The École Ski Francaise (ESF) is based by the Prarion Ski Lift (0033 4 50 54 48 79), 1 km west out of Les Houches towards les Chavants (turn right out of the apartment, past the Bellevue Ski Lift then take the next left).  (Although there is an ESF office immediately below the apartment often it is not open and is not where you meet up with the guides/ instructors).  For small children the meeting point for the ski school is at the bottom of the Prarion ski lift between 9 and 9.15 am.  They then either go to the Jardin de Neige by the nursery (the Garderie des Chavants) 200 meters away or, when there is little snow at the bottom, up to the top of the Prarion to the green run close by the cable car station.  Classes run from Sunday through Friday, with no classes on Saturday.  You can join classes mid-week but bear in mind the other children will have a few days head-start.  That said, if your child meets the requisite standard he or she can ‘qualify’ for one of the various levels (from ‘Ourson’ to ‘Etoile d’Or’) without having to do a full week of lessons.  Certificates get handed out after lessons on the Friday and you can buy badges from the ski school.The ski lessons are well worth it as there is nothing like learning in a group.  They take them from as young as 3 (some seem even younger).  They will often bus them from Prarion over to the Bellevue ski-lift as there is an excellent green run with an easy button-lift at the top. While there may be tears from the small ones when they get dropped off, they are well looked-after and you can be sure they will have fun.The ski lessons run until 11.15 am.  At that point you can choose either to collect your littl’uns or elect the additional nursery option, which we heartily recommend (see below).

Nursery (Garderie des Chavants)

100 meters from the bottom of the Prarion Ski-lift, on the other side of the large car-park, is the nursery.  This is run by Christine with a staff of lovely nannies.  During French school holidays the nursery is open from 8.30 am; at other times from 11.30 am.  Children who have gone to ski school are taken by the instructors from their lessons to the nursery at 11.30.   They can stay for lunch (collect between 1.30 and 2 pm) or until 5.30 pm.  We can thoroughly recommend the 2 pm collection option, at least for a few days  – enough time to wear yourself out ski-ing and there is still time before the ski-lifts close at 5 pm to get back up the mountain to ski/ toboggan/ have a hot chocolate with the nippers.