12 Tips for Hiking with Children

A couple of weeks ago we went on vacation in New Hampshire. We go there every year around this time and it's one of our most favorite trips that we look forward to all year long. We don't go to amusement parks or see exciting shows and events. In fact, to most people it might seem like a very dull and boring trip. What we do is hike some mountains, see some waterfalls, drink lots of yummy Green Mountain coffee, go out to eat a couple times and enjoy a great time together as a family. Bob's parents always go to, and they are wonderful about helping entertain the girls and finding ways to keep the girls engaged and excited about things.

This year we did more hiking than we've ever done before. On one of the days we hiked to the top of Mt. Willard which was a 2 hour round trip hike. And on another day we hiked a trail called the Boulder Loop which took about 2 and a half hours. I was very impressed with how well our girls did with hiking, they {barely} complained and were real troopers. So I was trying to figure out what the trick was - because quite frankly these were some TOUGH hikes we did and I know for many kids that would NOT be their idea of a good time!

Here are my top tips for hiking with kids:

1. Start 'em early!! And by early I mean from infancy! Put that baby in a front or back carrier and get hikin'! They will learn from an early age to appreciate the outdoors and the beauty of nature.


2. Know your trail or map before heading out. You can check the information online and can figure out if it is considered a beginner, intermediate or advanced hike. For example on this website you can also see approx how long the hike should take and read comments from other hikers. I would HIGHLY recommend choosing nice, easy hikes to get started with. {Especially if you have little ones who are too big to carry or backpack.} Try going online to search for hikes in your area.
3. Dress in loose layers and make sure you have extra items in case of climate changes. We have been on hikes where we were wearing shorts and t-shirts at the bottom of a mountain and were sweating like crazy - but by the time we got near the top of a mountain there was snow on the ground and we were freezing!
Bring a backpack and make sure you pack extras like hats/mitts and extra layers. And don't think I'm only talking about fall and winter hiking - the time we saw snow at the top was in the SUMMER!

4. Speaking of backpacks - BRING ONE! You will want to pack several items in it, but also try not to overload it and make it too heavy. If it helps, have each adult in your group carry one. In our packs we carry:

*snacks {more on this later}

*enough fluids for everyone

*tissues or toilet paper {you just never know when you might need it!}

*extra layers

*compass or map

*first aid kit

*matches

5. Take lots of snack breaks. Good things to snack on while hiking are; trail mix, granola bars, and protein bars. They're easy to pack, lightweight and give a good protein and energy boost each time you stop. We have found that our girls are very motivated by M&M's - so make sure you add some to your trail mix! We try to hike for about 15 minute increments. That way when the girls start saying they are tired we can give them a countdown and say 'don't worry, we're stopping for a snack in exactly 5 minutes!'.

6. Bring ENOUGH fluids. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH! We once did a hike in NH {before we had kids} that took about 7 hours. When we were about 2 hours into the hike we RAN OUT OF WATER! There was a station to get more water, but we had to hike for about 3 hours without it and it was really hard and we were VERY de-hydrated. How much should you bring? I guess that depends on many factors ... a general answer would be 4-8 ounces every 10-20 minutes for a moderately sweaty hike. We tend to bring about 2 bottles of water or gatorade per person for a 2-3 hour hike.

7. Choose hikes that have something interesting to see. It could be that you hike around a pretty lake, or over a covered bridge, or up to the top of a mountain! Either way, find something that makes it worth your work. For us, getting to the top of a mountain and seeing the GORGEOUS creation of God is the best natural high I can think of!

I did mention taking lots of breaks, right?! Good, just wanted to check!

8. Take pictures along the way. Either when you stop for breaks or just as you hike. I tend to hang towards the back of our hiking group and just snap away as we go. We all love looking back through the photos {on the computer} later that day and seeing all the neat places we have been. If you carry your camera around your neck you are ready to snap photos at any given moment. You can catch some really great moments and some beautiful nature shots! And if your kids are into it, let them take some pictures too, it's always neat to see things from their perspective!

9. Try using hiking poles ... or just really long sticks. They help with balance and give your arms a good workout since you have to sort of swing the pole each time you plant it. Our girls love using the poles. They use one each and I think it helps a lot with their balance when the ground is really rooty or rocky and uneven.

10. Celebrate when you reach the top! Have an extra long snack break, take photos, look around, chat with other hikers {if there are any} ... just take a little time to enjoy your accomplishment!

11. Let kids take the lead. Most trails will have colored trail markers on the trees, so let the kids know what color you need to follow and let them be the leader.

12. Try letterboxing. This is a biggie for our family. Letterboxing and Geocaching are two super fun ways to get a lot more out of your hikes. For us letterboxing is like an old fashioned treasure hunt. We go to letterboxing.org and choose the area we are going to be hiking, then find out if there are letterboxes hidden on the hike. For example when we hiked Mt. Willard we found that there was a letterbox near the top. So we printed out the directions and took them with us. When we got near the top we started following the clues and FOUND the letterbox! It was a fun way to motivate the kids to 'keep on going!'.

And more than anything, make it FUN! Enjoy the outdoors, enjoy the beauty of creation, enjoy your family and just have a good time.