Taking the Kids on Your First Family Ski Holiday? Here are a Few Things to Consider

You know they’re excited. You’ve been talking about a family holiday for a while, and snowmen keep cropping up in conversation, melting away any thoughts you had of a sandy island and cocktails by the pool. You’re ready for some fun too, but travelling with littlies can be complicated for everyone involved. Take the guess work out of what to hire, what to pack and what to do with our short guide to snow-tripping with children.

Snow Gear: Hire Vs Buy

It’s going to be cold, wet and white. You may feel tempted into a gear buying frenzy, ready to rug the kids up at the first fleck of snow – while buying gear makes sense if you’re an adult snow enthusiast, kids present a unique challenge. They keep growing. Instead of investing in heavy, luggage-hogging skis, clothes and goggles, speak to the friendly gear hire professionals on the mountain or alternatively, speak to us and we’ll organise the details.

The Plane Truth of Travelling with Kids

You’ve packed their big bags to the zips with clothes, shoes and essentials, but what about carry-on? How will you get them from A to B in peace, with some energy left over for the arrival and any planned activities? Assuming you’re travelling with little ones, we recommend a personal backpack with a few favourites (theirs, not yours, you want them to engage with it for as long as possible), a healthy snack or two and a bottle of water. Don’t forget some emergency ear-plugs; while adults tend to deal with the changing cabin pressure without issues, kids can have a difficult and painful time adjusting.

Tube All Day, Sleep All Night

New Zealand can be very cold for little fingers and toes. To ease them into a white winter gently and get a feel for their overall tolerance, swap your ski New Zealand plans for tubing at Coronet Peak, at least on the first day. Sit their bums in inflatable tubes and watch them whee down a 450 m course, with gentle bumps and rivets along the way. They may need your help getting the tube back up the hill, so make it a family affair and take some fun photos while you slip and slide.

When We Say Ultimate, We Mean Ultimate

New Zealand is a true something-for-everyone playground, ideal for family adventures and memory-making moments. The ultimate family holiday sounds like a sales gimmick, something to get your attention among the ads and choices – but a snow getaway IS the ultimate. From snow angels and snowball fights, skiing lessons for the little people and lots of terrain for the bigger ones, to tobogganing, tubing, exploring and aerial tours… it doesn’t get much better than this.

Pint Sized Freebies

There’s no better age to be in New Zealand than 5 years and under. While we can’t do anything about the cost of adult passes, kids under half a decade go free at The Remarkables and Coronet Peak, while young ones aged 6-17 enjoy a 50% discount on adult prices.

Are you excited yet? There’s no better place for the whole family than the slopes of New Zealand. Explore our Family Ski Holiday packages.

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