‘It’s really bonding when we’ve all spent the day on the slopes’: how to introduce your children to a snow holiday

Ask father of four Paul Sinclair where his happy place is and he answers without hesitation.

“On the slopes, blue skies above, crisp white snow as far as the eye can see, and my wife and children at my side,” says Sinclair, 45, dad to Josh, 10, Sammy, six, and twins Lily and Amelia, four.

“Earlier this year, during our biannual family ski holiday, we were all able to ski together for the first time. It was such a special moment, all of us lined up on our skis, one I’ll never forget.

“Since I became a dad, it’s been really important to me that my own passion for skiing could grow into a family activity. Gently snowploughing down a small slope, so the girls could keep up, I felt really proud it’s become something we all love.”

Sinclair caught the ski bug when he was just nine years old, on a school trip.

“My parents had never skied but when my older brother and I started going on school ski trips, our enthusiasm must have been really infectious because they took it up, too. We began going away together, including with other families, on really fun holidays to different European resorts,” he says.

“In my 20s I did two ski seasons with friends, from November to April, working in bars and restaurant kitchens, and skiing and snowboarding as much as possible, which was fantastic fun.

Paul Sinclair: ‘Gently snowploughing down a small slope, I felt proud.’ (Pics posed by models)

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 Sinclair advises choosing a resort with a kids’ club ‘so they can combine their lessons with play time.’ (Picture posed by models)

“When I met my wife, Gemma, she had never been on the slopes, so for our first Valentine’s together I took her skiing. She fell in love with it and is now a really accomplished skier herself.”

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Sinclair says there’s a misconception that when children come along, avid snow fans like him and Gemma have to hang up their boots and poles, at least until their family is older. But he insists that thanks to the family-friendly facilities available at modern resorts, such as Neilson’s kids’ clubs, a ski holiday can be fun for all, from tots to tweens and beyond.

“We’ve introduced each of our four children to skiing around the age of two, starting at a local dry slope, before taking them away to Neilson resorts including Les Deux Alpes in France and El Tarter in Andorra. We ski twice a year as a family, usually in January and around Easter too,” he says. “We choose the resort based not only on the quality of the skiing, but what it can offer us as a family.

“A family holiday can only be a great one for everyone if the children are well catered for. Happy kids equal happy parents, and if they’re being entertained and cared for, it also gives Gemma and I some time to ski and spend quality time together, too. When else do we get a chance to sit in the sunshine with a hot chocolate at the top of a mountain, and just be together?”

Sinclair family

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 Paul and Gemma introduced their four children to skiing from an early age – including Josh, 10, and Sammy, six. Photograph: Paul Sinclair

Neilson’s kids’ clubs cater for children aged four months to 12 years, and are staffed by experienced child carers, offering everything from a drop off and pick up service from children’s lessons to arts and crafts classes, story time and movies.

“My sons are now old enough to take lessons, then ski with Gemma and I for most of the day, but for Lily and Amelia, they only have the energy and concentration for a couple of hours of lessons, then they want to play and relax,” says Sinclair. “We then all come together in the late afternoon to talk about our day and have our family meal.

“It’s really bonding when we’ve all spent the day on the slopes, and seeing the children progress in their abilities is amazing. Also, as parents, Gemma and I know we’re teaching them the value of being active but in a very fun way.”

Sinclair’s top tip for families considering a ski holiday is to research the resort and how family friendly it is, to make it a stress-free and pleasurable break. “Choose a ‘ski in ski out’ hotel or chalet if possible – children tire easily, so you don’t want a long trek just to get on to the slopes in the morning or back in the evening,” he says. “Pick a resort with a kids’ club like Neilson, so they can combine their lessons with play time, and parents can ski in the knowledge their little ones are safe and having fun.”

He also counsels against purchasing expensive equipment such as skis, boots and helmets for the kids. “Children grow so quickly, it’s a waste of money,” he says. “Hire it all when you get out there.”

Sinclair says he’s hopeful that now his children have developed a passion for skiing, they’ll be holidaying together for years to come. “I see other families on the slopes with teenagers, and even grownup children still skiing with their parents,” he says. “It’s a holiday for everyone, that brings families together. I hope that will be the case for us too.”