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Keeping hands and feet warm whilst skiing

There are number of options here. There are the traditional single use air-activated handwarmers that remain very popular, however these no longer impress the tech lovers among us. Another option is to use chargeable electric hand warmers. There are many options on the market, and most are charged using USB leads. The chargeable option means that this gadget won’t just serve you well on the slopes but can also keep your hands warm when you are back home.  Alternatively, there is the even more impressive option of the heated glove. These are fantastic however usually come in at a much higher price. Looking at the heated glove market, you are on average looking in the hundreds for a pair of these.

For the real tech lovers there are also the very impressive Kjus BT 2.0 gloves. These gloves can act as a phone and incorporate a screen and a Bluetooth handset. Obviously these are a great for improving communication when skiing.

There is nothing worse than having cold hands… actually, perhaps cold feet.  If you want to keep your feet warm you have numerous options, but bear in mind prices vary a lot we have seen socks that can be controlled by a handheld device ranging from £21.99 to £200+. We suggest having a real shop around.

Electronic driers

No matter what you are expecting, you will get wet while skiing. A great little device that will improve your experience is electrical dry warmers. They will emit enough heat to gradually dry boots and glovers while other clothes are warmed near a radiator or fire. There are again many options when it comes to these warmers and certain brands also emit UV light which has anti-bacterial values helping to reduce smells. Little devices such as this are sure to make slipping your boots and gloves on a little nicer.

Record your trip

We all want to capture special moments to remind us of them for the rest of our lives. When skiing or snowboarding, it is important to remember that it is an extreme sport and cameras need to be tough and waterproof. We all have a brand in mind when we think or outdoors adventure cameras, but you can find superb little cameras for a very reasonable price. Elinz offers a great range of action camera and adapter packages which are perfect for the slops and come with easy connectivity.

Staying connected on the slopes

Another idea we love is Snoww. This is a ski app that allows users to track their activities, take pictures, share and socialise with others. This is a fantastic tool for groups of young skiers to stick together, track each other and find each other if they get separated. Tracking is important on the slopes in case anything does happen to go wrong and also appeals to the tech-savvy Generation Z as it combines their love of technology and social media with physical sporting activity.

Director of POPCOM Amanda Lacey hits the slopes in Aspen every year – her top tech to bring along is an Apple watch as there are a lot of good apps that will track your runs and speed etc. Plus you can text/call your friends at lunchtime when you want to meet up, without having to carry a bulky iPhone that tends to freeze.

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Encouraging participation in school sports has a big part to play in keeping children physically active and healthy. Equally as important, studies have shown that sports can also lead to improved brain development and higher cognitive functions in children. A recent report revealed that children who participated in physical activity had improved attention and ability to focus on a given task[1].

Physical activity was also shown to have a positive role in the development of speech in children, with research showing that “girls who engage in sport for at least one hour per week had significantly better results in maths and reading than girls who did not do at least one hour of sport”[2]. Studies have also shown that children who play sports are less likely to experiment with drugs and disapprove of others who use drugs and smoke cigarettes[3]. Combined with a healthy sleep routine, sports can really help focus those little minds.

It’s no surprise then that quite often, individuals who really push themselves to the limit in school sports carry that energy and determination into their professional lives. If we look at some of the worlds most successful business leaders, we see a very clear trend supporting this idea. PepsiCo CEO, Indra Nooyi, excelled at cricket in school. Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg was a fencing champion at high school. CEO of Hewlett-Packard Meg Whitman was captain of the college swimming team.

So which individual sports are great for training young brains?

Football

Football is a competitive and highly active sport underpinned by technical plays and maneuvers. In spite of this, it is a great form of physical activity for children of any age and at any level. With up to 11 players on each side, football requires high-level co-operation amongst team members. Playing with many peers allow for children to develop communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. Football can also improve brain function, as a study done on the link between cognitive functions and football showed that “planning processes in children who attended a Football Exercise Program for at least six months were more developed in comparison to a control group of sedentary peers[4]”.

