Ski Italy - Folgarida Dolomites taking Children Skiing

Taking your children to Folgarida during the winter will change your holiday from being a ski holiday into a family holiday that has some skiing in it. Expect lots of fun, laughter, smiles, giggles, a few tears, snowball fights, “extreme” amusement when mum or dad falls over and of course “I can do my turns better than dad” – which will very soon become true.

You can also expect everything to take longer than you thought it would or even thought it ever could. Getting to the slopes each day becomes something that needs to be planned, so leave extra time for breakfast. When leaving the boot room in the hotel “check” that has everyone got their boots, gloves (and spare gloves), skis, helmet, poles, etc. Next, does everyone have “their” boots, helmet, skis, poles, etc, and not someone else's.

If this is your child’s first winter holiday, remember that it can be a daunting experience for them. New surroundings to find their way around, new people to meet, who may not speak English, and to add to the mix, some very strange (and restrictive) clothes and boots to wear, so you can see why some children find their first few days a little confusing. Give them time and they'll soon get their bearings and have one of the best experiences of their life.

One of the most common questions we are asked is at what age can children learn to ski. There is no set answer to this as all children are different. But, as a very loose guide, children under 4 are not really able to fully enjoy the ski experience. Children between 4 and 6 can “have a go” and from 6 years old most children can join into a ski class and learn to ski.

Please remember that ski school is not another form of crèche. To view the availability and cost of child care in Folgarida click here.

Helmets
In Italy it is compulsory for all children, under 16, to wear a helmet whilst skiing. We will supply one (free) if they don’t have their own.

A few Tips

Gloves
- Each child will need a pair of Gloves. Plus at least one pair of spare gloves, for playing in the snow after skiing, so they don’t need to put on wet gloves the next day. Having cold hands is the most common cause of tears.
Coaches
- For the coach journey and after dinner each evening, you may find a small (around 4”) screen DVD player is invaluable.
Ski school
- If your child is taking ski lessons, please ensure you are there to collect them at the correct time.
Just in case
- You should attach a contact card to your child’s ski jacket, maybe by a piece of string to the inside of a pocket. If you’re really well organised you could laminate one before you leave from home. Onto the card you should put - Childs Full Name, Your mobile number, Name of Hotel in Folgarida & our phone number (as it's always manned), etc.

Last – but most important.
Remember it’s a holiday, not a training course. Lower your expectations of what your child will be able to accomplish, allow them to play and have fun.