Take a break and be healthier and happier

Family holidays specialist Esprit Holidays is offering three fully organised outdoor activity programmes in the French and Swiss Alps this summer for children in age groups from 7 – 11 and 12 – 15 years and separate groups for adults, headed up by experienced outdoor activity leaders.

And according to Esprit, their healthy holidays can even help kids live happier, healthier lives.

Programme Director Ian Hope said, “According to recent research an active lifestyle encourages the growth of brain cells and children with active lifestyles make happier adults, while children with lower physical lifestyles are 35 per cent more likely to experience depression as adults.

“The Alps is the perfect place to get outside and learn a new skill, have fun, and build up growing muscles and get lung-fuls of clean, fresh air”.

Esprit Holidays’ activity weeks are an optional add-on to the company’s Alpine summer holidays, with prices from £399 / adult and £146 / child for 7 nights’ full board chalet-hotel accommodation, and activities include adventure ropes courses, rock climbing, kayaking, glacier hiking, paragliding, tennis and wildlife walks. The active holiday programmes are run in the Swiss resort of Saas Fee and the French resorts of Alpe d'Huez and Belle Plagne and cost from £135 / adult, £113 / child, including all equipment and a five day programme of fully led activities.

While adults and older siblings enjoy the open air challenges younger children can be cared for in the Esprit nursery (4 months – 3 years) or kindergarten (`Mini Alpies’) for children 3 – 6 years.

Esprit Holiday’s ‘Seven Wonders of the Alps’ alpine activity week in the high altitude French resort of Belle Plagne includes paragliding down the valley, taking on an adventure ropes course through thick woodlands, rock climbing, kayaking and white water rafting. The cost for week’s activities is £189 for an adult and £156 for a child.

The ‘Mountains & Marmots’ activity programme takes place in the French resort of Alpe d’Huez and includes a paragliding trip, a go on the ‘Via Ferrata’ scrambling rocky routes with the use of ladders; ramps and cables, golfing afternoons and a mountainous wildlife hike in the Alps. The cost for week’s activities is £135 for an adult and £129 for children.

The company’s ‘Mountain Magic’ activity week in the Swiss resort of Saas Fee includes a guided forest adventure swinging through the trees on zip wires and suspension ropes, the Almagellerhorn adventure hike over the spectacular Alpine landscapes, an afternoon hiking over a beautiful sea of glaciers with a mountain guide as well as an afternoon of tennis. The cost for week’s activities is £135 for an adult and £113 for a child.

For more information and bookings, visit: espritfamilyadventures.com