Rugby

A physical contact sport involving up to 15 players on each team, rugby is a fast-paced, high intensity sport which helps build cardiovascular fitness and endurance strength in both the upper and lower body. Rugby also helps to build resilience in younger players who quite literally need to get back up after having been knocked over. Like other contact sports, a disciplined, and measured approach to conflict is required to succeed.

Hockey

Hockey is an extremely fast-moving game that is played on grass or Astroturf. It is an excellent sport for sharpening up endurance fitness as players are required to move quickly in order to keep up with the rapid ball movement, as well as improving their coordination and balance – it’s not easy hitting a little ball with a three-inch-wide piece of timber. Communicating with teammates in hockey helps build interpersonal communication skills as with any other team sport.

Netball

Netball is a team sport where the main objective is to shoot the ball into the opponent’s hoop. Netball helps athletes increase their hand-eye coordination and mental focus due to the requirement of precision and accuracy in order to shoot the ball into the hoop. Learning how to delegate, lead and problem solve effectively are all benefits of this sport as each player has a specific role to play on the court.

Cricket

Cricket has had a resurgence of late partly down to a more modernised style of play at international level making it accessible to a more diverse audience. Requiring speed, ability, and strategy for players to succeed, cricket helps develop exceptional hand-eye coordination as well as stamina in order to play 2-3 hour games. The sport is also a great lesson in co-operation as teammates must work together in order to develop winning strategies. Dealing with high pressure situations also builds self-confidence for student athletes.

Tennis

Tennis matches can last for multiple hours, so combatants must learn how to apply themselves patiently and effectively. Spotting the opponent’s weaknesses and adjusting style of play accordingly is an advantageous competance in this game, as well as a key skill which can be brought into the boardroom. One on one sports are also great for helping children build up self-confidence and a culture of fair play.

Skiing

Skiing comes in many forms such as cross county, downhill, off-piste and adaptive. All of these share the need for several key traits, chief of which is to understand the ideal positioning of different body parts and the effort that goes into moving them, otherwise known as proprioception. Proprioception diminishes with age, and the more one involves themselves in proprioceptive activities, the less it will diminish over time. Other mental benefits include increased problem-solving skills, improved concentration and cognitive capacity.

Dancing

Dancing is a great way to improve overall fitness levels while having fun at the same time. Heart health, energy levels, and improved flexibility and balance all benefit from this activity. Dancing can also greatly improve memory as memorizing complicated dance moves and routines give the brain a really good workout. Studies have also shown that dancing can both reduce stress and help fight depression by releasing healthy level of endorphin and encouraging kids to release their inhibitions, especially when giving performances to large crowds.

What the experts say – why are these activities important for child development?

Adele Cochrane from Tafe Courses

“Modern life can be a pretty disembodied experience. Kids spend a lot of time interacting with screens and can forget to pay attention to how their bodies feel and move. Learning dance teaches you body awareness, balance, coordination, and endurance – all skills which help with many jobs, especially in the trades.”

Jane Kilkenny from Fitness Energy

“Kids learn a multitude of skills from playing sports such as teamwork, persistence, patience and collaboration. Team sports such as football and hockey are great for learning how to win and lose with dignity, develop skills over time with consistent practice and how to develop a love of sport and exercise.”

Michael Edwards from Horizons Travel

“Team sports such as Cricket, Football, Rugby and the challenges faced during the course of a game and season with its inevitable successes, failures, disappointments and victories help develop a number of invaluable life skills including Communication, Discipline, Leadership, Resilience and Humility.”

Portia Gunn, Youthrive Occupational Therapist

“The benefits of school sports for childhood development include improved emotional control & regulation, motor outcomes, social engagements & interactions, and a better sense of belonging & self-esteem.”

Sarah Padbury, principal Psychologist at Edu-Psych

“Sport is super important for 2 reasons. Firstly its the social skills development, sharing and working as a team. It builds communication skills and creates friendships which are a priority in primary school. Team sports such as footy, netball, water polo and basketball are fantastic for this.

Secondly, brain development is enhanced by sports that require balance and coordination of the two sides of the body, so both hemispheres of the brain. BMX, mountain biking, swimming, martial arts and gymnastics are ideal for this.”

