Top Ways To Entertain Children When on a Mountain Biking Holiday

Family activity holidays have long been a staple of any school break, but the recent redoubling of efforts by parents and guardians to keep children healthy and away from gaming consoles and television have led to this type of vacation becoming even more in demand in recent years.

One of the foremost locations in which this demand made itself felt the most was the French Alps. Already popular with the winter skiing and snowboarding crowd, the numerous resorts around the French mountainside have proven themselves an excellent activity-break destination for the spring and summer breaks as well, with their plentiful opportunities for sports and hikes.

However, any sports-related holiday with younger children or teenagers will inevitably run into the problem of limited resistance and short attention spans. Mountain biking Alps routes for hours on end, for example, may be extremely appealing to adults, but the average child is likely to get tired or lose interest well before their parents do. As such, adults may want to be aware of some tips and tricks they can use to keep their young ones interested for the duration of the ride.

Make A Day Of It

Mountain biking Alps courses need not be strictly about exercise – with a little bit of tweaking, it can be turned into a full-day experience for the entire family!

Pack a few light snacks and sandwiches, some warmer clothing for the evening, and set off with your kids in a leisurely cyclo-touristic exploration of your surroundings. Point out any interesting sights you see during your trip, as well as any unusual plant and wildlife; stop for a picnic at the edge of the road, somewhere with a particularly good view; go off the beaten track (taking the necessary precautions, of course) and find hidden nooks and crannies on the mountainside. The only golden rule is to keep your children entertained, engaged and interested. It is a well-known fact that, in children, curiosity often supplants tiredness, so use this knowledge in your favour and craft a fun day out for all involved.

Play Pretend

Another good way to keep children entertained while mountain biking Alps routes with them – especially if they are younger children – is to involve them in some sort of appropriate fantasy. The Alpine slopes are often the setting of one or more Tour de France stages, so why not pretend you are cycling stars competing for that elusive yellow shirt? It does not take a lot of effort to imagine oneself in such a situation – especially for a child – and it can lead to a variety of games and scenarios that can liven up the cycling experience for the younger members of the party. Be careful, however, to exert caution – children can also get carried away easily during their fantasies, and you will need to stay alert to avoid mishaps.

Set A Goal

Setting goals is also often an excellent way to get children motivated when mountain biking. Alps trails are diverse and cover a range of very different challenges, so rather than just cycling aimlessly, set a specific location to be visited or number of miles to aim for, and watch your children’s interest in the ride ahead instantly develop.

In short, it is not as hard as you may think to keep children entertained and engaged during a cycling holiday– you just need to know how to go about achieving that goal.

Liz Olkowicz is the Business Development Manager for Ski and Summer Morzine, a tour operator, based in Surrey, offering tailor-made holidays. If you're looking for a thrilling holiday mountain biking, Alps routes offer a diverse and challenging terrain. Morzine is the perfect location from which to explore the French Alps on a mountain bike, so for a great-value Alpine holiday, call us.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.