Skiing Vacations  

Family

Resorts now offer day care, ski schools, a variety of programs

There's good news these days for families, as resorts are competing hard for your business with a broad range of services and compelling travel packages.

At

Steamboat Springs, Colorado

, there's a cowboy-themed kids-zone with a log cabin terrain park, flat escalator "lifts" that glide kids up a small hill, kids-only chairlifts, and day care facilities. Additionally kids twelve years and under ski free and there are discounted rates for teen skiers. Nearby, your family can enjoy western-style barbeques, sleigh rides, tubing parks, and even hot spring soaks.

In Vermont,

Smugglers' Notch

is known as the family friendly resort with its high-quality child care, learn-to-ski programs, lots of terrain for beginners as well as experts, ski in/ski out lodging, a day spa, and family-oriented restaurants.

In the Lake Tahoe area, there are kids programs, child care, and a tubing park at

Northstar-at-Tahoe

and a top-notch day care center at

Heavenly

with its art, music, puppets and outdoor snow play and solid learn-to-ski programs with "tag-along lessons," where the whole family can ski together but with an instructor along to work with the kids.

To save money on your family ski vacation, be sure to research a variety of

lodging options

, including condo rental, hotel stay and ski packages, or vacation rentals from owners (particularly for larger families or multi-family vacations). If your lodging has a kitchen, you can save on eating out. Most resorts offer savings through

learn to ski/board packages

with equipment rentals, lift tickets, and lessons. Make sure your child wears a helmet, which most ski areas now rent. Consider walkie-talkies for your older kids (often available for rent) so you can easily hook up for lunch or after the last run of the day.

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