The perfect snow day with my family

Skiing and snowboarding are popular winter activities in Switzerland. Nevertheless, there are a few things for parents to consider when it comes to skiing or snowboarding with their children.

The quickest way to ruin a day on the slopes is to freeze. As a parent, you can very quickly make sure that your children are comfortable and warm enough. Good planning and preparation are important here. Find out about the weather and conditions in advance and take appropriate clothing for your children. The rule is: better to pack too much than too little!

When packing winter clothing, make sure that it fits the children well. It should be neither too small nor too big. It is best to check every year, a few weeks before the outing, whether the clothes still fit properly, because children often grow very quickly!

To save on costs, winter gear can often be bought at trade events or second-hand shops. Clothes that no longer fit your children can also be donated or given to friends.

If your children often have cold hands, use hand warmers. These can keep hands nice and warm even on the coldest days. Our tip is also to take a bag with extra clothes, socks, snacks, drinks and tissues so that you can offer the children what they need at any given time, depending on how the day goes . Don’t forget the sunscreen either: the sun reflecting off the snow can amplify UV rays by up to 90%.

To make sure nothing is forgotten, it makes sense to store all the children’s equipment in one place. This can save you a lot of time searching.

In addition to good equipment and warm clothing, it is especially important to take enough breaks with the children. A hot chocolate and some treats are especially helpful when children are about to run out of steam and need to recharge their batteries. It is important to keep in mind that a hungry child is a fussy child. The aim of the trip is to have fun together. Therefore, you should not force a tired child to continue. Tiredness and reduced energy lead to more mistakes and therefore accidents. So always take enough breaks, including for safety reasons.

Lessons pay off

Professional skiing and snowboarding instructors are trained to convey the basics of the right techniques in a simple and understandable way. Even if parents feel sufficiently fit and confident on the slopes, studies have shown that children are better able to absorb and learn information from experts. By learning from professional skiing and snowboarding instructors, children can also meet other children of the same age with similar skills. This provides an ideal basis for making new friends, supporting each other’s learning and having a lot of fun in the process.

Professional lessons for children can be worthwhile for parents too. During this time, parents get the opportunity to spend some time alone – without children. This can then be put to optimal use, for example, skiing a more difficult slope or enjoying adult time together in the chalet or at après-ski. In addition, children can show off their newly learned skills to their parents after the lessons.

Child-friendly ski resorts

We have selected a few larger and smaller child-friendly ski resorts throughout Switzerland for you.

Large resorts

• Portes du Soleil
• Zermatt
• Arosa Lenzerheide
• Grindelwald - Wengen

Smaller resorts

• Rinerhorn Davos
• Brunni-Alpthal
• Vals
• Mörlialp
• Marbachegg
• La Robella
• Grimmialp
• Balmberg

Winter excursions

You don’t necessarily have to know how to ski or snowboard to go on a winter excursion in the snow. Sledging, ice skating or a snow hike are also particularly popular. If all this is too much snow for you, you can also simply take the children to an interesting museum, an aqua park or a climbing hall. We have compiled a list of ideas for you:

 Outings in the fresh air

• Sledging
• Snow hike followed by a snowball fight
• Ice skating
• Cross-country skiing
• Building snowmen and making snow angels
• Building an igloo
• Visiting an ice palace (e.g. Schwarzsee)
• Visiting a zoo
• Raclette picnic at sunrise
• Forest walk

 Indoor destinations

• Technorama
• Museum (e.g. Bern Museum of Natural History)
• Swimming pool or Aqua Park
• Climbing hall or indoor playground
• Visit to a chocolate factory, cheese dairy or the Kambly Museum
• Museum of Transport Lucerne
• Bowling
• Escape or adventure rooms
• Playing badminton or squash

Bleak winter days - Home-Edition

Then there are those grey, foggy days when you just want to stay in bed all day and hide under the covers. For just such days, we’ve picked out a few fun winter activities for you to do from the comfort of your own home.

• Limbo party
  A limbo party simply puts you in a good mood! The movement, music and dancing will get parents a bit fitter and children can really let off steam (then they are guaranteed to fall asleep quickly in the evening).
• Baking together
  Grey, cold days offer the perfect opportunity to bake and eat something delicious with your children. Or you can use this opportunity to teach children how to cook and at the same time spend some quality time together.
• Painting and crafting together
  To escape the grey and cold colours of winter, you can paint works of art or do some great handicrafts and let your creativity run free. You can find lots of exciting craft ideas on the internet. Many of them don’t require any special or expensive equipment and you can create something beautiful with materials you already have at home.
• Feeding the birds
  To ensure that the birds have enough to eat in winter, you can make small bird feeders with the children and hang them in a tree. If you hang the dispenser near a window, you can even watch the birds eating.
• Card or board games
  Grey and cold days create a great opportunity to play cards or board games with the family. If you think that card games are too complicated, you can of course play UNO, or a round of Bingo to compete for fun and tasty prizes. If you would like to try out a new game without having to spend a lot of money on it, you can also borrow a game from the Ludothek.
• Watching a film together
  Another great way to spend a cold winter day is to watch a film together as a family. It is important to choose an age-appropriate film and for the whole family to look forward to the film. Choosing a film can sometimes be a little difficult, so we suggest selecting three films and letting the children choose. If they can’t agree, you can plan several movie nights so that everyone gets a chance to choose. Add some popcorn and it will be a successful afternoon!
• Make your own punch
  It’s easy to make your own apple punch: heat apple juice in a saucepan, add cinnamon and other winter spices (e.g. a mulled wine spice mix) and simmer for a while. If there are any leftovers, the punch is also perfect to take along in a thermos to the ski or snowboarding slopes.
• Video games
  There are many video games where you can exercise and even compete against each other! Whether tennis, bowling, curling or any other sport, you can really work up a sweat and have a lot of fun.
• Chocolate fondue
  Most children love chocolate. With a chocolate fondue, the children can help prepare the fondue and cut the fruit and then you can enjoy a cosy evening together!
• Cooking duel
  A cooking duel can be held over several days. Each person chooses a menu and cooks it for the whole family. Afterwards, points are allocated and the person with the most wins. If the children are a little younger, it makes sense to help them cook. Of course, the whole thing can also be done without points. The main thing is to have fun and learn something new.