Skiing with kids: these are the best ski areas for a winter sport with the family
Help! Winter sports with the kids...A summer holiday is already tough, but how do you survive such a winter sport with the children? You start at the beginning: choosing a child-friendly ski area. That makes it a lot easier. Nowadays almost every ski area has a children's area and there are facilities for the family. Still, some ski areas do better than others by catering to families with children of all ages. These are the best ski areas for winter sports with children.
And for even more inspiration, download the Barts Booklet Winter Sports e-guide.
easy peasy Holiday with Snowtribe. During the 2026 spring break, Snow Tribe is organizing two family weeks: from February 14th to 21st and from February 21st to 28th, where everything is perfectly arranged. Bad Hofgastein is located in the Gasteinertal Valley and is part of the impressive Ski Amadé area, with a total of over 200 kilometers of slopes. Ideal for children and beginners, but also for more experienced skiers, there are challenging runs and even opportunities for freeriding in the higher-altitude Sportgastein. And snow is guaranteed!
Snow Tribe ensures your stay is as relaxing as possible. You can choose from two types of accommodation: the comfortable Post Hotel, where you can dive into the wellness area or dine in the restaurant after a day on the slopes, and the Aurora Residence, modern apartments with a private kitchen and access to the Alpenthermen. Both are within walking distance of the ski lifts and ski school, so you'll never have to drag your skis or children's equipment far. Dutch-language ski lessons are available for children aged three to fifteen.
View/book Snow Tribe Bad Hofgastein here
All your worries away, because with Snow Tribe from Travelbase you are in the right place for a carefree, child-friendly ski holiday in the French Alps this winter. Combination is Key for kids: don't just ski, but mix it up with fun activities. The forests of La Plagne in the French Alps are perfect for a change of pace. Another bonus: the air is rich in oxygen and pure, with an exceptional variety of animals and plants.
With Snow Tribe, you'll sleep in cozy apartments with mountain views and be right on the slopes. While the kids are learning their first turns or participating in the Dutch-language entertainment and children's activities, you'll have time to explore the 225 kilometers of slopes or unwind in the sauna or indoor pool.
Everything is perfectly arranged: from ski lessons and childcare to a fresh bread delivery to your door. And with the Snow Tribe crew nearby, you'll feel instantly at home. Ideal for those looking for a relaxing winter sports holiday with the whole family.
View/book Snow Tribe La Plagne here
Families with small offspring, Serfaus – Fiss – Ladis is the place to be. That is the paradise for children, partly thanks to the winter paradise 'Kinderschneealm' in Serfaus. Of course you want the kids learn to ski the fastest and on Serfaus you are in the right place (thanks to the merry-go-round and an igloo). Are the children still too young? Then you can simply put yourself in the childcare at the valley station in the morning.
And the laundry list of what the children can do while you cover the necessary kilometers is endless: playing in the climbing tower, watching a movie in the children's cinema and of course sleeping. If they are a little older, they can ride on the children's motor sled in the safe zone. You can also go on a journey of discovery through the Fiss Cave World, located on the Möseralm descent. At Berta's Indian Village, on the Ladis descent, many questions about Indians are answered on the Wild West day.
Samoëns, the French mountain village that has been named the most beautiful village in the Haute-Savoie (the French Alps) in 2021. The name 'Samoëns' refers to the seven mountains ("les sept Monts") that surround the village. You are in one of the largest ski domains in the French Alps with 265 km of sliding fun. Just lazing around in the ski lift and suddenly you are at an altitude of 2500 meters. So there is no shortage of views. There is a wide range of blue (17) and green (60) slopes, as well as special practice areas for the little ones. Lessons can be booked at various ski schools. For families staying between 6 and 14 days, there is a Pack Family ski pass with a 10% discount. The ski pass is free for the really little ones under five.
The village is beautiful. You can take a nice walk through the old center, along the church square, to the covered Christmas market. The old farms and village walls complete the overall picture of this winter paradise!
Alpine skiing is less grand in Sweden compared to the Alps. However, winter sports in itself – including ski touring, cross country skiing, snow shoeing, ice skating, dog sledding and more – is much bigger. You will still find it Dalarna region more than 300 kilometers of ski slopes and hundreds of ski lifts. Children start skiing on the troll slope and that already sounds like an adventure. And you prefer to sleep in a traditional red Swedish wooden house.
