5 Tips For Hiking With Kids
I love hiking with my kids. My kids haven’t always loved hiking with me.
I have learned several tricks over the years that have worked wonders.
Here are 5 of them:
1- Bring snacks! Bring things the kids consider treats and don’t get often. Once I brought Oreos and a thermos of milk to eat at the top of the hike. It was a huge hit. I also like to pack things that the kids can eat during the hike with out stopping. Fruit snacks, string cheese etc.
2- Have plenty of water. A dehydrated kid is a miserable kid. To keep your kids energy up make sure they are hydrating frequently during the hike. Stop and remind your kids to drink often! I have my kids carry their own water so I’m not carrying everything. Read the blog post I wrote all about how much I love these kids packs.
3- Bring friends. Having a friend along to chat with keeps kids distracted from tired legs or a hot sunny day. My kids have complained on a 1 mile hike when we have hiked alone and have happily finished an 8 mile hike when they’ve had friends along. It works magic!
4- Take time to stop and let the kids be curious. Don’t rush them to the end point. It takes patience. There is a balance to it because some kids would never make it to the destination if you let them stop every time they wanted. Encouraging your kids to finish the hike while also letting them explore at their pace is the goal. You want them to have a good experience so they want to go hiking again.
5- Don’t give up! If you have a bad experience hiking with your kids don’t throw in the towel. Kids have good days and bad days. Some experiences will be better than others. Follow my other tips and try again.
