily recommend www.snowbizz.co.uk your daughter would join their Toton Club which is for the 3 & 4 year olds. 5 kids to 1 instructor and 1 nanny in the lesson, the rest of the time in their creche. It's a small family owned and run company, the nannies are all lovely, the instructors are great and the owner personally oversees all the lessons and is always available to talk to. They have a fenced off snow garden, in a sunny spot right outside the accommodation and creche. There is also a little kids play park and safe sledging area. It's a great place for families with kids. My 4 year old had a ball with them this year.
Also I highly recommend Magic Ski Academy, one of the resorts where they operate their 'Little Ones' Programme.
I would tend to agree with andyph, and I would avoid ESF schools unless you are sending her with a tour operator's group of kids where they also send a nanny minder with the class (e.g. Esprit), or unless you have a very good recommendation or you are sending two or more friends/siblings together. There are too many examples of unhappy kids with the ESF, you only have to search on here. They can have huge class sizes for the little ones groups even in low season, my son was in a group of 23 in the Piou Piou Club in the quietest week of the year in Les Houches. I agree that the ESF are not all bad and that for older kids/ higher levels they are probably very good but for little ones no. If you have the choice in a resort choose an alternative school for smaller class sizes and a better 'attitude'. Having said this our friends put their 2 kids together in Piou Piou in La Tania for the second Easter week this year, the class (afternoons) was very small and they enjoyed themselves very much.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
We also used the Piou Piou in La Tania this year for our 4 year old - one of the instructors in there was English which helped Also, one of the Ski Beat nannies is on hand to help with their children (but we saw them helping other children, including our daughter - we were with Le Ski - as it helped pass the time for them); presume that was only in the Piou Piou area though and an ESF person would need to do toilet trips for the others As Le Ski, Ski Beat and Family Ski all use the ESF in La Tania there is very little chance of a British child being in that area with no other English speaking child around.
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
I must admit to having had some pre-supposed idea that ESF weren't as good as tehir austrian counterparts but my daughter really enjoyed her first week in Les Deux Alps at 3.5 years and in Les menuires at 4.5 years last year. We were there at New Year on both occasions so really busy but the class sizes were fine and 3-4 instructors in her class.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
andyph, many thanks for saving me the embarrasment of having to plug myself! Re the ESF, we don't push many people in their direction but I think they've upped their gane over the last few years (in most resorts) and alternative options are pretty limited for children under 4.
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.
try brand just inside the austrian border
there is a kinder hotel there which is recommended by local expat families in Zurich.
youll have a great time, its unspoilt, not to commercial, uncorwded, in other words a welcome escape from french resorts.
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
No one mentioned Selva yet. We have skied there twice with kids and found the ski schools very good with kids. Esprit do Seva and I would second (or third) the reccomendations above. Ski School in St Anton was also brilliant with kids (and had a creche babysitty sevice at end of day (involuntary really, but they seemed ok about parents being a bit late, easy to get delayed on way back to village.
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Joey wrote:
Where do you reckon is best to go skiing with a 3.5yr old next year.
My (controversial) advice is don't; wait a year instead. Take her when she's 4.5 instead and she'll have a much better time. This winter, take her on a few day trips instead - farms, zoos, Legoland, etc. The mountains will wait for you.
But I get flamed whenever I express this heretical view on Snowheads, so I'm going to slink quietly back to my corner.
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Jonny Jones, boo, what a killjoy!
In my (obviously biased) view you could look on a "skiing" holiday with young children more as being a fun winter family holiday. Even if they don't ski children can have a cracking time up mountains in the winter. ... but as previously declared I am biased!
Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
David Goldsmith wrote:
Joey, I've often recommended the Hotel Cachette at Arc 1600 for this. It's a while (16-20 years) since my kids were that young, but they had a great time in the children's ski school, which is incorporated into the hotel complex as a kind of nursery school and creche. The family rooms are great, and the food was terrific when we stayed there:
3.5 years is exactly when one of my daughters started. At that age they really only want to play a bit, and do some simple downhill runs, maybe in the snow for just a couple of hours a day. You need a specialised set-up which understands this, providing lots of indoor time.
You have to be kidding me
This place looks like something out of Star Trek, typical French Prefab ski hotel,
Honestly I really think french resorts should be banned or demolished.
I cannot understand why they are so over crowded. Still Mc Donalds is popular too, go figure.
by all means follow this link (i did) untill i nearly vomited.
This is absolutley skiing for toddlers on your doorstep, no crowds, great snow, baby sitters fitted as standard.
From experience of taking young ones skiing, paying a few quid more for the right environment is worth every penny, avoiding a french resort hotel however is priceless.
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
).
another desperate generalisation. I agree there are probably better (though far more expensive) options but I see many, many, happy kids out with ESF all winter. Can't vouch for the state of their knickers, though. My daughter, aged just 4, enjoyed a ski school in Austria although all the other kids were German speaking and the instructor spoke no English. She was one of the older and more competent kids in the "teenies" beginner class and that made a big difference.
Re the ESF, we don't push many people in their direction but I think they've upped their gane over the last few years (in most resorts) and alternative options are pretty limited for children under 4.