In Dalarna you will find several ski areas, including Orsa with a child-friendly ski area (with the Blueberry Forest with singing animals). The family oriented Falun with views over the lakes and valleys. And Lindviel in Sälenfjällen, which is considered one of the largest child-friendly areas in Europe. With a Troll Forest there too. In Idre Himmelfjäll there are even weeks where the ski pass is free for up to 7 years.
You can drive to Dalarna or fly to Stockholm or directly to Sälen from Groningen. There are also several Dutch organizations that an organized trip to wintery Sweden.
Now we understand that it is true that the kids do not want to be on their skis all day. A few hours is fun, but it can happen that they are quickly done with it. If that is the case, Innsbruck can be your destination. You combine city with winter sports.
The city of Christmas markets, of strolling along the river, of sitting in the Stube, of real Tyrolean dishes, but also of surprising architecture, of museums, of winter sports and city of terraces. For the kids there is a light show in the winter and the zoo is always a good option. The surrounding ski areas are small and manageable.
And so nice: Transavia flies to Innsbruck several times a day from several airports in the Netherlands. Also nice: with the SKI plus CITY Pass you get access to 13 ski areas around Innsbruck and the Stubaital (also 23 sights, attractions and a swimming pool, more about that later).
If you go on a winter sports holiday in Italy, you have: best of both worlds: long slopes, beautiful vistas and delicious food. A large chalet where the kids can run around and where you can easily drop off all your ski gear is very useful. In comes Casa tra cime, a beautiful old farmhouse from 1870 that has been transformed into a stylish family home in the middle of the Italian Dolomites.
Casa tra cime is surrounded by ski areas that together create 1200 km of ski slopes in the enchanting Dolomites. Just an eight-minute drive from the famous ski carousel 'Sella Ronda', a world-famous ski tour connecting four valleys in the Dolomites (Unesco heritage). Within walking distance you will find Pieve di Livinallongo, where all necessary shopping can be done. Cortina d'Ampezzo and the many other interconnected ski areas in the Dolomites are also a few minutes away by car.
The trick to making your kids as much of a winter sports fan as you are is not to push them too hard to do things they don't really want to do. One option would be to alternate skiing with other activities, and there is no shortage of either in the French Val Thorens. Kids can go tobogganing, snow walking, dog sledding and swimming here. To get them used to winter sports, there is a large practice area and an affordable family ski pass. It's also great that you don't have to carry anything around here, because many accommodations are located on the slopes.
We can talk for hours about what a fan we are of SalzburgerLand. With the most beautiful white mountain peaks and valleys, snow-covered pine trees in the Hohe Tauern National Park, perfectly prepared slopes with creaking snow. But if we have to be brief, we can best describe SalzburgerLand as a destination where winter sports are as they should be.
Not only for ourselves, but also for the kids. Because kids are happy, we are happy. Why do the kids love it here so much? Not all children want to be in a ski class every day (and all day). In SalzburgerLand there are lots of activities outside of skiing, which the whole family can participate in. In addition, as a parent you can keep an eye on things in many regions in SalzburgerLand, at these undiscovered quiet ski areas.
France also participates when it comes to ski areas where the kids also feel at home. The Norma is a French ski resort in the Savoie department, in the French Alps. This is not an area where families are more than welcome, in fact it is all about families.
Of course there is childcare, Dutch-language ski lessons and a good children's meadow. Perhaps the best thing is that the accommodations are often located on the slopes and the center is car-free. It was not without reason that it was given a 'Family Plus Mountain Label'. The family ski passes have an attractive price and children born in 2015 or later can use the ski lifts for free.
You will find Austria near the border triangle with Switzerland and Italy Nauders. If we have to choose a ski resort we recommend with the kids, it's this one. With approximately 135 kilometers of slopes, the vast majority of which are of course blue, it is not the largest ski area in the Alps. And that is actually anything but a disadvantage kids. What you will also encounter here are wide slopes, let's go making turns while you have all the space and the kids after you.
