We are thinking of going to Colorado mid-December for a just-for-fun vacation. I've never been and DH has only been as a teenager or for work. Has anyone been with little kids (our girls will be 4 and 2.5 when we go) and still had fun? Are there any activities for families with kids too young to ski? Please give me all your recommendations!
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I live here! Most resorts have ski lessons as soon as kids are potty trained, as well as some sort of tubing, ice skating, etc. For little ones. The resort towns are all fun to walk around for kids, well shoveled and deiced so slipping isn't a big deal. My DD was only 1 this past winter, and she loved walking around, going to a cafe for a snack, and just playing in the snow!
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DD took a ski lesson at barely 4 years (Whistler) for one day. She had fun but was a little sore because of new muscle use. Couldn't do more than that. But at barely six she did three days in a row and was fine. And learned to ski really well !!
We also did nature walks, gondola tour with snowman building/angels at a young age. I suppose they are too young to tube or sled but maybe you could find a small hill.
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We've been to jackson hole and park city/deer valley with our LO. She was 9 months and 21 months each time. Finding a resort that had state licensed daycare was a must for us, and each had that. Neither was cheap..120-150 per day including meals. But we both love skiing so much this was nonnegotiable!
Your 4 year old can def do ski school if you want her to! -
@Mrs. Microscope: @808love: @Littlebit7: thanks ladies. I think we're going to go ahead with it! We're in Texas so my girls, nor I, have really see any significant amounts of snow before. So it could be fun just hanging out. That being said, we will likely be staying 3 to 4 nights. I'd like to pack light, especially considering that we will likely not be reusing any clothing items we buy for this trip, what are the bare minimum must haves for the mountains in winter? How can I buy these things cheaply?
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I live in CO!
If you'll be skiing you need snow pants and jacket, and a couple of layers underneath. I wear a base layer purchased from amazon, a Nike dryfit shirt, and my ski jacket which has a fleece layer built into it. My pants are soooo cheap but have worked great for me : https://www.amazon.com/White-Sierra-Womens-31-Inch-Inseam/dp/B005HT61P2?th=1&psc=1
You'll also want good quality gloves and socks.
I would see if any friends could lend you guys jackets and/or gloves and goggles...and other than that look online at Target, Sierra Trading, and Amazon. As a former Texan - avoid Sun and Ski Sports / other Texas based local shops, the prices are all insanely high. You can find the same North Face jackets etc at Nordstrom Rack in Denver. Speaking of Denver - I believe the airport has high quality car seats and strollers for rent.
When not skiing you will want some comfy waterproof boots to walk around in. I don't recommend the regular Uggs for playing in the snow ... it ruins the leather. Again, even Target carries these in winter time in Denver. They aren't fancy but will do the job for a quick trip. Our first snow is usually around Halloween, so I'd start looking online then!
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My sister moved to CO last fall and started working at a childcare center at one of the resorts. She LOVES it and does all kinds of fun crafts and activities with the kids. I think she's in the 2 year old room but don't quote me on that. They have different classrooms for each age group. Her resort also hires the teachers to babysit for the families in evening and weekends if the parents want a date night.
You will definitely have a great time.
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@charlotte: that is all SUPER helpful, thank you!
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We live in Texas, but still get plenty of snow (we're only 6 hours from Denver, so we're as close to Denver as we are to Dallas--Oh, Texas!). Anyway, we love to go to the mountains in CO and NM in summer and winter. We try to take layers since sometimes it gets a little warmer when you're skiing if the weather is also nice. Where we live we can find regularly priced ski pants, Northface, etc. at Academy or our other sports stores, so you can look there, too, if you want to buy before you go. I think pretty much every resort offers ski lessons by age 3 and the nicer places all have daycare-type settings for younger if you and DH are wanting to ski. If not, tubing and sledding are hits with kids and even just walking around, drinking hot chocolate, playing in the snow in small doses.
Maybe someone else has a good brand recommendation for this, but I struggle to find warm, water-proof gloves here for my littlest (2 yrs). Apparently, it's normal to buy ski pants, but not water proof gloves here.
Colorado is so beautiful. We love to ski, but don't think you can't have an amazing time in Denver or Colorado Springs, too. There are great indoor activities if you want to spend a day or two doing snowy activities and a day or two staying warm and dry. My kids love the aquarium, zoo, children's museum, and eating at Casa Bonita (the food is meh, but I still remember going there as a kid and think the whole place was magical), Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs (though we've only explored there in the summer, so that would be another colder activity but not the same as skiing).
We also did nature walks, gondola tour with snowman building/angels at a young age. I suppose they are too young to tube or sled but maybe you could find a small hill.
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