The wrap

On balance, the more sports we can expose our children to the greater the opportunity we give them to find out which ones really excite them. Aside from instilling a healthy attitude to competition and determination, by encouraging kids to engage in sports from a young age we help develop healthy habits for both body and mind from which they will benefit for the rest of their lives.

Did you know that Inspiresport operates multi-sports tours especially for school children? Find out more here!

References

[1] Bidzan-Bluma, I., & Lipowska, M. (2018). Physical Activity and Cognitive Functioning of Children: A Systematic Review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(4), 800. doi:10.3390/ijerph15040800

[2] Bidzan-Bluma, I., & Lipowska, M. (2018).

[3] https://health.gov/news/blog/2012/05/the-benefits-of-playing-sports-arent-just-physical/

[4] Bidzan-Bluma, I., & Lipowska, M. (2018).

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Ski trips are especially beneficial for children and young adults because they’re an exciting experience, as well as an educational one. Not only can they immerse themselves in a completely different culture, but whether they learn how to ski from scratch or simply want to hone their skills at some of the most impressive resorts across the globe, it’s a trip they’ll always remember. Additionally, there’s no feeling like waking up and looking at the stunning landscape of bright blue skies and snow-topped mountains.

However, after deciding to take your pupils on a ski trip, the next thing on your list should be choosing the location, and the key decision here is deciding if you want to travel long-haul or short-haul. This is particularly vital when skiing to ensure you get the most out of your experience. This is something that we care a lot about at inspireski, which is why we handpick our resorts for their reliable snow records, suitability for various skill levels, and the unique excursions they offer.

Here are the things you should take into consideration when deciding whether to go long haul or short haul with your school’s skiing trip…

Culture and communication

Ensuring you and your pupils can communicate is vital. With that in mind, going on a long-haul ski trip to Canada or the US will ensure that there isn’t a language barrier, and you can communicate with the locals as quickly and easily as possible. On the other hand, a short-haul trip to a European location (like Italy) will give your students a great opportunity to practice a foreign language in its home country or even inspire them to learn it!

Most importantly, the opportunity to explore a new culture will offer your class a completely different experience. Whether this is their delicacies or local laws, this can be a shock to adapt to. At inspiresport, we’ve done this research in advance and can advise you on this, as well as help you choose the best location to suit your needs. If you’re after a picturesque view, both short haul and long haul destinations will also offer this in abundance, but Canadian resorts will typically have a more remote and rustic feel due to their latitude and sprawling skies. Despite some modern buildings, European towns will tend to have more traditional architectural feel than those in Canada and the US.

Budgets and price

Trips can be price sensitive, so it’s important to bear this in mind when organising yours. If you have a limited budget to work with, a short-haul trip to a European country will be more cost-effective option than if you were to travel to the likes of Canada or the USA. Flights will be cheaper as you’re closer to the UK, and in some cases, you’ll be able to save money by travelling by coach instead.

At inspireski, we know that budget can be a deciding factor when choosing to embark on a sports tour. Whether you want to book a long-haul or short-haul trip, we can offer accommodation that suits your budget. With our Price Match Guarantee, we’re also happy to match the price of any quote you receive for the same trip – from the travel to the accommodation.

Activities and excursions

It may be a big part of it, but you don’t go on a skiing trip just to hit the slopes. Your students will also want to see the sights and take part in any other fun activities on offer! Each resort will have a different range of excursions and activities, ranging from tubing, to fun day trips to the cinema. Because we have great relationships with a range of resorts, we have a list of activities that are available for you to book during your stay, and every one of these has been vetted for safety and quality. However, it’s important to keep in mind that long-haul trips tend to be for a longer period, so you have more time to explore what the resort and country has to offer.

If you book a longer trip to a long-haul location such as the US or Canada, your pupils can spend a day in interesting, thriving cities like Quebec or New York. It’s likely that many of your students won’t have travelled to these before, which will make their trip even more exciting! However, while a visit to New York is great for the hustle and bustle, a short-haul trip to a European ski resort will often involve trips to small historic towns. This offers your students a completely different experience.

