Published · Updated · Christian Søndersted, founder of Flipr
Skiing with children becomes easier when the child has something to look forward to at every stage: the journey, the first day on skis, the waiting times, and the evening. A short story where the child is the hero can turn each moment into part of the adventure rather than something just to be endured.
Prepare your child for the journey, the equipment, and the first day on skis by explaining what happens in sequence. Plan breaks, be honest about falling, and let the child be the hero of a short story. Allow space for small steps and end the day with a calm story together.
| Moment | What the child often experiences | Idea for the story |
|---|---|---|
| The journey | A long time in a small space and nothing to do | The child is an expedition leader on the way to the top of a snow-covered mountain, and the trip is the first chapter of the adventure |
| Arrival and rental | New boots, a heavy helmet, many strangers, and a long wait | The child receives their gear from a friendly yeti who checks that everything fits |
| First day on skis | Falling and not being able to steer | The child falls in the soft snow, laughs, and gets up, while the dog comes sliding after on its belly |
| Waiting in line, for lunch, and at the lift | Waiting while hungry, wet, and tired | The child and the pet come up with a secret mission while standing in line |
| Ski school or a new group | Being dropped off with strangers | The child's teddy bear joins the group and is the first to say hello |
| Evening in a strange bed | Unfamiliar sounds, a new bed, and overtired children | The child and the dog sleep soundly in a warm cabin after a long day in the snow |
Twelve hours in the car. Or two hours at the airport, four on the plane, and an hour on the bus up the mountain. Your child has asked if you're there yet nine times, and you haven't even reached the border.
You've been looking forward to snow, silence, and a cup of hot cocoa. Your child has been looking forward to the snow, but not to the trip there, the wait in the rental shop, or the first day on skis where everything is new and you fall down.
Flipr is an app where your child and your family become regular characters in personalized stories with pictures and narration. You write what the story should be about, and it's ready in under 2 minutes.
This post is part of the guide How to prepare your child for something they are unsure about.
In most Danish municipalities, the winter break falls in week 7, and in some, in week 8. Regardless of when you leave, there are six moments where children often need help. The table above shows them and what you can ask for when creating the story.
Write down what you are going to experience, and Flipr creates the story. Include the child, siblings, and the pet so they appear in all your holiday stories.
For the long drive, you can also read our guide on travel jitters and long drives.
The first day on skis can make many children nervous. There is a lot they don't know, and they know they are going to fall.
1177 has advice for parents on preparing children for visits to the healthcare system. We use the general principles here as inspiration for a new situation like a ski holiday, not as documentation for the effect of stories on skiing. They recommend explaining a little at a time, from the least unpleasant to the hardest, making it clear that what is happening has an end, and preparing children between ages 3 and 12 a day to a few days before.
For a ski holiday, it could look like this:
If your child is very afraid, refuses to go, or has a stomach ache every morning, talk to the ski school instructor and consider a day without skis. A story is a help, not a guarantee.
You don't need to invent anything while packing. It takes just a few minutes:
The second day, your child stands at the top of the small hill, looks down, and says: "I'll just fall in the soft snow, just like in the story." Then they set off.
Want to see it first? See examples of stories.
Give the child something to look forward to throughout the trip, plan breaks, and create a story that turns the journey into the first chapter of the adventure. Explain how long the trip is and what you will do along the way.
Explain what happens in sequence and be honest about falling. Create a short story where the child falls, laughs, and gets back up again, one to a few days before.
Don't pressure them. Let the child watch first and take one small step at a time, and talk to the ski school instructor. Consider a day without skis if the child is very afraid.
Many children are tired after a day in the snow, so a calm story together can be a great closing ritual. Let the child choose what should happen in the story.
In most Danish municipalities, winter break is in week 7, and in some, in week 8. Check your municipality's holiday schedule.