If they need some lessons, there are Dutch lessons and they are a little younger: childcare is relatively cheap in this area. And of course those kids may be less enthusiastic about those slats than you are. Then there is plenty of fun with a long drag track and a winter wonderland.
Oz-en-Oisans is located in the Isère in the southern part of the French Alps. A lovely small authentic winter sports village, where you can go from one restaurant to another in no time. Also nice: the center is car-free, so you can easily keep an eye on things while the kids have fun on the practice slopes. During the day the little ones can go to childcare and during the season all kinds of fun activities are organized.
Another nice area for the whole family, the Zillertal Arena in Austria. With very relaxed children's slopes, practice lifts and large children's areas, children can make their first meters here. Even toddlers can stand on the slats here.
Does your child have more courage? There are fun runs, speed check-courses and parks especially for the little ones.
Six hundred kilometers of slopes and a family friendly vibe? Check! Here you can enjoy guaranteed snow, a touch of luxury and really good hotels and restaurants. Are the little ones too young for the slopes or are they in a naughty mood? No stress, many accommodations offer in-house babysitting or childcare. While you race down the slopes, they are well entertained. It is not cheap, but with the Family Flex pass you can save a lot: 1 or 2 adults and 1 to 6 children (5-17 years) all ski for the child rate. Sounds like a plan!
Okay, if those kids are having a good time then that's fine. Yes true, but it is just as important that you enjoy yourself. In the huge area Portes du Soleil in France actually everyone is doing well.
There are attractive prices for the whole family, plenty of options kids to have fun and while the children are in class you can make some progress on the slopes. There are several child-friendly places in this region, but Châtel, Les Gets and Morzine are good ones to look at.
La Rosiere is a ski area recognized by Famille Plus, check. Then you have all the conveniences that are great for the family. At least you don't have to worry about practical things such as a ski school.
Can we move on to the fun aspects for the entire family in La Rosière. Every Tuesday the ski schools of La Rosière organize night-time cross-country skiing sessions. The instructors teach the basics of this sport, from how to strap on ski boots to managing energy levels and moving efficiently (and you'll be treated to a beautiful sunset).
A cozy village, with 192 km of slopes, child-friendliness is of paramount importance and many other (non-ski) activities are in the right place in Les Saisies. Plenty to do for the kids, ski lessons for every age, what more could you want? Make some progress, because you can get to the surrounding areas from Les Saisies without having to take the ski bus (we like). So get those slats up.
The Jungfrau Region in Switzerland is an excellent choice if you are going on a winter sports holiday with children, because in addition to skiing, there is something to do here for every age. Clearly marked blue slopes around Grindelwald ensure that even the youngest skiers make their way down with confidence, and those who prefer to take a break will find something fun at every hotel: at Berghaus Männlichen there is a good children's menu on the card, and in Bergwelt Grindelwald the kids can swim in the Fire & Ice Spa while you relax in the sauna. For an evening of change, choose Barry's Restaurant at the Eiger Mountain & Soul Resort, where both the cheese fondue and the atmosphere work for young and old. And for a unique family experience off the slopes, there is nothing like sledding with the whole family on the Big Pintenfritz, one of the longest toboggan runs in Europe: 15 kilometers from top to bottom, with enough screaming and laughter for everyone.
The majority of mountain villages in Valais, Switzerland, are car-free, making the entire area ideally suited for families; no traffic to watch out for, just plenty of space to let loose. Bettmeralp in the Aletsch Arena is one of the most idyllic villages we know, like skiing through a fairytale. Saastal and Saas-Fee also have completely car-free village centers and are therefore just as child-friendly. Book there. Hotel Jägerhof: a real classic family hotel without frills or fancy design, but with the owners' children who are simply doing their homework at the dining table. That works out well, because they have toys too, and everyone is allowed to play with them.
Davos-Klosters is also an excellent choice for a family holiday. The ski area offers quiet blue runs in every sub-area, and off the slopes there is at least as much for the children to do: think of a horse-drawn carriage ride through the snowy side valleys, or ice skating on the Ice cream Davos, the largest mobile ice rink in Switzerland. Read our full article about Davos-Klosters for more inspiration.
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