The overall experience

A short-haul ski trip to a European location gives pupils and teachers a chance to experience a culture that’s completely different from their own and practice speaking a new language without needing to travel too far from home. However, a long-haul trip to Canada or America will take you truly out of your comfort zone while still providing a comfortable familiarity due to there being no language barrier. Due to many of the resort’s locations, you can also plan unforgettable day trips to some of the world’s most exciting cities, from New York to Quebec!

Whether you choose to travel on a long haul or short haul trip, you want to ensure your pupils have an unforgettable experience that teaches them a new skill they learn for life. To find out more about our range of ski trips to great locations such as Italy, Canada, Andorra and the US, contact us today

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Why go skiing?

Quite simply, no other holiday will give a child the magical experience they get when they are skiing in these amazing locations. Skiing is a great activity that most people don’t get to take part in regularly, and ski trips also allow participants to develop a life skill. Developing this skill at a young age means it is more likely that children will go onto ski more regularly throughout their lives. Continuing sport throughout life offers benefits such as improving mental health, mood, confidence, social skills and cognitive function. An annual ski trip is something that everyone looks forward to as it is a great chance to bond and get away from the tasks of everyday life.

Sports are great for developing life skills and skiing is no different. It will teach children vital lessons such as preparation, forward thinking and self-control. Skiing is also great for physical fitness and developing physical skill sets. This why we offer schools the ability to upgrade their ski trip packages and lessons to snowboarding. This is a more specialist skill and we advise learning to ski first, otherwise participants will spend a lot of time on their bum.

Additionally, travelling abroad is always a great opportunity to practice foreign languages and experience different cultures. Likewise a trip to the slopes is a fantastic winter time holiday. Just as the weather at home is more miserable than ever, a ski trip allows you to escape but also fully embrace a winter wonderland. Importantly, a trip to the slopes allows you to get the much-needed sun but in a totally different setting to your average beach holiday.

This is essentially an all-in-one action-packed adventure trip that caters for all abilities, alongside providing relaxing experiences in incredible places. Importantly there are facilities for tour organisers to make the most of such as the après ski. A holiday like this allows you to pack a lot into a short space of time.

The important stuff

Ensure you are protected

At inspireski we are experienced in organising sports tours and want to give you complete peace of mind. Fortunately, we are ABTA and ATOL (6053) bonded. ABTA are a brand that offers advice, support, protection and expertise to the travelling public alongside working with members on health and safety. ATOL is the Air Travel Organiser’s Licence, a government run financial protection scheme. These effectively offer security and protection on all flights, coaches and ferry packages. We also hold the Learning Outside the Classroom Quality Assurance Award and are fully assured member of the School Travel Forum.

Moreover, all participants must have parental permission and adequate holiday insurance before the trip. Getting insurance for ski holidays is different to typical holiday insurance as you must have special cover to participate in winter sporting activities. inspireski travel insurance is brought to you by Endsleigh Insurance, underwritten by the Zurich Group.

Research and local knowledge

The resorts that we use are well researched and handpicked by us. We have organised many trips and we always take on board feedback and ‘on the ground’ knowledge when we are making recommendations. We also organise our flights and transfers with our expert partners. By hand picking our resorts we can secure specialist instructors and schools meaning that tour leaders can opt for as many or as few lessons as needed.

Reassuringly, the resorts we use provide English speaking instructors. In addition to this, we have inspireski reps that will always be with the group. These reps are there to help the teacher, arrange activities, provide direct communication with the office, and offer specialist expertise. These reps are allocated on a 1 per group basis, which is something that we are very proud of as it is something that is unique to inspireski. Our reps are important as they help to make attendees feel comfortable, welcome, and safe at all times.

We also offer a price match guarantee so that our tours are accessible to all.

Location, location, location

Ultimately, we would say that deciding on a location comes down to the experience that your party are after. There are so many factors that come into play when picking a location, but rest assured; inspireski have put in the ground work and have hand picked the best resorts, locations and options for you and your party to enjoy.

