Hiking with children is a popular pastime for many families. Many outdoor enthusiasts who began hiking as children take to the trails once more with their own families. After all, taking kids into nature frequently and at a young age is a widely accepted way to encourage lasting enthusiasm for the outdoors. There are as many reasons to go hiking with your children as there are people who do it: parents who want to share a love for nature with their children, families who want an affordable form of physical exercise they can all do together, school systems that advocate for regular outdoor time, and so forth. And why not? The sheer simplicity of a walk in the woods is a comforting thought to anyone, particularly to someone who is weighing the idea of going out to the park versus the expense and hassle of an afternoon at an amusement park.
Hiking with children isn’t without its challenges. Learning the basic principles of hiking and outdoor preparedness is an essential part of the pre-hiking education that parents should receive. This guide provides tips, tricks, and encouragement for families looking to head out onto the trails for the first time. A little bit of pre-hiking research and shopping allows parents to find what nature-oriented family experience they will feel most secure in and how best to give their children memories of that cozy, shared family walk they all took together.
Benefits of Hiking for Kids
When physical fitness and mental well-being are more important than ever, hiking is the perfect family activity. Regular physical activity is absolutely crucial for kids. Not only does it improve their physical fitness, but it also supports healthy bone and muscle development, regulates energy levels, decreases the risk of obesity, and promotes psychological well-being. In an increasingly sedentary world, where kids would prefer to sit in front of a screen than to play in the garden, hiking is an excellent way to help your kids remain active in order to prevent diseases related to inactivity – hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease, to name a few. Plus, engaging with nature and the outdoors has been shown to reduce anxiety, depression, and improve overall emotional functioning in kids. A child’s emotional well-being is just as critical as their physical health.
Nature makes kids happier, healthier, and smarter. Although kids may fuss about going for a hike, the outdoor environment has been found to stimulate their attention, interest, and creativity while reducing fatigue and anxiety, and can even restore concentration and improve cognitive functioning, essential for future learning. Because they are physically engaging, outdoor activities lend themselves to greater sensory stimulation and learning. The great thing is kids don’t need to be told any of this. They naturally find the whole activity fun, and the bit about learning something new can be snuck in so effortlessly! Learning from an alternative outdoor curriculum can really fire a child’s imagination. Kids are fascinated by wildlife, often coming from quite a fundamentally different perspective to adults and educators. These walks provide the opportunity to have an engaging conversation with your kids about the natural world. Wildlife and its adaptations provide a great platform for children to hypothesize and theorize and then put their results into practice.
Physical Health
Simply put, going on a hike with the kids is great for their physical health. Regular physical activity, like hiking, leads to improved cardiovascular health and general fitness. It allows children to get their recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day. Children who engage in regular physical activity may have stronger muscles and bones, experience healthy growth, and are less likely to become overweight. Engagement in some outdoor activities can be a healthy alternative to indoor activities that can be sedentary for children. By including some activities on the trail that challenge the kids to demonstrate jump strength, agility, endurance, and aerobic capacity in different stereotypical modes, we will encourage diversity of method and promote well-rounded motor skill and coordination development.
All of these are things that kids need to become strong, healthy adults. Safety first. A nice, lovely hike can become an ordeal quickly for children if it’s too difficult. Overuse injuries are more common in kids too, often because they are still developing motor skills. Start slow; the object is to teach and instill habits of healthy activity in our children that allow them to continue walking, running, and hiking into their later years. Choosing a place within their mileage capabilities and stretching it a little each time will guarantee joyful success! Remember, with children, it is about the experience; popular adult goals can change with age and ability levels.
Mental Well-being
When it comes to the long-term impact, hiking has a multitude of benefits for kids. One of the fundamental components is the mental well-being you get from hiking. Simply being out in nature can have a calming effect on adults and on kids. If spending time in nature as a child could ingrain an emotional connection to the outdoors, imagine the possibilities for future generations.
The psychological benefits to children from hiking are wide-reaching. Outdoor time in nature can improve mood and promote emotional health in kids. When kids have a connection to nature, they often exhibit more creativity and improved problem-solving skills. Plus, hiking fosters social interaction among kids, as well as that between a family unit. The memories created on a hike will last a lifetime and bring kids of the same group or family closer together. Moreover, if you’re concerned about screen fatigue with your kids, spending time hiking the trails is the best antidote. Technology doesn’t have to be the enemy if used in the right way, but kids are going to need a rest at some point. Mentally, they’ll be refreshed. And, as a bonus.
