3–4 year olds

3 or 4-year olds vary hugely. Some will schuss black runs. Some will sit down and cry. Most can learn to go up the baby pomas on the nursery slopes and the basics of skiing.

If your child is gong to ski, getting a good instructor is the secret to a successful holiday. Contact the ski schools as early as possible to be sure of a place in the right class or, if you are reserving a private instructor, to get their best person. Fiona Easdale in our UK office knows a number of excellent teachers.

Lessons will only last about two hours each day, so unless parents of small children have help, most of their holiday will be devoted to child-minding. Please see our Toddlers and babies page for full details of nanny and childcare services in Val d'Isère.

The French section of the Snow Fun ski school (00 33 479 06 19 79) provides the Teddy Bear Club, which costs €32 for 90 minutes (we await 2011–12 prices). Children seem happier than at the children’s garden of the ESF (0033 479 06 02 34)  who, for 2010–11, were charging €40 for two hours.

There are a selection of times available through the day, particularly for the Teddy Bear Club, but with only six per class they do get booked solid. These lessons must be booked in advance.

The Village d’Enfants, Val d’Isère’s skiing kindergarten (0033 479 40 09 81), is right on the nursery slopes, where the buses turn. It looks after children, all nationalities, aged 18 months to 13 years while they aren’t actually skiing, and has brilliant facilities indoors and out, including a canteen, dormitories and a play area on the snow. The staff have been really nice thus far, if with slightly Allo Allo! English. It has been very popular with outgoing children.

Near our chalets Juniper, Jasmine and Jacaranda is Le Petit Poucet (0033 479 06 13 97, www.garderielepetitpoucet.com), a nursery which takes children from 3 years. The cost is €51 for a day and €43 for half a day (including meals). It will transport children to and from ESF, EV2 or Snow Fun group ski school classes, but you pay for the nursery while your child is at ski school as well as for the actual lessons. It has to be pre-booked, with a certificate from your GP to say that the child is in good health.

YSE child discount: 

Children aged 2-16: £25 off per week in standard beds.