Something to bear in mind from the outset is that ski trips tend to be segmented into ‘local’ and ‘exotic’ locations. Local covers Italy/Andorra and exotic relates to the USA and Canada. These are both great options, however, local tends to be cheaper largely due to being able to travel by coach, whereas the exotic locations are usually a little more difficult to plan. Nonetheless, they certainly offer that stand out experience!

You may also want to think about the culture of the location. Culture includes a wide number of things from food, to language, to popular activities. If food is a big thing then we guess that the most important question is whether children are after Italian, Canadian or American Poutine to warm the insides after a day on the slopes. Alternatively, excursions are a big factor. By picking one of our USA destinations you have the chance to visit New York. Likewise, if you opt for an Italian location such as Sestriere or Passo Tonale, you can easily arrange a trip to a more traditional Italian city such as Milan.

Kids also really appreciate a more relaxing excursion following an active day on the slopes. At our Andorra locations the guests can take part in pizza nights, bowling and skiing. We also offer unique opportunities such as snow cat riding and snow shoeing in Bardonecchia. All these are of course rounded off with a warming hot chocolate.

Should you choose a European or North American Ski Resort?

USA ski resorts offer something for everyone. The east coast provides the option to combine your trip with more of a city break and winter parks, such as the legendary Rockies, which offer some of the best snow in the world. Likewise, with the Canadian locations, you are truly spoilt for choice and can rely on having a well-managed and welcoming resort.

Our European options offer resorts for mixed abilities such as Prato Nevoso and Claviere in Italy, as well as Andorra where you can bank on having a lot of great quality snow. A great idea is to decide a location based on the experience of your skiers. Resorts offer facilities for all abilities, however, it’s great to look for more green and blue runs if most of your party are beginners.

Alternatively, language can be used as a defining factor. Certain resorts appeal that little bit more due to the local language. If you are fluent in a certain language or your trip is full of pupils learning Italian, it would be a great idea to decide on an Italian resort as opposed to an American one. Moreover, European languages are not necessarily restricted to Europe; for example, 20.6% of Canadians speak French.

Keep everyone safe during the trip

A great idea to ensure safety on your trip is to introduce walkie talkies. If you can facilitate this, then it is a huge benefit for the entire party. This will allow all group members to contact each other if they need assistance, if they are lost, or if they simply want to meet up with other members. This is probably more possible on a 1 between 2 or 3 basis. Conveniently, this leads to the next point which is that everyone skiing should buddy up. Having a ski buddy will provide that reassurance that if something does go wrong there is someone to get help. Not only this, but like any activity it is more fun with friends than alone.

Following on from the above, if anything were to go wrong on the slopes it is important to be prepared. Although skiing resorts are safe and are extremely prepared for accidents, you can never be overprepared. An emergency contact list is super handy. As all the resorts are different this is something that can be guaranteed once booked. It is important for children to have numbers such as mountain rescue, the ski resort, trip organisers, and the local ambulance service. It is also important to have a name card or identification card that lists name, school, allergies, illnesses, medication and alike. Alongside this, having your health insurance card and/or number is also a good idea.

Keeping everyone safe essentially means looking after everyone on the trip. Skiing is a highly demanding physical activity and therefore it is important to keep hydrated. surrounding by frozen water you would think that this is easy, however of course have a drink to hand can be rather difficult. We suggest always trying to have a drink on you. Smart creations such as the unique Rolla Bottle can make packing and keeping a drink much easier. “This bottle rolls up to a 6th of its size and so is compact and light weight. If you are planning on heading overseas to ski – keep it rolled small when you go through airport security and then unroll and fill it up when you are on the other side. Hands free, bulk free, hassle free!”

Phebe Liston, a Leading Physiotherapist, shares the following advice: ““As a physiotherapist in an alpine region, my biggest tip in regard to planning a ski tour is to not forget your protective gear, some of which you may not have yet considered purchasing (other than a helmet).

