It’s the snow at Big White Ski Resort with Kids

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The Big White Ski Resort tagline says it all: It’s the Snow. Big White receives an annual snowfall of 7 metres/24.5 feet of dry fluffy snow, known as champagne powder. It’s light stuff, which makes for truly amazing ski conditions. Big White also has great family-friendly amenities, a lovely village atmosphere, and loads of natural British Columbia beauty that appeals to ski enthusiasts from all over the world. Here’s our guide to enjoying the best of Big White Ski Resort with kids.

big white ski resort with kids

The best of Big White Ski Resort with kids

Where is Big White Ski Resort

Big White Ski Resort is located just outside of Kelowna, in the Okanagan Valley in the interior of British Columbia, Canada. It’s about a 5-hour drive from Vancouver (7-8 hours from Seattle), via the Coquihalla Highway to the Okanagan.

If you’re flying in from other parts of Canada, the United States or Australia, you’ll arrive in Kelowna.

Big White operates a convenient Airport Shuttle from Kelowna International Airport to the resort. It’s great if you’re not planning to rent a car. You should pre-book the shuttle prior to your arrival. It will take less than one hour to reach Big White.

If you plan to cook some of your meals at your condo or chalet during your stay, you can pre-arrange a 45-minute grocery-store stop in town, to stock up for your ski holiday. There is small grocery store in the Village, but supplies are limited and more expensive than in town.

big white ski resort with kids

Skiing at Big White Ski Resort

Big White has a vertical drop of 2,550 ft, with 16 lifts accessing 119 designated ski runs for all levels from beginning to expert. There’s enough powder and terrain for everyone to enjoy. And there are rarely lineups, even on weekends.

Big White is also home to Western Canada’s largest night skiing area, offering up 8,429 skiable acres of terrain, including the impressive terrain park, TELUS Park. 

If you’ve never enjoyed a ski experience at Big White before, it’s highly recommended to start off with one of the Resort’s free daily Snow Host Tours. The program is a great way to get a feel for the hill and its many runs and lifts.

Guests meet the experienced volunteer Hosts daily at 10:30 AM in a signed designated spot across from the Village Centre Lodge.

big white ski resort with kids

Use the map below to search for hotel and short-term rental options

Big White Ski Resort Village

The village of Big White is Canada’s largest totally ski-in, ski-out resort center. Meaning you can ski or snowboard directly to the door of your accommodation and to more than 20 on-mountain restaurants, cafes and bars.

All these amenities are within a short walking distance of hotels, condos and ski lifts. The central Village Centre building has ski and snowboard rentals, ticket offices, retail shops, and the Clocktower Coffee Company (CTC).

There are a wide variety of restaurant options throughout the Village, from small cafes offering tapas-style healthy and vegan menu choices, to traditional bars and burger grills. 

In the heart of the village, enjoy family-friendly meals at Bullwheel Gastro Family Pub, an upscale fireside dinner at the 6* Bistro or The Woods.

The Big White Ski Resort tagline says it all: It's the Snow. But it's so much more than that for travelling families looking for winter holiday fun. Best tips for Big White with kids.
Don’t miss the fiery gunbarrel coffee or hot chocolate at Snowshoe Sam’s

No visit to Big White is complete without sampling an adult-only Gunbarrel coffee or hot chocolate from Snowshoe Sam’s Gunbarrel Grill. It’s a fiery, one-of-a-kind experience.

The Happy Valley Day Lodge is accessible via a short ride on Lara’s Gondola, five minutes from the main village.

The Lodge is home to the casual Alpine Burger Co and picnic facilities for day-users. It also hosts daily family activities for kids, such as arts and crafts, marshmallow roasting and smore-making.

big white ski resort with kids

Winter activities at Big White

Should the family and littles need a break from skiing and riding, Big White’s Adventure Centre offers a host of family-friendly off-slope winter activities.

Lace up for a skate or shoot the puck on Canada’s highest elevation outdoor skating rink, maintained by the cutest little Zamboni.

Rocket down one of five snow tube lanes either solo or as a family group. The helpful lifties will even give you a spinning start. Or book a snowmobile tour (including Mini-Z snowmobile experiences for kids), dog-sledding tours, and horse-drawn sleigh rides through a winter wonderland, including a dining tour for supper in the woods. 

Big White ski school

Need lessons? No problem. Big White has a huge indoor ski school building, housing lesson registration and equipment rentals for kids, a kitchen for ski school lunch prep, and two play areas divided by age: 4-6 and 7-12. There is also a climbing wall, LEGO, and activity tables to keep kids busy before or after lessons.

Skiing and riding lessons for younger children and beginners take place off the main mountain, near the Adventure Centre, with a moving carpet to get kids back up the hill.

Finding a suitable ski instructor is easy with Big White’s Ski School database. You can pick an Aussie snowboarding pro or a German-speaking Swiss ski instructor. Through the Ski School valet service, they’ll even come to your hotel and pick up your child for their lesson, for a small fee.

The Big White Ski Resort tagline says it all: It's the Snow. But it's so much more than that for travelling families looking for winter holiday fun. Best tips for Big White with kids.
Safety first at Big White’ Ski School with the Flaik GPS tracking system.

Big White prioritizes safety through its Flaik GPS tracking system band. Every ski school child wears this device on their lower leg. Flaik tracks skiers should they become lost, and allows Mom and Dad to follow along with their child’s day.

Big White also operates the Tot Town Daycare facility for pre-ski children (babies to age 5). Kids can also go for half-days, for those who don’t wish to ski the whole day. Ski Canada Magazine has cheekily voted it the “Best Place to be Abandoned by Your Parents.”

Where to stay at Big White

Big White has a centralized reservation system that bundles lift tickets, rentals, and accommodations. The resort offers excellent package deals where kids under 12 often stay and ski free.

Use the map below to search for hotel and short-term rental options

If you want to book independently, Stonebridge Lodge is a great choice for ski-in, ski-out luxury condos. They have full kitchens, hot tubs on every deck, and country-style, ski-kitsch suites. It’s one minute from Village Centre and spacious enough for one or two families sharing.

There are also many individual vacation properties available through VRBO. We shared this wonderfully-appointed Mistaya Chalet guest house with two other families on our last stay.

The Big White Ski Resort tagline says it all: It's the Snow. But it's so much more than that for travelling families looking for winter holiday fun. Best tips for Big White with kids.
When travelling in a large group, it makes sense to rent a holiday chalet together at Big White.

If you’re looking for an affordable family ski holiday, pristine snow quality, and no lift lines, Big White Ski Resort in Kelowna, British Columbia, should be at the top of your list. It’s the snow… and so much more.

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It's about the snow and so much more at British Columbia's fantastic and family-friendly Big White Ski Resort with kids. #bigwhite #explorebc #familytravel #skiing #bigwhiteskiresort

New more skiing inspo? Check out these articles about other British Columbia ski resorts.

Family Fun at Sun Peaks Ski Resort

25 Epic Things to do in Whistler in Winter

Best Ski Resorts near Vancouver

creeksThe Best Insider’s Guide to Whistler Creekside

 

Photo Credits: C Laroye

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Claudia Laroye
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