Educational Opportunities
One of the best ways to engage your child’s natural curiosity is to plan hikes that offer one-of-a-kind opportunities for them to learn about the world around them. Hiking offers innumerable opportunities for children to learn about ecosystems, geology, wildlife, plants, and the interconnectedness of all components in the natural world. The simple act of touching and observing wildflowers, turning over rocks, and admiring creatures uncovered, or carefully crossing streams enhances children’s interest in their surroundings and in their own abilities to navigate them. In fact, research highlights that when children are provided with hands-on, experiential learning opportunities, a transformed interest and curiosity for a subject emerges. Experiential learning opportunities help to make education a tangible, relevant experience for children, inspiring an inherent desire to learn. The same is true for educational hikes!
You can take advantage of the experiential learning benefits hiking affords by developing your child’s cognitive cloud. Every child’s cognitive cloud has two layers: the lower, more firmly formed layer which is comprised of current content and skills, and the higher, more open-minded creative layer. It is in both layers of this cognitive cloud that “learning begins with questions or problems that ignite the curiosity to explore more.” Given your child’s interest in hiking and their natural curiosity, here are a few discussion questions that will enrich your next family hike:
Choosing the Right Trail
One of the most important things to consider when planning a hike with children is the trail you’ll be taking. A good rule is to cut the length of time you expect to hike without kids in half – this is your starting window. But other factors matter too! Consider a child’s activity level and outdoor experience and match that to the difficulty of the trail you choose. Flat, easy terrain will be less stressful than steep, difficult trails. You should take into account the child-friendliness of the trail too. Many state parks have “family-friendly” trails with cool, educational posts or pamphlets available for children. This might include a nature center or easy access to restrooms or potable water at the beginning of your hike.
Before you head out the door and onto the trail, take a little time to think about what you’d like to do. It’s always a good idea to have a conversation about some of the things that might be fun to do. Do your kids like climbing? Maybe a trail with a big rock to scramble on would be fun. Are they excited to see animals on the trail? A trail near water might be a good fit. Have an idea that you can steer the conversation towards? Maybe you can offer two different trail options and see which one your kiddo gets excited about! Also, always check the weather before you go. Ideally, plan to hike in good conditions; it can be dangerous to take children, who can be more susceptible to dramatic temperature changes and wind, taking into account wrong turns, exposure, and other misadventures along a trail. A light rain might not scare the kids away if they have good rain gear and there’s mud to squish through, but a monsoon is probably best to avoid. Similarly, check the trail conditions. Some trails are impassable on heavy use weekends when the mud is prevalent. Want to get out on the trail in a more off-the-beaten-path way? While perhaps less of an issue at lesser-visited preserves and in the winter, be careful – sometimes “less well-maintained” can mean “muddy/marshy,” for instance. Oh, and if you can’t physically pre-check a trail, bring some backup ideas in case you get there and it’s totally not going to work for you.
Families need to consider the ability and age of participants when choosing an appropriate hiking trail before embarking. For parents of young children, there are easy, short, and inclusive hikes that might be a great option. Try some local loop trails. Look for gentle inclines on color-blazed trails. Wandering along a pretty little river can make any day enjoyable. Micro-hiking via nature trails might be best for the shortest attention spans. Forests and rivers are close by and also accessible via endless two-tracks – hey, it’s a start. Tailor trail lengths to the age of the child and your confidence. If the adults feel they could carry a sleeping child under a mile back to the car, venture cautiously! Beach hikes, so long as they’re not on a sandy slope, are usually fun and manageable for all. If swings provide the best motivation to head to the “hard” loop and everyone returns to the car happy, so be it. Follow gravel or paved trails responsibly to maintain access and avoid disappointingly carting a bike for miles only to find the trail isn’t open to two-wheeled traffic.
Factors to Consider
There are many factors to consider when picking a trail for a family hike. The age and ability of the child or children are very important factors to consider. A child in their first year will only be able to walk or climb perhaps one-tenth of what a child in their highest physical year is able to climb. This changes for every child in every year. Only the parent will know if the child in question would be comfortable walking for 15 minutes or 60 minutes on a stretch. Hence, it is encouraged for parents and guardians to pick a suitably manageable trail length that can be easily walked with a child using a stroller or in a carrier. While some children enjoy walking up and down hills, others prefer not to. Also, some trails have significantly more elevation gain than others. Parents and guardians should carefully evaluate the child in question to see if the chosen trail suits them better. Hazards on the trail such as potentially dangerous plants, toxic foliage, or poisonous pits are to be avoided. Trails that are flat are usually easy to hike, especially for children. Some parents usually skip this to include some variation. The distance between the beginning and end of the trail is to be evaluated in the hike selected so as not to go beyond the right point. The goal is to pick a single hike that can add up to the 30-minute daily outdoor exercise as part of the 1 hour per day of play and physical activity. The group of children is to be evaluated for the suitability of the chosen trail in question. The group leader has the authority to be the sole judge. Some children love to explore together while others are more comfortable closer to their parents. For a first-time selected hike, parents have to consider, as first-timers, to pick a family-friendly trail where the trail has been evaluated as a family-friendly one. For such a trail, useful tips and anecdotes may be available that a shared blog may not have. It is important to consider amenities when choosing a trail. Amenities may include such things as rest places and educational trails.
