Childrens' Skiing & Ski Lessons in Meribel
also see Ski Schools in Meribel: Book a Ski Lesson

Ski School for Children

Most ski instructors wouldn’t recommend your child starts skiing before the age of three or four at the earliest (and five for snowboarding). The right age will vary from child to child, and depends upon the child’s strength, co-ordination and attitude. For this age group skiing should remain a play activity, so don't expect a young child to ski all day - a couple of hours is ample.

Ski school is generally a much less strenuous affair for the children with the emphasis being very much on fun and a varied range of games aimed at their particular age and level of ability. Class sizes are kept small and many ski schools award certificates or stars that children can achieve throughout the course to mark their progress. For older children there may be the opportunity to take part in organised races, or sample their first taste of safe off-piste. For the younger ones there is more of a ‘kindergarten’ approach with easy activities and games.

SnowSystems is a French school but only offers lessons in English for children aged between 4-5 and 6-12 years; Parallel Lines offer lessons for children aged 6 and over, and Euro Ski Adventure take children between 3-5 and 6-12 years (these companies are all English-speaking).

Magic Snowsports Academy run exclusively English-speaking ski school lessons for children aged 4 to 17 over during the school holidays. They guarantee a maximum class size of 6 for the younger children (4-6 years) and 8 for the older groups.

New Generation also offer English-speaking children’s lessons during the holiday periods. Children are taken from 4-5 years (maximum of 6 per group), and 6-12 years (maximum of 8 per group).

The French Ski School (ESF) can’t guarantee English speaking classes, but almost all of their children’s instructors speak some English and classes are often mixed with French and English children learning alongside each other. During the UK school holidays it is unusual not to find several English speaking children in each group. The French Ski School take children from 5 to 13.

It is strongly recommended to pre-book ski school for the busy New Year and February school holiday period as classes are often fully booked many weeks in advance.

Please see our Ski/Snowboard Schools listings for contact details of all the schools mentioned above.

What's new for kids in Meribel?

For winter 2010/11, Méribel has made a big effort to attract more families to the resort and offer new things for children to do.

Kids will find more fun areas on the slopes this winter. In addition to the existing P’tit Moon area, they can enjoy a new course of whoops, banked turns, tunnel, and mini-slalom by the side of the beginner’s Blanchot piste. Called the Acticross, it is open to children of 6 and over and will host regular events during the school holidays. 

Nearby is the “Moon Wild”, a new, themed piste through the Altiport woods where children can learn about woodland animals. Children can play at spotting full size animal models hidden in the forest, and information boards offer facts and a quiz about the animals. A walking trail runs parallel to the piste so it can be enjoyed on foot too.

Adult and child beginners will enjoy the two improved learning areas. In Mottaret centre, the beginners’ Doron Zen slope has been made gentler to make those first wobbly turns ski easier. A covered “magic carpet” lift has replaced the elderly Doron drag lift. This will open from 5.30 to 8.00pm up to 3 evenings a week, allowing children to sled on the slopes for après-ski. In Méribel, a new “Cool Moon” area offers improvers a gentle piste where they can practise in peace and quiet, starting at the summit of the Altiport chairlift.

The valley’s two snowparks have also been upgraded. The blue beginners’ freestyle course at the Moon Park has been enlarged and equipped with new boxes. The Plattières Snow Park has been completely redesigned to make it more fun and accessible to children and adults alike.

The ESF ski school has announced that it will limit the numbers of children in its group lessons. Director Alain Etievent says that classes will be limited to 10 children, or 12 during school holiday periods. The ESF is also to launch a drive to improve its instructors’ English – currently 61% speak the language. One of the independent ski schools in the resort, Magic, is employing a child safety officer this season. "The officer teaches child protection for the British Association of Snowsport Instructors and though we don't envisage he will be very busy it will be good to have a professional on board who can offer advice where needed," says Lulu Cottle, the marketing manager of the ski school.

Finally, the lift company is offering children a free ski pass on Christmas day*. In addition, everybody can enjoy a 7 day pass at the price of 6 over Christmas, providing they book online in advance. See below for more details.

(* on purchase of any 3 to 8 day child pass, or a 6 to 8 day Family Pass. Offers valid online only and from 18 to 25 December 2010 and must be purchased by 15 December.)

Family Lift Pass Options

If you are skiing “en famille” then the Family Pass option offers around 20% discount on 6-21 day or season passes for two adults and two, three or four children under 18 (from the same family) when you buy all your passes at the same time - under 5s ski for free!

Proof of age will be required and each member of the family will have their own hands free pass.

Depending on where you are staying, there is a Meribel or Meribel-Mottaret version of the pass and it is available for either the Meribel Valley only or for the full 3 Valley area, but not during the “Premieres Neiges” weeks in December or during the last week of the season. 

There is also a 25% discount offered off the adult prices for children aged 5-12 years.

