Minis 5

Our minis ski course is a fun way for children between five and eight to learn to ski. Each lesson will need to be repeated to reach the required standard to move up to the next level.

Is it right for me?

This is for children between ages five and eight. They must have completed Minis 4 and have been told they are ready to start Minis 5

How does it work?

Our experienced, qualified instructors will meet the minis in our equipment room and get them kitted out with skis, boots and a helmet. Equipment is always included in our prices - you'll just need to bring a pair of gloves and wear full length sleeves and trousers.

In Minis 5, the children will start to make their linked turns flow and ski from the top of our main slope. The minis will have about an hour on the slope with their instructor. With maximum group sizes of four there will be plenty of time for individual help and support.

What comes next?

After each lesson, the instructor will let you know whether your mini has reached all of the skills needed. Once they have, they have completed our Minis course and will be able to use the slope as a recreational skier, unaccomanied by an instructor! They can use a Slope Pass to ski independently. They can also head long to one of our Ski With An Instructor sessions or the junior session of Mendip Ski Club, our weekly informal and fun ski club.

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FAQ's

Yes we offer ski lessons from ages 5+. There are 2 options: 


Minis Group Lessons

We offer a course of 5 group lessons called Minis. Lessons are suitable for children aged 5 - 8 and each lesson will have a maximum of 4 children per instructor and are 1.5 hours. The course is designed so that lessons are repeated until a required standard is met and the child is ready to move up to the next level. Your childs instructor will let you know when they are ready to progress. 


Minis Private Lessons

These are 1 to 1 lessons just for children aged 5 -8. They can be used as an assessment to determine whether younger children are ready to join group minis lessons or as a way of younger children learning to ski. Each lesson is 45 minutes long (including kit up and dekit time). 


You can book group and private minis lessons here -https://mendip.me/book/minis/

You can book Minis lessons here - https://mendip.me/book/minis/

All participants will need to wear full length sleeves, full length trousers, a pair of socks and a pair of full fingered gloves. 

We will provide ski boots, skis and a helmet. You are welcome to provide your own helmet if you prefer. 

If your child has had a ski lesson elsewhere or has experience of skiing on snow, we would recommend booking them into a private Minis session. This can be used to assess which level of group minis sessions is most suitable for them or if they are ready to use the slope as a recreational skier. 

Unfortunately we are unable to offer snowboarding lessons to children younger than 8 years old. 

It is up to you! Some children learn better in the smaller group size of the minis and with the younger children where as some children prefer the longer, adult group sessions. You are welcome to book 8 year olds onto either session type.

General FAQ's

Outdoor Activities can be booked as Individual Spaces or as Exclusive Groups, with some age limits. 


SNOWSPORTS

-Tobogganing: Ages 4-12. If booked as an exclusive Half Slope Group Session, ages 4+ with no upper age limit.
-Skiing Lessons: Ages 8+
-Snowboarding Lessons: Ages 8+ height minimum 1.2m Shoe Size min adult size 2
-Minis Private Ski Lessons: Ages 5-8.
-Recreational Skiing/Snowboarding: Ages 5+ and must be recreational standard.


TARGT SPORTS

-Archery, Axe Throwing, Air Rifle: Age 8+. If booked as an exclusive group session ages 6+. At least one adult must be participating.
-ArcheryActive, Nerf Battles: Age 6+. If under 8s are taking part, at least one adult must be participating.
-Frisbee Golf: Any age. Under 6s play free. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.

LAND ACTIVITIES


-Orienteering: Any age. Under 6s free. Under 16s must be accompanied by an adult.
-Bushcraft & Survival Skills:  Age 8+. If booked as an exclusive group session ages 6+. If under 8s are taking part, at least one adult must be participating. 


ROCK SPORTS

-Rock Climbing, Climbing Tower, Caving, Try Caving, Abseiling (20m/65ft): Age 8+. If booked as an exclusive group session ages 6+. If under 8s are taking part, at least one adult must be participating.

-Abseiling (50m/150ft): Ages 10+


WATER SPORTS


-Assault Course, Kayaking, Paddle Boarding, Raft Building Canoeing: Age 8+. If booked as an exclusive group session ages 6+. If under 8s are taking part, at least one adult must be participating. 



When booking, the website will display where your activity takes place. Your booking confirmation email will also show this. 


Many activities take place at the main Mendip Activity Centre including:

Snowsports, Tobogganing, Frisbee Golf,  Archery, Air Rifle, Axe Throwing, Bushcraft, Orienteering and Try Caving.


There are also a number of off-site activity locations including: 


Hewish Activity Site: Kayaking, Canoeing, Paddle Boarding, Raft Building and Assault Course 

Sandford Quarry: Climbing and Abseiling 

Burrington Combe: Caving (3-hour sessions)


Click here for directions to all our Activity Sites.

Yes! we have plenty of free onsite parking at all our activity sites.


We strongly encourage car sharing and sustainable forms of travel. Read more here.

Tobogganing

Tobogganing is a very popular activity and, especially during peak times, we have very little flexibility in being able to push your start time back. Where possible, we will get you onto the toboggan slope as soon as possible once you arrive. We will try to be as accommodating as possible and if there is availability later in the day, we will move your session to a later start time however please be aware that this is not always possible. 


Frisbee golf or recreational snowsports

We are likely to be able to change your start time at arrival as long as it is within our opening hours and on the same day.


Private session
We will start whenever you arrive but we are unlikely to be able to overrun.


Individual spaces on a session

We will do our best to fit you into the session at a point that does not disrupt it too much for other participants. If you are more than 10 minutes late, we're sorry but it is very unlikely we will be able to fit you into the session due to missing the safety and equipment briefing and kit up.


If you cannot make your session, or to request an amendment: 

Please contact our friendly team by email or online chat for help.




To cancel, rearrange or amend your booking please let us know by emailing hello@mendip.co.uk as soon as possible. 


To view our Terms & Conditions click here  



Well-behaved dogs are welcome to join you onsite including in our Café, the Alpine Lounge.

Dogs may join you on Frisbee Golf and Orienteering Activities only. For all other activities ensure you make arrangements for its care during your activity session.

Yes! Mendip Activity Centre has a proud history of providing outdoor education and adventure opportunities to schools.

Our year-round school residentials provide young people with unrivalled opportunities and educational experiences gained through adventure. We work closely with schools to design a residential visit that fits the groups goals, desires and aims.


For more information or to make an enquiry, visit our SCHOOL RESIDENTIALS website 

After you book an activity online we immediately email you a Booking Confirmation. If you are unable to locate this in your inbox, first check your spam/junk email folders. If you still cannot locate, it's possible your online booking may not have been fully completed. 


Check whether the session you were trying to book is still available online. If it is, try to make the booking again. If it's not, please contact our friendly team by email or online chat for help.



Can't find the answer to your question?.. our friendly team will be happy to help! 


The quickest way to get in touch is Email or use our Live Chat


If you would rather, call us on 01934 834877 and follow the instruction to leave us a voicemail.


Yes! Mendip Activity Centre has a proud history of working with youth groups including Scouts, Guides, Cadets and Sports Teams. We can deliver outdoor education and adventurous activities during the evening, at the weekend or as part of a camp. If your group are looking to achieve a new badge, this is something we can help with.
For more information or to enquire, visit our YOUTH GROUPS website.