Crystal Ski Beanie Club in La Thuile: Is It Actually Worth It?

One of the biggest questions when planning a family ski trip is simple:

What do you do about childcare while you’re skiing?

Because the reality is, skiing with kids isn’t just about the slopes — it’s about managing the day so everyone actually enjoys it. You don’t want to spend the week rushing, taking turns, or sitting in cafés while someone else skis.

We definitely didn’t.

This guide is for families travelling with children who want a ski holiday that feels easy and balanced — where kids are well looked after, but parents can also enjoy proper time on the slopes.

Quick Answer: Is Crystal Ski Beanie Club Worth It?

Yes — if you want a more relaxed and manageable ski trip with younger children.

For us, it meant:

• Joshua was well looked after

• he enjoyed a mix of skiing and activities

• and we actually got time to ski ourselves

It’s one of the biggest reasons our trips to La Thuile felt easy rather than exhausting.

We’ve now used Crystal Ski’s kids’ club four times in La Thuile, from ages 5 to 8, and it became a big part of how our ski holidays worked as a family. More recently, now that Joshua is older and a confident skier, we don’t need it in the same way — but that progression is largely down to how those early trips were structured.

We’ve always booked through Crystal Ski, mainly because it simplifies everything — flights, transfers, accommodation, ski school and childcare all organised together. That made a big difference when travelling with a younger child and wanting a low-stress trip. Planning a trip to La Thuile with kids? Start here: → La Thuile Ski Trip with Kids: Honest Family Guide (Crystal Ski Review)

This guide includes links to the options we’ve used or considered. Some may be affiliate links, meaning we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only recommend things we’ve personally used and would happily book again.

In this review, I’ll walk through what Beanie Club in La Thuile is actually like — how the days are structured, what the kids do, how it fits around ski school, and whether it’s really worth the extra cost for a family ski trip.

What Is Crystal Ski Beanie Club?

Beanie Club is Crystal Ski’s childcare and kids ski school package for younger children aged 4 - 8 years old.

Beanie Club Options

At the time of writing, the options are:

Afternoon Beanie Club (Most Popular)

This is the option most families use.

• Runs from 11:30am – 5pm for 6 days a week

• Designed to fit around ski school

• Includes hot lunch, followed by afternoon activities

If you book ski lessons through Crystal:

• staff will collect your child directly from ski school

• take them to lunch

• and then into afternoon activities

This is what we used most often, as it gave us a full morning of skiing, while still having the afternoon together if we wanted it.

Morning Beanie Club (Non-Ski Care)

• Runs from 8:30am – 11:30am 6 days a week

• No skiing included

• Focused on indoor and outdoor play

This works best for:

• younger children

• or days when you don’t want them skiing

Full Day Option

You can combine morning and afternoon sessions for full-day care, but ONLY IF your child is not skiing. This is a recent change to the Crystal Beanie club set up, where the staff used to do drop off, but that has since been removed and replaced with this structure.

This is useful if:

• you want a full ski day

• you’re skiing over to La Rosière

• or you don’t want to think about logistics for the day

Evening Session (Optional Extra)

• Runs from 6pm – 9pm Tuesdays and Thursdays £30 a session

• One-off session

• Held in the Planibel complex

This is ideal if you:

• want a relaxed dinner

• or just a quieter evening

This setup is what made the biggest difference for us — knowing Joshua was looked after and happy meant we could actually enjoy skiing ourselves. We booked this as part of a full package, so everything was already coordinated around ski school and childcare, which made the whole week much easier. → See the trip we booked with kids club included

What to Be Aware Of

A few practical things that are important:

• Ski school is only available from age 5 in La Thuile

• If you don’t book ski school through Crystal, you’ll need to manage the handover yourself

• Ski School drop-off is your responsibility

• Everything is based in the Planibel complex

Cost (What You’re Actually Paying For)

At the time of writing in 2026:

• Afternoon sessions (6 days): around £399

• Morning sessions (6 days): around £299

• Evening session: around £30

It’s not cheap — but this is a big part of what changes the trip from:

• stressful
  to

• manageable

And that’s where the value comes from.

Where Is Crystal Ski Kids Club in La Thuile?

It’s located in the middle of the Planibel apartment complex, near Saint Bernard.

I’ll be honest: we really struggled to find it the first time.

Walk towards the apartments, go all the way to the end, turn right — it’s right there.

If you want an overview of Planibel apartments and what they are like for families, see: Honest review of Planibel Residence

What the Kids Actually Do

Ski Lessons

Lessons run for around 3 hours each morning, grouped by ability.

Progression feels natural, not forced.

Joshua went from beginner level to skiing confidently on blues (and then reds later) — and it didn’t feel pressured.

If you want more detail on that side, see La Thuile Ski School Review.

Lunch

Lunch is simple but works:

• pizza

• pasta

• chicken

• burgers

Nothing fancy, but exactly what kids want — and Joshua always ate well.

Afternoons

This is where Beanie Club adds real value.

It’s not just babysitting — it’s:

• sledging

• crafts

• games

• social time

By the end of the week, Joshua had made friends and came home with a stack of crafts.

The final-day pyjama party was probably his highlight.

The Staff (The Bit That Really Matters)

This is what made the biggest difference to us.

The team were:

• calm

• patient

• experienced

• and genuinely good with kids

Everything felt controlled but relaxed.

You could see they were used to:

• nervous children

• tired children

• and nervous parents

That trust is what makes the whole thing work.

What if my Child has a medical need?

Before you travel, you’ll be asked to complete a detailed questionnaire about your child, including:

• Allergies

• Medical needs

• Comforters

• Personality

• Anything that helps them settle

This already gave me confidence before we even arrived. If you have any worries, speak to the staff on day one. They were genuinely kind, calm and very used to nervous parents and nervous kids.

What It Means for You as a Parent

This is the part people don’t talk about enough.

Without something like Beanie Club, your week looks very different:

• taking turns skiing

• cutting ski days short

• managing everything yourself

With it, you can:

• ski properly

• relax

• enjoy the trip

That’s the real value.

Without something like Beanie Club, the whole structure of the week is very different.

With it, everything just flows more easily — and that’s what made the trip feel relaxed rather than hard work.

If you’re looking at options, it’s worth seeing the exact setup we used. → View the package we used (including kids club)

What to Be Aware Of

It’s not perfect — and it won’t suit everyone.

• you need to be comfortable leaving your child

• it’s an added cost

• mornings require a bit of organisation

But for us, those trade-offs were more than worth it.

Is Crystal Ski Beanie Club in La Thuile Worth It?

For us? Absolutely, we used this service every time until Joshua outgrew it.

It means:

• You can actually ski

• Your child is safe, happy and progressing

• Nobody feels pressured

• Everyone enjoys the holiday

It’s one of the main reasons we keep booking with Crystal.

Who It’s Best For

Beanie Club works particularly well if:

• your child is between 4–8

• you want a balance between skiing and family time

Once kids are older and skiing confidently, you’ll no longer need it — which is exactly what happened for us.

Final Thought

If your concern is:

• balancing skiing and childcare

• whether the trip will feel worth it

• or how to actually enjoy a ski holiday with kids

Beanie Club is one of the simplest ways to make it work.

planning a trip to La Thuile?

Want the full picture? See our cost breakdown and honest Crystal Ski review here:

About Plan Family Escapes

We’re a UK-based family sharing real, experience-led travel guides based on trips we’ve taken with our school-age son Joshua across destinations like Lapland, Turkey and India.

Everything we share is based on what we’ve personally experienced — with honest advice on what actually works when travelling with kids, focusing on making family travel easier, more comfortable and genuinely enjoyable.