Child-Friendly Trails
There are trails that are ideal for children, and we’d like to share some of the better ones with you. For example, the ¾-mile-long Paul Smith’s Children’s Trail in upstate New York is located at the Paul Smiths Visitor Interpretive Center, where there’s a playground, a museum with hands-on displays, and a butterfly house. On the trail, there’s a puppet show in a geology hut, an Adirondack Across the Ages cabin, a tree house, and telescopes for one of the earliest cruise ship-watching sites in the foothills. The children’s hike at the lovely Cades Cove section of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, on the Tennessee side, will take you to a comfy bench at Cable Mill where you can watch horses and deer. There are five children’s trails at Roaring Creek Nature Center, a couple of hours from Portland, Oregon. Look for the wheelchair-accessible Audubon Birding Trail with 13 interpretive signs.
On this sunny trail, you wind through a twining habitat visiting a variety of birds where a bird song is piped in. The most common hummingbirds here are Anna’s, black-chinned, and rufous. Every July, the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area in Southern California offers a “hiking with children” series. The mile hike to a stunning waterfall includes games and stories. The John Muir National Historic Site in Martinez, California, offers a children’s program called, “Who Was John Muir?” It includes a craft and a walk around the orchard where children will learn about Muir’s childhood. While many short paths are fine for the elderly or people with disabilities, others are well-suited for young children since there’s an obvious “turn-around spot.” True, the absolute youngest and frailest are likely to benefit from being carried often until they have the stamina for a full hike. However, where possible, trails below are put into three children’s age groups.
Safety Precautions and Tips
Before going hiking with kids, parents or adults need to take necessary safety precautions in order to keep kids safe while also giving them the freedom to enjoy what is around them. This section will teach outdoor enthusiasts how to create a hike that is safe as well as a fun experience that will motivate kids to hike more in the future. During the planning stages, it is essential to check the weather forecast, especially in areas with wet conditions where flash floods develop. When checking trail conditions, do not rely on messages or recordings that have not been updated. Reserve your camping spot or lodge well in advance, and make sure you have figured out the number of miles you will travel each backpacking trip. Most importantly, always keep an eye on your child. Making sure that your children stay on the path will benefit you. Each time you turn up a canyon, hill, or knoll, have them count their steps or jumps. Keep these in mind if you need to backtrack on your own. Bring along a GPS. Make sure your kids know their phone number and address in case they get lost, and instruct them to inform an adult straight away if someone wants to adopt them. Calm the children down when wildlife is encountered by singing or yelling. This problem can be solved by redirecting the child. Make the necessary modifications. Wild creatures are nearly as detrimental to humans as people are to animals. Be calm and maintain your composure around wildlife, and always give it enough space. Suppose the children keep seeing animals too closely; you will not be willing to see anything in an expo atmosphere. It is important to remember that only those who will drive through the buy time can see animals. Unusual animal encounters should be reported to a human adult. Inform them exactly what occurred, where it happened, and the current time. Recognizing a particular place of residence is a skill that hikers must acquire. Always leave a hiking plan with family members or emergency personnel, along with the necessary phone numbers. If you want to get lost, this can be the most valuable piece of paper you have ever provided to a rescue team. If a family member tells you what time you should be back, make a schedule for your return as well. Make sure there is a backup copy of this schedule in your transportation. If in doubt, have a mobile device, but do not rely on it, as drops and broken channels regularly occur in deep canyons. Of course, managing the communication lines is necessary in order to guarantee that service in that area is possible.
Essential Gear
It’s wonderful being out in nature with naturally curious kids; sometimes it’s difficult to remember where you are walking or that you are walking at all. That’s more than okay; nature has a way of taking over because there is always something to see. That said, had it not been for proper footwear, you could succumb to blisters, sore feet, and other maladies that might prevent you from making a return trip. Make sure everyone wears footwear designed for hiking, with sturdy soles and a good fit. All kids should wear synthetic, snug-fitting wicking socks under heavier socks. Just as with footgear, layering is the key to dressing kids for hiking success. Even in the summer, a child can feel chilly if he’s wet, and a parent may be ill-equipped to handle the change in mood. In winter, it’s the same thing—an addition of more absorbent layers should the need arise. To keep themselves dry, make sure children wear lightweight, synthetic layers against the skin that wick sweat away and also encourage good airflow. This will need to wear coolly. An additional layer of thin to medium-weight fleecy material adds warmth to the middle of their body and also aids in preventing them from becoming chilled. Make sure everyone, especially children, carries a daypack to hold their water, snacks, a wind- and waterproof jacket, a hat and gloves, and a first aid kit. It serves as the official toting vessel for found treasures, such as leaves or rocks. When children own lightweight backpacks, they are more apt to assume special responsibilities as well as to feel more like “a hiker.” Having a whistle inside a pocket may also make them feel better equipped to hike. And, with everything appropriately strapped on, they feel special. By the time the trailhead or parking area is reached, everyone should be wearing sunscreen. If it smells strongly, provide a stick to protect their faces—many new kinds are as gentle as their lotions. Skin-soothing gels are delightful for young children as well, in the event they become too rosy. Wearing long-sleeve, zip-until-midpoint shirts and long pants also provides bugs with little to explore! If the weather changes, you can maintain better control over your children’s warmth and dryness if they’re wearing the right clothing.