“The main injuries I see from ski touring often happen from things outside your control like the varying terrain, leading to direct impact injuries from falling awkwardly. In particular, they tend to happen toward the later part of the adventure when fatigue sets in. This is were protective garments can prove very effective.

“Protective garments such as G-Form undergarments have padding around the common anatomical areas that are prone to impact injuries that I mentioned above. The built in padding is lightweight and allows full movement so you don’t notice you’re wearing it, but if you fall, you’ll be very grateful you are.”

Likewise, Andrew Wynd who’s an experienced Sports Physiotherapist and former Australian cross country skier assures that planning early significantly improves safety. “Snowsports are not without risk and whilst lots of fun, some simple steps can keep you safer. Statistics tell us many more injuries occur on Day 3 of a ski trip. This is thought to be from fatigue that accumulates after the first few days of excitedly whooshing down the slopes. I often suggest planning either a ½ day on Day 3 of the trip or book in some sightseeing trips to refresh the brain and body with some local culture.”

Get the practice in

It is a great idea to get some practice in before hitting the snow-covered slopes. Whether it is a dry slope or and artificial indoor centre, this activity is good fun and will allow you to instantly feel more comfortable on the real thing. Our office is close to the Cardiff Ski Centre and you will often find the team getting some practice in there!

Tips from the experts

Jen from The Snow Chasers

“One of my tips for planning a ski trip is researching the resort and getting an understanding of the facilities you might need and how easy it is to access those facilities. For example, whether you have your own gear or need to hire gear, how far do you have to carry it? Do you need to use public transport? Carrying ski gear can be cumbersome and the last thing you want is to find out that you have to carry all your gear for a long distance each day. A little bit of research into the little things will make a big difference to the enjoyment of your ski trip!”

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Bring sports indoors

For most people, playing sport in the winter becomes less enjoyable due to the harsher conditions. Cold muscles are more prone to injury, cold skin is more pain sensitive during contact with surfaces and other players, and the wet weather usually makes playing sport messier. Fortunately, a simple way to counteract this is bringing sports indoors.

Indoor Cricket

The option of moving cricket indoors makes this summer sport a great activity for any time of the year. The numerous indoor versions of the sport include 6 aside leagues and hardball. However, for children, a simple Kwik Cricket set is all you need. Indoor cricket is a fun and fast game that allows people of all ages to have fun and get involved in all weather conditions.

Indoor Football

Indoor football allows pupils to play a winter sport even when the conditions are too harsh outside, such as when there’s ice, snow and hard ground. Offering indoor football can be as simple as getting a foam ball and a set of cones, to using indoor goal posts, goal keeper crash mats, indoor markings, and felt covered indoor footballs.

Indoor basketball

This is a little tougher to implement if you don’t have the facilities. However, if it’s possible for your school to offer, this is a sport that children of all ages and abilities can enjoy. As it is not a typical UK sport, children are always eager to get involved. This game is fast paced and has rolling subs which means everyone can get involved.

Introduction to fitness and the gym

For older children, this is a great idea that is accessible to all. Whether the aim is to work on sporting performance or simply general physical fitness, everyone can benefit from experiencing the gym and all that it has to offer.

In gym sessions, it is important to teach that technique is important and that weights shouldn’t be started too young. Additionally, it is essential to promote the notion of improving health and fitness rather than aesthetics and losing weight. Within these sessions, it is great to teach different activities for different needs. Examples of this include sprints and plyometrics for improving power and speed, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) or circuits for peak performance, and cardiovascular training for endurance.

Sports trips

School trips are always popular with pupils. Sport trips are great because they allows children to experience different sports in different locations. With a sports tour abroad, you can provide your students with a unique opportunity to experience a new culture as they expand on their sporting skills.

“Trips and tours are certainly something that children will look forward to, whether they take place daily, weekly, monthly or yearly.” – Digital Pigeon

Swimming

A trip to the local leisure centre or swimming pool is a fantastic way to promote fitness in the colder winter months. Swimming is a great sport for general health and fitness, and it is an important and valuable skill for anyone to learn. It is also a good option for those that have an injury as swimming is zero impact. A nice idea is to have ¾ of the lesson structured, and leave ¼ for fun time.

