This blog uses affiliate links - I may earn a small commission on any purchases you make through links featured in this post. Thanks!
________________________________________________________________________________
We love hiking! There's so much to see, learn and do on the trails. Hiking with little ones can be challenging, though, and a little bit of planning goes a long way to ensuring a fun trip for everyone. Here are some tips I've learned while hitting the trails with little ones to make sure I'm growing little wilderness lovers and avoiding trail meltdowns:
Start Small
You want locations that have short trails, clear paths, and mild terrain. Your little hikers should be able to navigate independently, allowing them to see, smell and touch nature on their own level. You'll be much more likely to finish a short trail, which allows kids that sense of accomplishment - the "we did it!" moment - that can get lost when you pick a more intense trail and end up needing to turn back
Show them nature's awesome factor. Choose a trail with a stream, waterfall or pond. Be on the hunt for seasonal features, like spring flowers blooming, tadpole & frog season, or autumn's awesome multi-colored leaves. We have some trails with cool croppings of glacial rock that get the kids climbing, touching and making up names and shapes for their bouldery pals. Get those kiddos "oohing" & "aahing"!
Pack Light
We're all guilty of overpacking when traveling with littles. I sometimes wish I had a luggage cart for all the supplies that "I might NEED though!" It's fine to leave the full contents of your house in the car, but when you get out on that trail, do it with the bare essentials - water, keys, phone, a diaper, a few bandaids, ointment & some wet wipes, and a few lightweight snacks like trail mix, granola bars, and applesauce packets.
Give Yourself Plenty of Time, and Be Loose With It!
Hiking with kids is much slower than going it solo. You want it that way -- it's less about distance and more about learning to enjoy the journey. Be flexible about how far you want to go -- maybe your kids will spot something a few steps in that grabs their attention, and that's great! We once stopped minutes into a hike and spent most of our time exploring a couple of fallen trees that were teeming with moss and mushrooms and bugs. By the time we turned and went back to the car, we'd hiked for maybe a total of 100 yards, but they'd engaged, asked some great questions, and truly enjoyed their time in nature - definitely a win.
Take Plenty of Rest & Refreshment Breaks
Stop often to hydrate, have a quick snack, reapply bug spray/sunscreen, make a note or picture in your journal, and explore what's right under your feet at a given moment. The goal is to pause before your kids are tired or hungry or thirsty -- keep them feeling fresh and they're sure to go farther, stay interested, and learn more.
Add Activities to Get Your Kids Thinking and Working Together
There are plenty of short activities you can break for that will make rest time awesome. You can draw your own trail maps, take leaf and bark rubbings, or create land art on the trail for the next hikers to stumble on.
Harness Your Kids' Natural Curiosity with a DIY Exploration Kit
Give some of that precious pack real estate to tools that will help your kids delve deeper into the parts of nature they find interesting - things like a small pair of binoculars, a plastic container for looking closer at specimens like cool leaves, a scoop of pond water, bugs and more, a magnifying glass, and a small notebook with pencil and crayons. I picked up our supplies on Amazon and they get a real workout on our adventures:
Happy Trails!
M
M
No comments