© Adeles Travel - Villard de Lans

With family

Summer in resorts with toddlers: a whole host of activities!

Going on holiday with children under 6 isn’t always easy! Fortunately, we’ve got the solution to help you choose the ideal destination: the Famille Plus label! In France, over 40 mountain resorts have been awarded this label thanks to their facilities, services and other solutions for families (parents and children). So even with a young child, this summer you can relax in the mountains!

Young, but already sporty!

It’s no secret that children of this age are full of energy. But don’t worry, the Family Plus resorts have got it covered. With sports activities, sled races, gentle thrills and dedicated play areas, there’s bound to be something for your child to enjoy in the mountains.

  • Draisienne races: after riding their little pedal-less bikes, children (aged 2-3 and over) set off on a fun-filled little course! Many resorts offer this not-to-be-missed activity for younger children, including Praz de Lys Sommand, Dévoluy, Les Karellis and Les Menuires.
  • Tree climbing: tree climbing isn’t just for adults and teenagers! Many of the courses in the resorts are accessible from the age of 2, with simple, low-level workshops that allow parents to follow them all the way. Take a look at the courses at Les Angles, Grand Tourmalet and Courchevel.
  • Everything you need for a splash: there’s no shortage of water activities when you’re spending the summer in a resort. Water-related facilities and fun activities will delight adventurous children! Take a look at the Alpe d’Huez aqualudic area, or the baby-swimming sessions and water garden at Vaujany, to get to grips with water in a safe environment.
© Corbier Tourisme

But that’s not all: the resorts are full of ideas for sporting challenges adapted to the youngest visitors:

  • At Le Mont-Dore in Auvergne: try your hand at tubing!
  • At Dévoluy (Hautes-Alpes): get moving with baby-gym and roller-skating lessons.
  • In Courchevel: golf and climbing courses to discover new sports.
  • At Les Angles (Pyrénées): unusual activities with mini pump-track, electric boats and mini-quads or trampolines with elastic bands.
  • At Les Karellis: try your hand at pedal go-karts!
  • At Alpe d’Huez: skateboarding lessons for children aged 3 and over.
  • In Orcières Merlette : electric buggies and bumper boats, mini-golf, jumpbox or zip line, from age 3.

Solutions for parents and children

Staying in the mountains as a family also means taking advantage of a real break from everyday life, by enjoying the wide open spaces of the mountains. So if parents want to enjoy a sporting hike or a relaxing moment alone at the spa, there are plenty of ways to keep the children occupied during this time in Famille Plus resorts!

  • At Les Karellis in Savoie, many establishments with the Famille Plus label welcome the little ones to their ‘kids’ clubs’, ideal for making friends while the parents set off to discover the resort.
  • This is also the case at Les Menuires, where the ESF nursery looks after the youngest children (aged between 3 and 6). Every afternoon, they offer the “Les Petits Aventuriers” programme, with lots of supervised activities (walks, picnics, treasure hunts, building huts, etc.).
  • In Alpe d’Huez, the Salle Emparis, an extension of the Palais des Sports et des Congrès, is offering a new area for children up to the age of 6 this summer, with a host of modules: manipulative and motor games, a reading corner, giant bricks, etc.
© Gilles Piel - Praz de Lys Sommand

And if you want to take your children with you on all your mountain adventures, you can do that in Family Plus resorts too! Discover the themed trails or trails specially designed for little ones, for some great family fun:

  • Les Angles resort offers themed trails for children aged 4 and over (L’antre des Mystères and the Gagnade pastoral trail) and for children aged 3 and over (the Horizon trail).
  • In Gérardmer, in the Vosges, there are a number of family walks that can be enjoyed with a pushchair, on a sled or on foot. You can find them in a special family booklet, available from the Tourist Office.

The perfect age to discover and explore

Nature is an ideal place to develop your senses and explore new sensations. Between the ages of 1 and 6, it’s the perfect time to discover new outdoor activities, and the mountains are full of resources for doing just that. Add a touch of fun so that children never get bored, and there you have it!

  • © @Floriane Deysse
  • © Adourdanes
  • Baby Pony

    In Dévoluy, try your hand at Baby Pony, horse riding for children aged 2 to 4. Accompanied by Elodie, a qualified instructor, your little ones will experience new sensations on the back of a pony. For 45 minutes, their senses will be awakened by touch and smell in particular. Contact: Centre équestre de Superdévoluy: 06.72.38.18.27 / elodiechaillol@yahoo.fr

  • Roll my ball

    In Orcières Merlette, the "Roule ma Boule" course, permanent for the summer, is set up in the heart of nature at the foot of the Rocherousse restaurant. Children from the age of one can have fun rolling a wooden ball down the gullies, through the tunnels, testing their skill on the board or on the walls... You can do it all over again!

  • Pony groomer

    In Villard de Lans: children slip into the shoes of a miniature pony groomer! A gentle approach to looking after their well-being, feeding them, brushing them and playing with them in a safe, enclosed area. A fun and educational area where children (accompanied by their parents) can discover the world of horses.

  • Barefoot trail

    At Grand Tourmalet, the barefoot trail at Payolle is a unique sensory experience where children can walk barefoot on different types of natural ground (grass, sand, stones, etc.), encouraging the development of tactile perception and a playful connection with nature.

  • Motor skills for babies

    In Valberg, every Tuesday morning, the resort offers a free fun and sensory trail enabling toddlers aged 1 to 3 to move around and discover new sensations in a safe area, in the company of their parents.

  • Le Bois des Lutins

    At La Bresse in the Vosges, discover the Bois des Lutins: trampolines, nets, slides... a multitude of games, experiences and unusual discoveries.