Kids snowboard coaching camp, Morzine, France

In response to the fact snowboarder parents often want snowboarder (not skier!) kids, Rude Chalets and Mint Snowboarding have launched Snowboard Coaching Weeks for four to eight-year-olds. The first of their kind in Europe, with access to specialised Burton "Learn to Ride" snowboard equipment, the lessons will aim to teach children the basics while having as much fun as possible. At the end of the week they'll get a mini-video edit of their riding highlights, which is included in the price as are lessons, use of Burton boards, accommodation, transfers and half board.
• 0870 068 7030, rudechalets.com, £799 for children, £569 for accompanying adults. March 30-April 6 and April 6-13

Digital piste games or star in a film Les Gets, France

Use your smart phone to solve a number of on-piste riddles and tasks dotted around the ski area as Les Gets becomes one of the first resorts to embrace digital snow gaming. Also on the slopes in the American-Indian fun village at Grand Cry, kids can play in the teepees, attend war-paint workshops and star in their own film doing a snow dance or improvised song, which they can, of course, share on social media should they wish.
• no phone number, en.lesgets.com. A Les Gets six-day lift pass costs £144 for an adult and £109 for a child; families of four get a 10% discount and under fives ski free

Free lessons for under 17s Arosa, Switzerland

Even if the lessons weren't free, Arosa would be a great place to learn as it's sunny, with heaps of cruisey blue runs and a solid snow record, plus its location at the end of the wooded Schanfigg Valley keeps it sheltered from the wind. But to lure visitors, the resort is offering free group ski or snowboard lessons all winter with the SSSA (Swiss Ski and Snowboard School Arosa) to those born in and after 1996, who stay in participating hotels for a minimum of two nights.
• +41 81 378 7020, arosa.ch. Seven-night stays from £895 for family of four

Free childcare while you spa Meribel, France

Taking the little angels to the mountains may be a lot of things (memorable, hilarious, rewarding) but there's no point pretending it's relaxing. But it could be for an hour at least while you have a treatment at the Olympic Sports Complex Spa in Meribel thanks to Garde'n Spa, where free childcare is provided at the Piou Piou Nursery between 5.30-8pm. Duo couple massages are also available. Or, if you have pre-teens in your group, nine to 12-year-olds can have massages on Wednesdays between 2-5pm, with older children offered a "Special Teenage Facial". These treatments aren't free or, some might say, quite as necessary.
• +33 479 00 4230, meribel.net

Santa-free Christmas trips for cynical teens, Finnish Lapland

If your kids are at an age where Santa brings jeers not cheers but you still want winter wonderland vibes this Christmas, Activities Abroad is running Family Northern Lights trips to Menesjärvi in Finnish Lapland. Evenings are geared around aurora hunting by snowshoe and snowmobile, while daytime pursuits include cross-country skiing, sledging, a husky safari and learning wilderness skills such as winter fishing, animal tracking, reindeer lassoing and the retro art of map reading. The hotel is run by the Lappalainen family, whose Sami roots have been in the area for centuries and guests are encouraged to learn basic Sami words and engage in the local traditions and culture.
• 01670 789 991, activitiesabroad.com. For 23 December departures: adults £1,695, children 12 to 15 £1,495 and children eight to 11 £1,345 including flights, transfers, meals, activities, guides and cold-weather clothing

New forest ski trails for kids Crested Butte, USA

Crested Butte, in the heart of Colorado's Rocky Mountains, has carved out three new narrow and winding kids trails in the Painter Boy area to create a magical forest-like experience for young skiers. There is also a ski-through bear cave, US Forest Service lodge, Elk Avenue facade (the resort's main street), and a gold-mining building for interactive play and learning with a nod to the town's mining heritage. Advanced adults and older children will enjoy some of the best extreme terrain in North America.
• American Ski Classics (020-8607 9988, americanskiclassics.com)has seven-night trips from £1,071pp including flights, transfers, accommodation, lift passes and ski hire

Freeride courses for eight to 18-year-olds La Clusaz, France

La Clusaz, a 50-minute drive from Geneva, is hosting the final of the Junior FWT Freeride World Tour for the first time in March and, to coincide with that, they're running new freeride courses for intermediate-level children aged eight and above with Evolution 2. There's also a new Nordic ski park and ice rink in the resort.
• Five days of three-hour off-piste lessons cost £175 or a private two-hour lesson is £80. Crystal Ski Holidays (0871 231 9501, crystalski.co.uk) has a week's stay at the La Residence Apartments in La Clusaz from £634pp (based on four sharing), including flights and a six-day lift pass

Cross-country ski school for kids Leutasch, Austria

The Leutasch valley, part of Olympiaregion Seefeld, is one big snowy playground and a great place for children to try cross-country skiing. The SkiSchule Leutasch offers a special course for six to 12-year-olds (younger children can have private lessons) in the newly landscaped children's park, with wave runs, bumps and trails to keep the lessons varied and interesting. Along with being great for children's fitness, it'll improve their all-round skiing.
• A three-day course costs £71 per child. Lessons for children aged four to six with a private instructor from £33 per hour. Seven nights at Hotel Leuta-scherhof (+43 5214 6470, skischule-leutasch.at) for a family of four, based on one under five and one five-12, costs £1,230 for a week, including ski hire

Nanny ski-school pick-ups St Anton, Austria

For guests with ski school-age children staying at the Hotel Montjola in St Anton, VIP SKI Chalets is launching the Montjola Kids service so parents can ski full days or enjoy the occasional bout of après ski. A nanny will collect children from ski school, either at 12pm for Bambinis or 3pm for Minis and Kids and provide childcare until 6.30pm (Mon-Fri, Sat 9.30am-5.30pm), including a supervised tea. The resort has a 4.3km natural toboggan run, an ice-skating rink, bowling ally, climbing wall, children's pool at the sports centre and kids can travel half price if they stay in family rooms.
• 0844 557 3119, vip-chalets.com. The Montjola Kids service costs £175 per child pw (introductory price). Hotel rates start at £899pp, based on two sharing with discounts of £75 per child or £125 per infant (under two). There are also early booking discounts of £100 for selected weeks until the end of October

Free lift passes Panorama, British Columbia, Canada

Often overlooked in favour of western Canada's big-hitting neighbours, Banff and Lake Louise, Panorama is a great family resort, due to its convenient village and child-friendly activities – which include crafts, cooking and movie nights with the Wee Rascals and, for older children, karaoke, trivia and teen club nights. On the mountain there are good beginner and intermediate pistes, a terrain park and some awesome bowls and double-black diamond tree runs for those who are up to it. Night skiing is also available.
• Ski Independence (0131 243 8097, ski-i.com) is offering seven nights accommodation (for a family of four sharing a condo), plus flights and transfers for £899pp, if you book before 15 November

Sam Haddad is the editor of Cooler