With the beginning of the year, many people are planning New Year’s resolutions: lose weight, save more, drink less and so on. While I think resolutions are great and can really help you make progress in your life, there’s something else I like to do in the early days of January, which is planning my family holidays for the following year. I think this is the best time to start planning as you have plenty of time to save and map out exactly where you want to go. I think one of the best types of way to plan a family vacation is to think about a fun activity you can do on the trip. That may be a beach style holiday, skiing, hiking, sailing – whatever really takes your fancy. This year I’m craving a ski holiday for a number of reasons: I think it’s a great way to keep fit while traveling, it’s a fun way to bond with your family members, and it’s a great opportunity to take some fun and silly family photos. If you’re interested in learning more about why I love family ski holidays, read on!
1. Healthy Family Trip
Instead of just going on a trip where you’ll be eating and sitting on tour buses, taking a ski family trip is an excellent way to stay active. Not only will you burn a ton of calories while getting in some great runs, you’ll also feel healthier from being surrounded by all the fresh air and sunshine that you’ll find on the top of the mountain. It’s much more fun than heading to another winter destination where the weather is cold and you just spend the entire holiday inside watching movies. It’s also a great way to burn off some of the calories you’ll ingest while indulging in vacation food!
2. Great for All Ages
As long as your children are old enough to walk, then they’ll be able to enjoy a ski holiday. There’s ski school that caters to many different age levels, ensuring that kids of almost any age will love a ski holiday. They’ll make a lot of friends and it will at least give you some time to hit up the slopes and do some challenging runs by yourselves. If your child is too young for ski school, then many of the bigger ski fields have childcare services, ensuring that your children are taken care of while you’re enjoying some runs. The activities will vary from field to field, so check in advance to see if there are suitable childminding options where you’re headed. For older kids, and those who are in their teens, a ski holiday is a super fun thing to do with their parents. If you’re traveling to a field nearby, why not consider allowing your children to each invite a friend in order to make a really fun trip for them too! Younger children tend to pick up skiing and snowboarding so much more easily than adults, so getting them started young is a great way to ensure they master this fun snow hobby!
3. Create Special Memories
Going on a skiing holiday isn’t the typical family vacation and the truth is your family snaps will be so fun and full of emotion because it’s a different kind of holiday. Many of the fields these days have the option to rent a GoPro so that you can snap some extreme family pictures if you don’t own one yourself. There’s also the option to work with professional photographers so they can snap pictures of you doing some fun runs with your family members. Can you imagine sending out Christmas cards this year with your photo as a picture of your entire family smiling from the top of a mountain? It sounds pretty amazing to me! Beyond the amazing family photos you can take, you’ll create a number of fun memories that will last forever. I personally find holidays where you’re more active and doing more things are more exciting for your children.
4. Makes Winter More Fun
Winter can be a little overwhelming, I’m not a huge fan of the cold and tend to become a bit of a hermit when the temperatures drop too low. Taking a ski holiday is a great way to pack a lot of adventure into those cooler days that may otherwise be spent at home in front of the fire. It’s the perfect way to break up the colder months and make the relentless snow seem more fun. It can be tempting to run away to a warmer place for your winter break holiday, but taking a ski holiday may be a more affordable option and is no doubt going to be a fun family vacation that you treasure forever.
5. Family Bonding
Whether your children are experienced skiers or just learning, there are probably going to be runs they’ve never tried and areas of the mountain they may not yet be ready to tackle. Working together as a family, providing support and encouragement, is a wonderful way to bond with your children. As skiing and snowboarding are both such physical activities, sometimes it can take a bit of time to be able to build up the confidence to go on a more challenging run. The look on your child’s face when they are speeding down the mountain can’t really be beaten! You’ll find many opportunities to support and encourage your children, no matter their level, and this is a really wonderful way to bond.
Whatever your reasons for considering a ski holiday, the truth is a family ski holiday is one of the best activity holidays you can take with your loved ones.You’ll be active together, improving skills, taking amazing photos and enjoying a winter wonderland. It’s a great family vacation for children of almost all ages and so long as you can walk without discomfort, you’re probably not too old to ski or snowboard making it a great holiday for grandparents and uncles and aunties too!