In addition, there are several free lifts for beginners in the valley. In Meribel they are Loupiot, Cotes drag lift (at le Rond Point) Altiport drag and Fontany telecord. In Mottaret you will find the Doron and Sitelle drag lifts as well as the Telecorde and Chalets gondolas (also for pedestrians). NB not all of these are marked on the lift map. 

Even if some of the family are non-skiers, you can still use the lift system - the views from the top are quite spectacular! Make sure you wrap up very warm in winter and take extra layers even in summer - there's a reason why the snow doesn't melt up there!

The French Ski School (ESF) offers children’s lessons with slightly cheaper lift passes included in the price. Children must be under 13 years of age and from complete beginner to 2* level ski ability.

See our lift pass prices page for this season's rates >>

Children's Activities & Entertainment

The après ski fun isn’t just confined to the adults. The Tourist Office organises a wealth of activities to keep children amused off the slopes; including street entertainments, games and torch lit descents. Check out our What's On calendar to find out what is scheduled for your visit.

Tobogganing is always a hit with the kids, and most ski hire shops will rent toboggans for a minimal charge - but make sure you keep off the main pistes! For other activities in resort, have a look at our page on Winter Activities.

ESF Childrens Ski School in Meribel

Ecole du Ski Français (ESF) is the biggest and most well-known ski school in France; if you or your children have taken lessons in France before then it was most likely with them. Every ESF school offers special children’s’ lessons, aimed at kids aged from 3 years and up. The vast majority of ESF instructors speak good English (and most clubs offer instruction in a variety of international languages). Classes tend to be a mix of mostly French and English children, the ratio varying according to school holidays.

Club des Piou-Piou
Aimed at 3 to 6 year olds the Piou-Piou kids club gives little ones their first experience of skiing in the safety of the ‘Jardin de Neige’ snow garden. Here they will find magic carpets to take them gently up the slope and a number of obstacles to challenge them on their way back down. This is all carried out under the careful supervision of qualified and experienced ESF instructors. The half-day sessions are broken up with snack breaks and games to keep children entertained and make their first days on skis fun. Your child will be awarded one of 3 medals at the end of their stay.

Older Children’s Lessons
For children aged 7 years and over the lessons become more focussed; giving them greater challenges yet retaining the element of fun with games, races and competitions. At this stage the children will be split up according to age and ability and medals will be awarded according to what standard they have reached. When registering your child for lessons it is important to inform the ESF of any previous skiing experience your child has, so that they will be put into the most appropriate group.

The Medals
The first 3 medals are gained in the snow garden and demonstrate that your child has mastered the basics of skiing on a nursery slope; this includes slowing down, stopping, small turns and using the magic carpet and the drag lift. To gain the Ourson and Flocon badges your child should first have passed the previous stages.

Piou-Piou: This badge is the first one and is awarded to all children who complete a week of ski school.

Ourson (Teddy Bear): (If your child is over the age of 7 they can go straight to this badge without needing to complete the Piou-Piou). Your child must be able to:

Recognise his/her ski equipment

Put on and take off his/her skis by him/herself

Has used some ski lifts already

Control his/her speed and complete snaking turns

Move around on skis in different ways over varied but almost flat terrain

Ski with skis parallel straight downhill and stop using a snowplough turn

Flocon (Snowflake): Your child must be able to:

Control his/her speed and cross the fall line using snowplough turns

Retain his/her balance while sliding faster with skis parallel both across and down the slope, on both skis or from one ski to the other, over smooth terrain on a gentle slope

Brake and stop and is starting to be able to sideslip

1ère Etoile (1st Star):

Can complete a series of elementary sideslip turns taking into account external factors (terrain profile, other users, snow quality, etc.)

Retains his/her balance when sliding across gentle to moderately steep slopes

Is starting to be able to sideslip (uphill swing, at an angle)

2ème Etoile (2nd Star):

Can complete a series of smooth elementary turns, crossing the fall line with skis parallel and can complete turns with an uphill swing taking into account external factors (terrain profile, other users, snow quality, etc.)

Can ski over hollows and bumps, across or down the slope, while retaining his/her balance

3ème Etoile (3rd Star):

Can complete a series of short- and medium-radius basic turns with skis parallel, taking into account and compensating for external factors (terrain, users, type of snow, etc.)

Can maintain his/her balance in a schuss over varied terrain (hollows and bumps)

Is improving his/her lateral balance using successions of sideslips interspersed with direct traversing lines (garlands)

Etoile de Bronze (Bronze Star):

Can complete smoother basic turns by reducing sideslip

Can ski using high-speed and broad turns taking into account and compensating for external factors (terrain, users, type of snow, etc.)

Can maintain his/her balance in a schuss when taking off from rounded bumps, on piste or in a specially prepared area such as a skiercross courses

Is getting used to skiing in all kinds of snow

Etoile d’Or (Gold Star):

Is gaining experience with all forms of alpine skiing

Can ski down pistes with a large vertical drop without stopping, on all types of snow, taking into account external factors and respecting the rules of conduct for skiers

Can ski in a specially prepared area: skiercross course, halfpipe

To find your nearest ESF branch please see our Ski/Snowboard Schools listings page.