At SnowLimits Ski School we feel we are lucky to live and work in the Three Valleys, probably the best area for teaching children in the Alps. Whether it be the huge acreage on the Jardin Alpin in Courchevel, the fun games that can be played on the Altiport in Meribel or hunting for snowthudubadumps through the trees of La Tania, the Three Valleys have it covered. Keep reading to find out how to get the best for your child in our ski school.
One of the regular questions we are asked is…
when is my child old enough to ski?
Skiing and mountain holidays can be enjoyed by children of any age, the magical time spent with their parents in the snow is something most children will enjoy. As for actually getting the planks on and going for a slide it really depends on your child as a rule of thumb children learn differently at different ages, i.e. a four year old has vastly different needs to a six year old.
At SnowLimits Ski School we recommend private lessons for children under four years old, the following are great pointers as to whether your child is ready be they 18 months or 3 1/2
- -Physically skiing is a strenuous sport can they ascend and descend a set of stairs unaided?
- Emotionally they will be in a strange environment are they used to new things have you prepared them?
- Psychologically can they take direction and follow an adults instruction?
At this stage we are not concerned about producing a world cup skier this is their first introduction to skiing. We will create an environment where they enjoy themselves and feel safe, we will make skiing a normal activity. This stage is the building blocks for their later skiing development and is much more about their emotional well being.
Children between four and five have usually reached an age where they can handle a little more and as such we recommend our Mountain Monkeys children’s ski groups. These are very small groups of no more than 4 children with one of our experienced British instructors. They will learn and develop as part of a group through play and instruction at a comfortable inclusive pace.
By the end of this week, they will be confident skiing on appropriate runs controlling their speed stopping and going where they want to go. You as a parent will see a change in them they will be more independent and will want to show you how good they are.
Once past the age of 6, we have our regular mountain explorers groups. This is such an exciting time for a child. They will have more confidence and be more used to being in a learning environment, as such these sessions are longer and by the end of the week your children will be ripping up the mountains exploring and discovering places that most parents don’t dare follow……….. don’t be surprised if they are crazy for jumps and bumps.
SnowLimits helpful do’s and don’ts
DO Show your children our SnowLimits Ski school website and images of our instructors so they get used to the names and faces.
DO have a look online or on our Instagram for images and videos of children skiing
DO ask us questions before you arrive we are happy to help and share our experience
DO look at some of our Tripadvisor reviews and see what other parents say about us
DON’T worry we have done this lots before and it’s the start of a great adventure for you all.
