Get Outdoors: How to Create Great Day Hikes With Your Kids

Time together as a family; breathing fresh air; exercising your mind, body and spirit. All of it can be achieved with a family day hike.  It is a fantastic way to connect as a family and with nature, and, with a wee-bit of planning, it can turn into a favorite way to get off the couch!  I listed the many health benefits of spending time in the great outdoors here and hiking the trails is a great way to do just that.

Tips for Hiking With Children

I have wonderful memories of day hikes with my family that we have taken over the years both near our home as well as on many vacations. I bet you can create great memories, too, if you follow these easy tips to a fun day on the trails with your young ones:

Start early.  Children usually wake up early so hit the trail and and beat the crowds. You’ll enjoy cooler weather and better odds of spotting wildlife, too.

Easy does it.  For at least the first few times, select a hike that isn’t too long or too strenuous. Keep it a positive experience not a marathon that they will never want to repeat.

Be a game player.  Sing songs when the trail gets a bit boring or it is taking longer than expected. Games like "I Spy" or "Who can be the Quietest?" can really distract from a less than engaging patch of trail.

Once while hiking in the Grand Tetons on this trail with our children years ago, we got delayed coming back down a mountain and there was no way back to our car without hiking through "bear country during feeding hours." (According to the signs!) Because we did not want to be on the dinner menu, we had our children clap rocks with their hands to create a beat while singing and talking loudly to keep the bears away and to distract ourselves from the stress we were feeling. And, we moved quickly -- very, very quickly!

Pack useful stuff.  Don't burden your back with a lot of weight but these items could come in handy in your pack and they don't weigh much:

• lots of wipes to clean up muddy hands
• band aids, first aid wipes
• extra pair of socks
• flashlight
• plenty of water for each person
• a few plastic bags for trash or wet items
• filling snacks like this one for each person
• magnifying glass - preferably a plastic one for the kids to get a closer look
• camera or the one on your cellphone
• important medications like inhalers, epipens, etc.

Safety first.  Tell someone at home where you are going in case of an accident and they know where to find you.  Read the trail map thoroughly before starting the hike. Speak with the rangers, too, for any tips or changes to trails not updated on the maps. Give the children each a whistle in case they get separated.

Be best dressed.  The right shoes are the most important.  Sturdy, covered shoes can prevent a turned ankle or two.  Light layers work best to peel off or add to when the weather turns.  Keep a change of clothes in the car in case lot of muddy splashing occurs and they can ride home in clean attire.

Make it a teaching moment.  Hiking along a trail is a great time to show your children how to read a map; look for trail markings, wildflowers and animal behavior; and even how to push along even when tired.  The trail is a giant classroom in nature.

Make it like you were never there.  Teach your children to take care of our great parks and trails. Show them to clean up all trash and leave the space exactly as it was found. There is a lot more information on that here.

Plan the next one.  On the way home, ask your kids what they enjoyed and what they didn't and where they would like to go next time.  Perhaps even let them plan the next day hike or two.  If you are lucky, you may even get to plan one here or here.

Once home,  let the kids start a collage at home with feathers or pressed flowers they collected on the trip, photos, trail maps, etc. that you can add to for further family adventures outdoors!


So, tell me, how do you like to spend time outdoors with your family or solo? Any tips on how to make it a great success?  Please add in the comments so that all the readers can learn!

green mountain:photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikerhicks/5507257744/">mikerhicks</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">cc</a>
map" photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikerhicks/5507257744/">mikerhicks</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/">cc</a>G
child: photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/michael/2667494155/">m!chael</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>