Dressing Children for a Ski Holiday with Reima

We all know children don't like being too cold and so when we prepare for a ski holiday with them, the important thing is making sure they have everything they need to keep them warm and dry.  We have worked with Reima again this year who make clothing suitable for Finnish winters which are pretty snowy and found that the children are always so comfortable and prepared for spending all day in the snow.

The children's skiwear was all supplied by Reima

Dressing a child for a snow holiday starts with a base layer.  Underneath everything you see, they need thermals and Reima sent us a set for each of the small people.  I usually pack 2 or 3 sets of clothes for mine for when they do indoor evening clubs but other than that they live in the thermals for the week.  They wear them all day, and then chill out in them like they might pyjamas when we are in our apartment.  These ones are soft and warm and the children never wanted to take them off.

Next up is a midlayer.  I found that my bigger boys were warm enough without one most of the week but the younger two were more keen to wear them.  These are a thin-ish fleece layer that is designed to keep the heat in and the boys all had fleeces whilst Cora had an all in one version.  All in ones are ideal for younger children who are not as active in their ski lessons and she was so warm in it!  The weather can be unpredictable up on a mountain so it is best to come prepared for the coldest weather (especially with children) and enjoy it if you don't need everything. I couldn't find many photos of the midlayers but you can see it on Cora here under her coat.

Ski Socks are important to keep little feet warm and again, can usually be worn all week.  We took ours off in the evenings and hung them up to air out.  Nice soft, thick ones are important for children in ski boots and you should always take along the socks you intend to wear skiing when you try on boots to buy or hire.

And finally, outerwear.  What I love about ski resorts is that nothing is too bright.  Even adults are dressed in all the colours and it helps a lot when you are trying to spot someone across a sheet of white!  I let my children pick their own outerwear from the Reima website and I love every part of it.

Dylan is 8 years old but tall and he went for an all in one.  These aren't that common in bigger sizes but he is wearing an age 10 and it was fantastic (Reima stock them up to age 14).  It means no snow can get up his back and he can get dressed easily.  It has a pocket in his arm for his lift pass (absolutely necessary in all skiwear) and pockets on his legs for snacks.  He loved it and has declared he will only be choosing all in ones from now onwards!

The other three chose bright salopettes which come with removable braces and all have adjustable waists.  They come up nice and high so you never get a chilly tummy! Their coats all had snow skirts, which is the fitted band underneath that stops any snow coming up your coat if you fall, and they all had multiple pockets.  I love the bright colours and designs and how well this range mixes and matches.  Everything was incredibly warm and waterproof!

We can't forget the accessories.  For a ski holiday they need good quality hats and gloves.  We always take two pairs of gloves in case one gets soaked through (there is nothing worse than cold hands!) 

Preparing for a first ski holiday with children can be daunting but it is one of our favourite family trips and all four children love being out on the mountains.  They never complain of being cold or wet (and they are more than capable of this at home) and I put this down to being prepared with the right gear for them.  You can check out their ski collection which is from baby to 14 years here and I would advise to never size up on the salopettes as we find them generous (you can see Cora's are rolled up in some pictures), and to measure your child's height to find the best fit rather than going on their ages.

As a guide, Dylan (8) is 142cm wearing size 140

Archie (6) is 127cm wearing size 128

Finn (4) is 112cm wearing size 116

Cora (3) is 93cm wearing size 98

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Learning to Ski at 2 and 4

I was 26 when I first put on skis and wobbled around on snow.  I was nervous, worried and excited about learning to ski and it exceeded every expectation I had.  This year my biggest two boys had the chance to try it out themselves and if they were as nervous as I was then they were much better at hiding it.  Snowbizz offers lessons in their 'Totons' class for three and four year olds, but as Archie was so close to turning 3 they allowed him to give it a go, and it was agreed that if he couldn't manage then he would stay in the creche in the mornings with his youngest brother.