Ski Trips

Now, before you get too concerned, we don’t mean flying to the Andorra for a P.E lesson! A great introduction to skiing is on a dry or artificial slope, though whether this is feasible will completely depends on how close your school is to a facility.

Skiing is an activity that many children have never done. In turn this could lead to travelling abroad for school sports tours, and the adoption of the sport as a competitive activity. At Inspiresport, our partnership with SnowSport Wales enables us to give schools access to their great dry slope facilities at Cardiff Ski Centre.

Ensuring that children enjoy sport and physical activity is essential. Encouraging children to take part in different sports in a way that can make them more enjoyable is a superb way to get sporty in the winter months.

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Dean Evans co-founder and head coach of The Football Centre agrees that “Staying active outside of school in the winter months for young children is vital. Take them away from their computer games, iPad and keep them active by enrolling them in a sport that they can still get their daily intake of exercise in. ”

To get pupils motivated to keep moving, this post will look at how children of all ages can be encouraged to take part in sport and physical activity outside of school in the winter months.

 Join out of school sports clubs

Children who enjoy sports in school should be encouraged to join clubs outside of school. Not only will this encourage them to keep them active, but it’s also beneficial in the fact that exercise can also aid educational performance and social development. Additionally, this will also provide children with something to look forward to throughout the week and during school holidays, as well as giving parents some much-needed time off.

Focus winter activity around winter sports

One way to encourage activity in the winter is to focus on winter sports. During the colder months, sports such as rugby, football and hockey are in peak season, so we say, “make the most of it!” Rugby can get cold, wet and muddy, however, this isn’t always a bad thing. Getting covered head to toe in mud whilst you slide through puddles with your team mates is a memory you will always remember.

In the same breath, it is important to be prepared to take part in winter sports. The above mentioned experience wouldn’t be as fun if participants were not prepared for it! Warm and protective clothing such as thermals, gloves, sport snoods and side line waterproofs will make playing sport in harsher conditions more enjoyable and safer. Additionally, the same can be said for your facilities. Pitches must be looked after correctly, and winter demands should be considered. For example, less daylight hours means that floodlights are hugely beneficial to performance and enjoyment.

With less daylight also comes less Vitamin D, which highlights another important point to cater for nutritional needs of winter. Plenty of fluid are always needed, but a nice post game hot chocolate or hot meal also helps!

In addition to winter sports, joining a gym is a good way to keep active in any weather conditions. For older children, this can be their introduction to the gym as they work on their fitness and strength for other winter sports, while not having to spend extended periods training outside in the bad weather.

Try indoor sports

Sports such as badminton and basketball are easy to organise and cheap to play indoors in your local leisure centre. In addition to these, there is the option to take part in the indoor versions of typically ‘outdoor’ sports such as football, tennis and cricket.

Alternatively, martial arts options are one of the best activities for young sportspeople to take part in. Martial arts will provide a full body workout while teaching self-defence, mindfulness, discipline, and respect.

another great idea is being able to bring sports, health, fitness and well being into the home. The ability to buy indoor sporting equipment for the home is a huge benefit that we now have. parents and teachers can encourage activity while teaching fitness and well being. By doing this in the home removes a factor that may deter children, the winter weather.

Explore different sports

Activities such as swimming and rock climbing are fun ways of staying active. These activities are perfect for starting as a group or as a family, with the possibility of taking up the activity more seriously in the future. Furthermore, both sports are usually carried out inside, at climbing centres and swimming pools. However, these are sports that can be taken outside in the summer months offering a change in experience.

Skiing is also much the same. Ski trips can be a pricey sporting option but taking a trip to the local dry ski slope is superb activity for the entire family. This is a good entry activity and is a fantastic way to see if it is worth spending the extra money and getting the family on a trip abroad. Schools can also arrange ski sport tours for a unique take on the typical sports-focussed school trip!

