Sending a child to a winter camp abroad for the first time usually comes with a long list of questions: what will they actually do all day? Will they be safe on the slopes? Will they make friends? Giving a clearer picture of what a typical week looks like tends to answer most of those questions at once.

Day One: Arrival and Settling In

The first day is usually about settling in rather than heading straight to the mountain; instead, getting to know the campus, meeting other campers, and being grouped appropriately for the activities ahead. For many children, this first day matters more for confidence than any single ski run.

Finding Your Level on the Slopes

High-quality winter camps group students by ability level, not age alone, so complete beginners learn the basics separately from more experienced skiers working on technique. This way nobody is either bored or out of their depth.

A Typical Day

Mornings are usually focused on structured lessons on the slopes, working through skills progressively with qualified instructors. Afternoons often bring other applied learning and alpine activities, such as snowshoeing, sledging, or free time to enjoy the setting, before campers reconvene for dinner and evening activities together.

Beyond the Slopes

A well-run winter camp isn’t only about skiing. Evenings and downtime matter just as much for the overall experience. Games, shared meals, and simply time to unwind together as a group are often where the strongest memories of camp actually form.

Making Friends From Around the World

One of the most consistently underrated parts of an international winter camp is the community and boarding life with children from entirely different countries and backgrounds sharing a week of new experiences together, often forming friendships that last well beyond camp.

HIF Winter Camp

HIF’s Winter Camp takes place on the school’s own boarding campus in Ftan, in the Swiss Alps, combining structured ski instruction with purposeful learning in an alpine setting. The camp gives a real sense of community and life as a boarding student at HIF, an established boarding school — not a rented venue for the season. If a week like this sounds right for your child, visit the Winter Camp page to find out more or apply.

Key Learnings

• A well-run winter camp typically starts with a settling-in day before structured activities begin, helping build campers’ confidence early.
• Grouping campers by ability level, not age alone, ensures instruction suits both complete beginners and more experienced skiers.
• A typical day balances structured ski instruction in the morning with other learning and alpine activities, as well as downtime in the afternoon and evening.
• Time beyond the slopes – shared meals, games, downtime – matters as much to the overall camp experience as the skiing itself.
• Meeting peers from many different countries is one of the most valuable, and often underrated, parts of an international winter camp.
• HIF’s Winter Camp runs on the school’s own boarding campus in Ftan, combining ski instruction and academic learning with an established boarding school experience and supervision.