How to Plan a Family Ski Holiday with Daycare

Planning a family ski holiday in New Zealand with daycare is often easier than planning a ski holiday once your children are ready to learn to ski.

Rather than trying to coordinate lesson schedules for each member of the family, you can simply drop your child off at the daycare centre in the morning and collect them when you finish skiing.

Which New Zealand ski fields offer childcare?

• Cardrona Alpine Resort
• Coronet Peak Ski Field
• Mt Hutt Ski Field

Read on to learn more about on-mountain daycare programs and how to plan a family ski holiday with daycare.

On-Mountain Childcare / Daycare for your Family Ski Holiday

On-mountain daycare is the most convenient and straightforward option to arrange. However, not every ski field offers programs for young children.

Of the New Zealand ski fields, only Cardrona Alpine Resort, Coronet Peak, and Mt Hutt offer childcare for children under the age of 4.

Treble Cone and The Remarkables, on the other hand, only cater for slightly older children who are ready to learn to ski. (Treble Cone offers short ski lessons for children ages 2 and up, while The Remarkables only allows children into their lesson programs beginning at age 4.)

What does an on-mountain daycare program usually include?

Not only do childcare programs at ski fields take your children off your hands to allow you a stress-free day of skiing, they also introduce your children to snow play in a safe and fun environment.

On-mountain daycare programs usually include the following:

1. Flexible drop-off and pick-up times, beginning early

Childcare at ski fields is designed to work around the rest of the family, so if you or your older children have lessons scheduled for the morning, any daycare center will be able to take your child before your lessons start.

Since daycare centers do not have a set program, you can then collect your children whenever you are ready to leave. Half-day and full-day childcare options are both available at many ski fields.

2. Lunch and snacks

Meals are usually included in full-day on-mountain childcare programs. However, if your child is very young or has special dietary requirements, you may need to provide food for the day.

3. Snow play

Experiencing the snow in a safe and controlled environment is part of most ski field daycare programs.

Whether the daycare center brings snow inside for children to play with, or offers a small outdoor play area, this is a great precursor to children learning to ski.

Off-Mountain Childcare Options for your Family Ski Holiday with Daycare

What if your family’s ski field of choice does not offer childcare?

One alternative is to book a babysitter for the day. Babysitting Queenstown offers numerous childcare options; in many cases, the babysitter will come to your accommodation and spend the day looking after your child there.

Some skiing families bring an Au Pair on their travels to look after non-skiing children while the rest of the family enjoys the snow.

Some even invite a grandparent along for quality time with baby while the parents are out skiing!

If you wish to plan a family ski holiday with daycare, first investigate the ski fields that offer on-mountain childcare.

If none of these appeal to your family, there are many childcare alternatives that can be arranged in town.

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