Additionally Raeleen from mudputty states that “there’s great classes to keep kids of all ages and all interests active. From group fitness classes to gymnastics, or yoga for kids. At mudputty we find the kids classes are very popular during the winter months, as it allows parents to continue having kids active in a social and meaningful way. It also reduces screen time.”

Trampolining indoor or outdoor is always super fun and children don’t even see it as exercise, more a hobby. Vuly Play trampolines have been very effective at keeping kids active outside of school hours, with feedback always positive. The benefits of bouncing are endless!

Tours, Tours, Tours!

Chasing the winter can be fun. To fully embrace the weather, take part in a sporting experience that is entirely dependent on snow. With that in mind, no sporting experience quite matches skiing. The amazing views, the adrenaline rush, and the opportunities to learn new skills, see new places and experience entirely new things are all reasons why a ski trip is the perfect get away for children. Skiing locations are all special; whether it’s in Canada, America, Andorra or Italy, skiing provides an experience that is out of the ordinary.

Not fond of the colder weather? Escaping winter is the alternative. Consider taking your class on a sports tour or sporting trip to somewhere sunny just as the weather at home becomes cold and wet. Inspiresport offer trips internationally to the top sporting clubs and locations for football, tennis, cricket, and other fun and engaging sports.

Get active outside of sport

There are an endless number of activities that can be encouraged outside of typical sport. Simply introducing a little more activity into a normal day out is hugely beneficial. It is amazing how many steps it takes to walk about a museum or to go on a tour of a historic city or castle. The best part is that alongside the exercise, these trips are highly educational.

How about introducing a green attitude and look into gardening? For example, the experts at Fantastic Gardeners advise how basic gardening tips can make a change. The time and care for a small lawn or set of plants can contribute for a sporty and healthy attitude in life.

For younger pupils, Leann Middlemass from iiNet, says: “I am a wellness coach and I found the following a fun way to keep kids active.

Nature chase: Spend the day going through your local park and write up things that the kids can see and collect. The list might include collecting a feather or the biggest leaf, seeing which tree is the tallest and listing how many animals they see. You get to sit and watch them as they run around.

If you give them a timeframe, it’s even funnier. The kids are then excited to show you what they have found. To make it easier, they can also work in pairs.”

Theresa Bertuzzi, Co-Founder and Chief Program Development Officer of Tiny Hoppers has lots of great suggestions “If you are looking to keep your children active outside of school and you lack the funds to pay for community sports, then why not go old school with your children and encourage activities that we all enjoyed from our childhood. A great way to do this is to visit your local discount store each week and have them pick out one or two new toys that will encourage active play for them to explore that week. Purchase a skipping rope and teach them some of the skipping games that we used to play as children. Another week get some sidewalk chalk and teach them how to play hopscotch. Purchase a frisbee and watch some online videos that show some different tricks you can practice for catching and throwing”

Keeping children active outside of school is important all year long and not just through the holidays. For more information on our tours for schools, please visit our website.

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Following a successful partnership, first signed in 2016, the UK’s number one provider of school sports development tours has negotiated an exclusive contract extension which sees them partner with Snowsport Cymru Wales until 2020.

Snowsport Cymru Wales is the national governing body in Wales and aims to increase participation in skiing and snowboarding across the country. In addition, it provides access to valuable training courses across both the education and professional sector.

In 2015, inspiresport added ski to its existing product portfolio and now provides trips to Spain, Italy, USA and Canada.

Steve Butchart, CEO at inspiresport said:

“This agreement provides a fantastic opportunity to work closely with the sports’ national governing body and will ensure we are able to provide the very best ski trips for our groups through sharing best practise and knowledge with their expert team. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Snowsport Cymru Wales.”

Robin Kellen, Chief Executive at Snowsport Cymru Wales added:

“We’re pleased to continue our partnership as we work towards greater participation across ski and snowboarding. Our aim is to provide the best opportunities for young people to learn, get fit and have fun with their classmates or friends. Personal development and skill improvement are key themes for both inspiresport and Snowsport Cymru Wales which is why our relationship works so well.”

More information about inspiresport’s group ski tours or training courses available from Snowsport Cymru Wales is available on the organisations websites.

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