Snow & kids
February 24th, 2008
My family spent last week in Pozza di Fassa, in the Dolomites region of northern Italy. I knew from the start that it was not going to be an intensive skiing holiday (my daughter is breastfed and my older son has become quite clingy since the birth of his sister). There was no way I could escape for a whole day for some much needed activity on the slopes… but I was hoping for a few hours of freedom here and there.
My plans were immediately offset when my mother-in-law broke her wrist on the first day. (She was supposed to help me entertain the kids and let me have some alone-time).
It was then that the ParkBimboNeve, a sort of ‘kinderheim’ (which I didn’t take into great account at the very beginning of the holiday), suddenly looked like the best invention after the pill and the washing machine–all of which work in favour of women liberation!
This ParkBimboNeve is a fenced playground in a very sunny spot. They have all sorts of toys, and professional entertainment for the kids. They play games, sing songs and dance. There are little houses, sleighs, buckets, trucks, pots and pans … all the things that children love and in great quantity so that they won’t fight with each other.
There’s a little kiosk that sells beverages and that rents lounge chairs so that parents get a comfy seat while “supervising” their children at play.
Admission is 5€ and children between 3 and 5 can also take their first skiing lessons in the park. Ski-school for the little ones is organised in a very playful way so that their first contact with the sport is less traumatic.
I was completely unaware of this sort of facility and I think it’s a great idea if you have young kids who cannot follow you on the slopes but need an outlet for their energy! They are apparently quite common in the whole region. So if you are going there, one of these parks cannot be too far.
We ended up going there everyday and I even managed to read the newspaper every single day… a luxury I have not had lately!
-Michela
Entry Filed under: Entertain your Kids!, For Kids, Holiday, Milan, Outdoor Activities
3 Comments Add your own
1. Esther | February 24th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
So you can also leave your children there, or do you have to stay & supervise them in the lounge chair (not too bad either)?
I remember I had my first skiing lessons like that – I must have been a bit older, 4, or 5 maybe. It was in Austria. There were big 2-dimensional Disney characters where you could ski through.
It must have been a similar concept, but I’m sure it’s better arranged for now than in my years: I remember the only language spoken was German, so I felt quite lost as a Dutch child!
2. Michela | February 24th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
I do not think you can leave your kids there and go skiing (unless they’re doing the proper skiing lessons). I know that there are real kinderheims available, but this one was not one of them. Most of the kids were italian, but I’m sure some of the people there spoke english!
3. Courtney | February 24th, 2008 at 10:22 pm
I remember ski-school!
I especially remember my little brothers in their little matching snow-suits with their tiny skis (with the elastic band that kept the tips together)!
So cute!
I’m glad you enjoyed your holiday, despite the mishap with the MIL!
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