Hiking with Kids
We have always enjoyed hiking. When we had our son, we had to reinvent how we hiked. When he was too small to hike, we purchased a backpack carrier where we placed him in the carrier. We were camping when our son learned to walk. Our son enjoys hiking as much as we do. Getting him to enjoy hiking required us to get a bit creative at times. At first it was not very fast and we had to temper our expectations. As he grows older, we are able to go on longer hikes, cherish the moments together and be out in nature more. We have included a few tips to make your hiking more enjoyable.
- Stay safe: Stay safe on your hike. Make sure that you wear sunscreen and insect repellent. Choose an insect repellent that is safe for kids. Bugs in the face particularly are annoying to kids. Choose an essential oil based natural insect repellent that allows you to dab it on the face. Have them wear a hat and long sleeves as insects rarely bite through clothing. Inspect young children after hikes to make sure they have not picked up ticks. Keep on the lookout for wildlife particularly snakes. Teach children about poisonous plants. Keep in mind the weather forecast for your hike. Your family does not want to be hiking in a thunderstorm. Provide children a whistle and teach them to blow on the whistle three times if the become separated from mom and dad. Carry a first aid kit for minor scrapes.
- Choose appropriate length and time for the hike: Choose an appropriate length of hike for a child's age. Starting out, use 1/2 mile per year of age and about 1 mile per hour for a medium difficulty trail. Remember, children have a shorter attention span and walk many more steps than adults due to their shorter legs. As children become conditioned to hiking, they will tend to be able to go farther and faster.
- Dress appropriately: Dress your children comfortably. If your children are cold, they are less likely to want to hike. If the weather is hot, dress them in light clothes. If it is raining, make sure that kids have the appropriate gear. Children will be more apt to to hike if they are comfortable. We often dress our son in bright colors. Allow children to carry a backpack. Start out with them carrying an empty backpack and adding snacks and water.
- Be flexible: You will want to be flexible in your hikes, enticing your children during the hike. Keep in mind that depending on the difficulty, you may hike slower or faster. Children may hike slower on easier hikes if they are bored. You may have to stop at regular intervals for food or water during your hike as your children become tired. Allow children to take turns leading the hike and to set the pace.
- Carry food and water on the hike: Keep your family well hydrated during the hike and make sure that you have food for snacks and meals. Entice children to the next stop with a small snack such as a fruit snack or M&M. These can often be considered power ups and work to encourage your children. At appropriate intervals stop for water and a snack or meal. Let your children know the intervals at which you will stop and stick to your word.
- Treat the hike as an adventure: Kids love adventure. Point out rocks, vegetation, and animals during your hike. Allow your kids to play in streams if it is safe to do. Select hikes with nature's "eye candy" to keep children interested. At stops, have kids play with available materials that are found at the stop. Teach kids to leave the found materials at the area rather than taking some with them.
- Play games with kids: Playing games with kids during a hike can be fun for the entire family. One of our son's favorite games was to jump on rocks and call them "goombas". Once a rock was stepped on, it could not be counted for points. We would then count or make up how many points we got along the hike. Another favorite was having each blaze open a door or close a timed door. A phrase such as "open sesame" or "lock down" is said by the first person passing the blaze. For open sesame, the last person is required to close sesame the door when they pass. If the first person says lockdown, all members playing have to pass the blaze in the agreed amount of time. Another game we played with our son was a scavenger hunt or an "I spy" type game where we had him point and say the item with a particular characteristic that we described.
- Teach kids hiking etiquette: Teach kids the etiquette of hiking such as pulling off, not littering, leaving natural things in nature, and staying on the trail.