On our first afternoon we took them down to the hire shop and picked up some boots and skis for them and the next morning I dropped them at the creche dressed in their thermals and salopettes ready for their first lesson.  I watched nervously from the balcony at 10am as they ascended (in what I nicknamed The March of the Totons) and then had to peel myself away knowing I would only be a distraction.  I picked them up at lunch time desperate to hear tales of their day and it seems both of them took learning this new skill in their stride.

My cautious big boy loved his first lesson, talked a lot about the 'magic carpet' (a moving walkway on the snow that does the job of a chair lift on the nursery slopes) and declared that he went really fast.  My daredevil of a two year old told me that skiing was fun and that he was going to do it everyday.

Their class had 9 children in as it was a busy week, but those nine children were accompanied by two ski instructors and two of the nannies from the creche.  I crept up and hid behind a hut to watch them on their second day and their last day and it was amazing to see how confident they all were.  The instructors gave them new challenges as they progressed and the nannies encouraged them, looked after the younger ones as they got tired towards the end of the lesson, helped put mittens on when they fell off and kept the lessons fun.

I think I was more surprised than anyone when on the final day Dylan didn't join the rest of his class.  Another boy and him had done so well on the nursery slopes that they went up the mountain with one of the instructors in a chair lift and skied down a green slope!   My baby boy, who really isn't all that sporty, was skiing down a mountain! It was more than I expected, he wasn't even four and a half and he was enjoying it so much.  He was so proud telling me how he skied down all the way from the top and he was delighted when his instructor brought out the sweets at the end of the lesson!  

Archie went progressively higher up the mountain and had to use his 'steering wheel' to make things more challenging as the week progressed.  At not yet three his stamina started to lag after three quarters of an hour but he did so well in all his lessons and he loved the experience.

We are desperate to go back again next winter, not just because I want to ski, but because the boys did so well and they really enjoyed the experience, it would be great to watch them progress.  By next winter Dylan will be 5 and joining the 'Junior ski school' and Archie will be nearly 4 and have the advantage of this year's learning as he skis with the Totons again.

Thank you to Snowbizz for inviting us back and giving the boys so much physical confidence.  Their lessons were fantastic and I still can't believe my 4 year old skied down the mountain!

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What the Boys Wore - Muddy Puddles Ski Wear

We have recently returned from an amazing week in France with Snowbizz and Dylan learnt to ski for the very first time.  Muddy Puddles kindly sent him some snow gear and it was absolutely perfect for our trip.  Not only did he look great, but he stayed warm, dry and protected even though the temperatures were well below zero even in the middle of the day.

Dylan was sent a jacket, salopettes and snow boots and all three were worn every day.  His jacket had everything you need for a ski coat with it being windproof, waterproof and snowproof.  It had poppers to form a barrier at the bottom, plenty of pockets including one in the arm for a lift pass and a cosy hood.  Dylan wore it every day and now that we are back in a rather snow-less country it has become his winter coat, perfect for the school playground.

The salopettes were simple and blue but protected him from falls and kept him warm and dry even when we were making snow angels.  We did find the waistband was a little tight on these but Dylan didn't find it uncomfortable at all.

The boots were chunky and warm with great grip for the snow and they were easy for him to do himself with one main zip and then velcro panels over the top.  We had taken other shoes for when he wasn't in the snow as much but he was happy to just live in his comfy boots.

I was really impressed with the quality of everything we were sent, especially considering it is all in the sale and the jacket is down to only £23!  I am rather tempted to buy the next size for next year as it is an amazing coat.  I love the brightness of the jacket and the print really suited Dylan, was easy to spot in the snow and goes well with his everyday clothes for when we are at home.  I would say that the clothing is very true to size as are the boots, we chose his normal sizes and it had space for layers underneath and should fit over the whole winter.

I am struggling to fault any of the pieces we were sent and having tried a few ski brands on the children I will definitely be going back to Muddy Puddles for both the quality and price.

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