Winter Activities for the Whole Family

Winter · November 8, 2024

The Hofer family from Zurich had always booked their winter holidays at a big ski resort. Good slopes, expensive ski passes, long lift queues. Until last February, when they came to us for the first time – and discovered that winter can be done differently.

The first thing they described was the evening before day one. No equipment rental, no time pressure, no forty strangers at the breakfast buffet. Instead: dinner with other families in the shared kitchen, a little planning for the next day, children already asleep because they were happily exhausted.

Sledging in Braunwald is a serious pleasure. The valley run drops a good 600 metres in elevation – long enough to feel the speed, short enough for five-year-olds to keep up. Sleds are available to rent on the spot. Anyone who reaches the top and looks down immediately understands why it becomes addictive.

Winter, the way we mean it

Ice skating, building igloos or just a snowball fight are also unforgettable winter experiences. In our hostels, you can warm up afterwards with hot cocoa and stories by the fireplace.

Our tip: Book a Family Workation in winter. While the kids from 6 are at the Daycamp, you can work relaxed – and then spend the afternoon together in the snow.

Cross-country skiing is massively underrated. Around Braunwald there are several trails suitable for beginners and children. Never been on narrow skis before? A short afternoon lesson is often enough to get the feel of it. And the beauty — you move through a winter landscape at walking pace, one that downhill skiers simply miss.

Activities for every age – from bold to cosy

Winter walks are also possible with small children — as long as you choose the right route. On groomed paths, walking in snow is safe and great fun. We recommend bringing gaiters. They keep snow out of shoes and turn a simple stroll into a little adventure.

After the snow, the communal kitchen warms from within. Warm soup, hot cocoa, and for the parents perhaps a fondue — evenings like these in company with other families are priceless. Children play, adults talk, and eventually everyone falls asleep exhausted and happy.

Our friLingue Daycamp also runs in winter — with an adapted programme. Children playfully learn a language, do crafts, play indoors and outdoors. Parents get undisturbed time in the morning — to work, to walk, or simply to breathe. Winter is surprisingly good for family workations.

Evenings that stay with you

Once you've experienced a Swiss mountain winter with your family, you won't want to go back to the city kitchen. The silence, the snow, the fire — and families all around looking for exactly what you are. That's a winter holiday the way it should be.