First time with children on a snow holiday
Coming with the family for the first time on a snow vacation at the ski resort, but you don’t how to get started? And what would be the best way to teach the little ones in the family to ski? What other fun things does the ski resort offer children? How about sharping up of your own skills? Can an adult go to ski school for the first time? We gathered together our best tips on how the whole family can enjoy skiing smoothly and safely from their first day onwards on the slopes.
PLAN YOUR TRIP IN ADVANCE
When going on a family holiday to the ski resort for the first time, it is worth finding out in advance what is the easiest way to arrive on site and what you should take with you for the holiday. Despite its northern location, Levi, for example, is easily accessible by plane, train, bus or car. So, you don't always need your own or rental car, but it is also possible to go to Lapland on holiday by favoring public transport! In many ski resorts you also do well on site without a car, as ski buses run conveniently between the slopes. You can also easily visit the shops by ski bus.
When going on a snow holiday, the amount of gear and clothes are also a problem for many families with children, as they have to pack both downhill skis, cross-country skis (traditional and skating skis of course), and snowboards, sledges, and of course winter clothes. However, space can easily be saved by simply packing each of your favorite equipment and renting individual equipment from the ski resort’s rental shop as needed. For example, Levi has two large rental shops that alpine skis, snowboards, cross-country skis, sledges, snowshoes, ski touring gear, fatbikes & e-bikes, and nordic backcountry skis. In our rental shops, you will find equipment for even the smallest children, all the way from shoe number 25 upwards.
FIND OUT WHAT THE SKI RESORT OFFERS FOR CHILDREN
What the ski resort offers for the younger members of the family is definitely one of the most important things for families with children. The versatile ski resort offers something for the smallest, first-timers, intermediate, and more experienced skiers in the family. The children's own areas at the ski resorts are at their best their own play and learning places, where the day is easily spent while practicing different skills or playing in the snow.
For example, Levi as a family resort, offers two large children's areas, Kids’ Land at the Front Slopes and Leevilandia, at the South Slopes, where it is safe for children to learn to ski and snowboard and play in the snow or sledge. In the Kids’ Land, children have a pome lift and in Leevilandia, in addition to the pome lift, there are also two magic carpet lifts. The area’s easy carpet lifts and pome lifts, as well as lovely toboggan run, are the best things winter can offer for a kid. Leevilandia now has a new indoor space, Leevi's playground, where you can eat your own snacks, play, try various balance points, play floorball, and warm up. In Leevilandia you will also find indoor daycare place for the youngest members of the family, as well as varied and free children's weekly program.
FOR THE FIRST TIME SKIING WITH A CHILD
If the youngest members of the family go on a snow holiday for the first time and you would like to try alpine skiing, it is a good idea to book a ski school for the children well in advance. Even if you are an experienced skier yourself, you may not notice all the useful steps and tricks that ski school Instructors have, to get kids to learn faster. At the same time, some basic skills may remain on fragile stage, when teaching your own child.
With the lessons of the ski school, children get a smooth, safe, and fun start to learning alpine skiing, but above all, the ski school is an investment in starting the holiday smoothly and ensuring the right lessons. At the ski school, first-timers become familiar with the equipment and learn important basic skills such as safe falling and getting up, speed control, turning by plowing, stopping, and slope behavior and etiquette. There is a lot to learn, but it goes well when basic skills are learned correctly and at the right pace, without challenging the child too much and too early. This way, your child can safely get to the beginning of the hobby without forgetting the joy of skiing. The instructors and teachers of the ski school are professionals on the slopes who also know the ways of learning and embracing things best for different age groups.
If your child already knows how to be in a group, you may want to book a 4–6-year-old ski school or a Werneri ski school, which is a part of the Finnish national ski school program for children. If you wish, you can start the first level of the Werneri Ski School at your own home center and book the next level course for your holiday. At Levi Ski School, you can also book a joint lesson for the whole family!
REHEARSE YOUR OWN SKILLS - CAN AN ADULT BOOK A SKI SCHOOL?
If you’ve had a long time since the last downhill run or you’re also going alpine skiing for the first time yourself, a ski school is definitely worth it. Ski schools also offer adult-oriented courses ranging from beginner lessons to technical lessons for skilled skiers and boosting skills. For the first-timers, we recommend our private lessons, as the private lesson provides an opportunity for personal tutoring as well as learning basic skills at your own pace under the guidance of a ski school expert. When you go skiing through either a basic skills refresher course or a private lesson, you will be able to enjoy the sport safely and smoothly on the same day.
Are you ready for your first snow holiday?