Hydration and Nutrition
In general, both adults and children need plenty of water. It is suggested to give children water in small amounts every 20 to 25 minutes. A child is much more susceptible to illness or injury due to overheating as a result of dehydration than he is to overdrinking. It is also suggested allowing children to drink as much as 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water before their hike, then providing a drink every half hour. In general, water is lost from the body through the following methods: • breathing • sweating • urinating. In order to avoid the feelings of lightheadedness, headaches, dizziness, or irritability, which are often associated with dehydration, it is important to drink plenty of fluids. Do not rely on an outdoor source for your water. Always carry as much as you need plus a little extra.
Prior to setting out on the hike, make sure that your kids are well-fed. Start with a breakfast that includes protein to sustain them longer. Foods to consider include eggs, yogurt, cheese, or milk. Slow-release carbohydrates also help sustain a person’s energy level for a longer period. Rolled oats, whole grain bread, or whole grain cereal are good choices. While fatty or sugary foods may give you an initial burst of energy, these may be followed by a ‘sugar crash’ and result in the rapid depletion of energy and loss of stamina. Instead, pack high-energy snacks that will help you maintain steady energy levels and keep you going. Carry healthy and appealing snacks that your kids like and are willing to eat. Below is a list of snack options you might include as part of your trail meal or to eat on their own. Introduce children to the idea that food is fuel and you need plenty of fuel for your body to run well. Making informed choices about the intake of food and fluids translates to safe participation in physical activity in an outdoor setting. It is comforting to know that a well-fed child will enjoy hiking so much more. Keep in mind that it is a good idea for people of all ages to take a meal break if hiking during mealtimes.
Emergency Preparedness
There is an old adage that goes, “The time to make the plan is not when you are in the middle of an emergency.” This section will specifically address emergency preparedness for families who hike with their children. Many outdoor educators insist that the very fact of having an emergency plan creates a more cautious and safe environment. It encourages positive decision-making with respect to the trail conditions, the weather, and the mental and emotional states of individual family members.
Establish a communication plan: If separated, what will each individual do? Where can he or she go to feel safest? Remind each member of the family about what is in his or her pack that can serve them if separated. Assess your proximity to water, safety, and/or people, and determine if you will address the injury and carry on or turn around and go back. Decide what will be in your first aid kit.
Part of emergency planning may involve looking at conditions while outdoors and assessing when to turn back. Return to the safety of the trailhead if you notice: decreased energy or enthusiasm in anyone; the weather is getting worse; it is becoming hard to see markers, such as a trail, cairns, or blazes because it is dusk, getting foggy, or snowing; the trail is getting harder to walk along due to deteriorating weather.
Engaging Activities for Kids on the Trail
Instead of relying on the trail to provide engagement, the key is to plan activities that will capture a child’s attention while enhancing their overall experience. It is often helpful to look for activities that encourage kids to slow down and take in the beauty of the world around them. Oftentimes, parents will hear their children say, “Look at this,” and marvel at what they have discovered. As our children get older, we can start to hand off more of the control to them, potentially sweetening the pot with a fun treat to look forward to at the end of the trail. This increased responsibility allows kids to feel more invested in the activity.
There are several different activities you can engage your kids in to increase their enjoyment of a hike. Completion of these activities can provide a sense of accomplishment for the young hiker and often come with the added bonus of memory-making in the form of conversation. The most obvious activity to do on a hike is a scavenger hunt. Nowadays, there are all kinds of pre-made printouts, but for an added bit of creativity, you can create your own list to reflect what you know your kids will be most excited to look for. Another fun idea is setting a challenge. For example, get a field guide and identify all the edible flowers or all the yellow plants you can find in your area. Nature finds can be another fun way to help kids pay attention to the details in their environment. There are several books with ideas, but this activity is easy enough to do on the fly if you like to keep things a bit more fluid on your adventures. Finally, consider packing a nature or trail journal for your child to complete themselves or along with you.