Sunshine Village Ski Resort in Banff, Alberta, Canada is a world-renowned ski resort in Banff National Park. It is a picturesque ski resort with breathtaking views and is a perfect ski resort for families. As parents, we have our own thoughts of what a family friendly ski resort is, but kids have their own ideas.
Here are 7 things kids love about Sunshine Village Ski Resort:
1. Gondola ride
In order to get to the main Sunshine Village ski lodge, you have to take a 30-minute gondola ride up the mountain. It is a unique experience that the kids LOVED! As we floated above the tree line it took us to the top on a journey to the unknown until the doors opened and we arrived at the main ski lodge filled with snow and excitement. The kids probably would have been just fine only with the gondola ride alone! A great way to start the day off with success.
2. Learning the colors of skiing
The instructors have a genius way of helping kids learn how to ski, make it fun! I was educated by Sofia, who is 4, about the different colors of skiing. Red means Stop, Green means Go, Purple means Jump, Blue means Disco, and Black means Fall Down. Keeping it easy and fun with the colors helps clearly communicate with kids learning how to ski. Kids just love the fun colors and games!
3. Chairlift rides
1st one to be exact! The Strawberry chair was Sofia’s first chairlift ride after all the hard-work on the magic carpet. The kids love to chill out and ride the lifts, it’s really the only time they sit still. We watch the boarders/skiers do tricks off the rails and hit the jumps. Talk about which run we are going to tackle next and point to the run they just accomplished. Big smiles and sticking out their tongues to catch snowflakes passes the time.
4. Learning how to parallel ski from their instructor
One of Luca’s favorite parts of the day was learning from an uber cool ski instructor that knows “way more than you mom”. Which is probably true, since this instructor had been teaching at Sunshine for the past five years and has been going to the resort for the past 19 years! I think he knows the mountain and definitely more than me about skiing. What I loved to see is the enthusiasm (and patience) these instructors have for teaching kids how to ski and push them to learn new skills. The instructors are someone kids can look up to and strive to be better at skiing at because of them. Both the instructors that our kids had been beyond helpful and always positive. Although we ski with our kids too, we find to help build their skiing foundation learning from someone else other than us has been what has worked for us.
5. Skiing with Family
It seems to be too simple. But, one of their favorite things was spending time with us (gasp!) and their aunt, uncle, and cousin that were with us. It melts my heart because sometimes kids just want to spend time with you! Teaching them something, talking with them and just hanging out is all they really want from us. #qualitytime
6. Lunch & Hot Chocolate
For the love of food! A good old fashion poutine will hit the spot for any kid after a hard-working morning on the slopes. A Canadian classic poutine is french fries, Quebec cheese curds covered with gravy. The cafeteria has a variety of options from sandwiches, soups, french fries, burgers to butter chicken over basmati rice. Something for everyone can be found in the cafeteria. We usually bring lunch, but we opted for a treat this day. Plus, their favorite drink to warm up with is a cup of hot chocolate!
7. Having Fun
The smiles on their faces tell it all. They just want to do something fun for the day. On our ski day both the kids hopped out of bed at 6am, dressed themselves and were waiting in the ski pants before I could even get my teeth brushed. Skiing is just fun for them! Their rosy red cheeks at the end of the day and falling asleep on the car ride home is a tell-tale sign they had fun.
As parents, here are 4 more things we loved about Sunshine Village Ski Resort and what makes it a great family ski resort:
1. Daycare – Tiny Tigers Daycare (19 months – 6 years) is located at the main ski lodge area and what we liked the most is the separate magic carpet for the little ones under 6 that can use this for their lessons instead of the main magic carpet where everyone else goes.
2. Kids Ski Lessons – The Kids Kampus Program (6 – 12 years) allows you to choose the ability level for the kids and different options of half or full day lessons for what works for us.
3. Online booking of lessons – Makes it extremely easy for booking the right lessons and daycare. The information is clearly outlined on the website and you can have everything setup and booked before arriving at the ski hill.
4. Terrain for all abilities – Sunshine Village has terrain for everyone and their skiing/boarding abilities, which helps for those who are learning to experts in the family.
Whether you are a kid or a parent, there are many reasons that make Sunshine Village Ski Resort a great family friendly ski resort. This past ski trip held some big milestones for our kids’; Sofia’s first chair lift ride and Luca learning to parallel ski. Both are great accomplishments but most importantly they had fun and we spent some quality time together on the slopes.
Check out more about Sunshine Village Ski Resort here.
Have you ever been to Sunshine Village Ski Resort? If so, what was your favorite part of the resort?
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