There are many, many articles on the internet proffering advice on hiking with children. Many. A great many, in fact. So, when I first considered starting a family outdoors-focused blog, I thought, do I really need to add my voice to the rabble?
But soon, I realized the answer was an unequivocal yes. Not because my advice is any better than anyone else’s, but because everyone’s experience is different, and if you are looking for family hiking recommendations from a personal website, it might be helpful to know what that author is looking for in a family hike, and how I make hiking work for my family. I also, perhaps with a touch of hubris, like to envision this blog as a future one-stop-shop for families looking for outdoor recreation tips, so that if someone has little experience hiking with kids, they’ll find the advice they need here, all in one place.
With that said, I fully realize that all families are different, and all kids are different, so what works for one may not for another. The recommendations listed below are all things I personally do when hiking with my children, some of it the result of hard-won lessons learned. They are also geared towards those hiking with toddlers and elementary schoolers, although I think much of the advice applies to older children as well. Please use what works for you, leave behind what doesn’t, and feel free to add your own personal tips in the comments. Also, please note that you should always bring the ten essentials when hiking, with or without kids. Happy trails!
- Pick hikes that match you child(ren)’s experience, ability, and interest. This probably sounds like a no-brainer, but if you haven’t hiked much with kids, it can be easy to bite off more than you can chew. It can also be easy to plan a hike that you know your child(ren) are physically capable of doing, but for which they may not be mentally prepared. If you’re not sure, start small. Keep in mind things that children appreciate on a hike – a shallow pool to wade in, rocks to skip across a stream, driftwood for fort-building, tidepools to explore. The lure of a mountain-top view may not mean much to a younger child. Don’t be surprised if they’re more interested in a centipede crawling through the dirt.
- Plan some extra fun into your trek. This could mean inviting one of your child’s friends to join in (which can sometimes have a near miraculous effect on stamina), or planning a stop at a small-town diner for burgers and shakes after the hike.
- Always bring back-up! Back up shoes, back up socks, back up pants, back up diapers (if applicable)… you get the picture. If you’re used to hiking light, packing for a trek with kids will be an undertaking. If your kids are anything like mine, the presence of water along a trail, even a large puddle, is almost sure to necessitate a change of clothing or footwear. Feet will get wet, even after you tell them clearly not to walk in the water. And really, can you blame them? Do you want to hinder their explorations? After all, isn’t that part of the reason you came? Carrying extra shoes/socks/sandals/shirts/pants/underwear (yes, underwear) may seem burdensome, but far better to let the kids have their fun and then change into dry clothing and footwear to make the journey back to the car bearable. And yes, I do mean you should pack them along on the hike. Tempting as it may be to leave some of these items in the car (and I do recommend having some extra dry things in the car, too), you will regret it sorely if you are stuck carrying your child uphill for a two miles after they sank past the top of their boots in a tide flat and are now too miserable to walk on their own in silty wet boots. Oh, and while you’re at it, pack a lightweight travel towel, too!
- Pack plastic bags. This goes along with tip #3, because if you are schlepping back wet clothes, it’s so much better to have them stashed separately from everything else in your pack. It’s also a good garbage receptacle. To keep it more earth-friendly, I suggest repurposing old bread bags and the like.
- Don’t be afraid to use a special treat as a reward. I say reward intentionally, because I don’t view this as bribery. Different people have different perspectives, so do what works for you, but I honestly believe that anyone of any age will enjoy a satisfying snack after working hard to reach their goal. After all, don’t many adults appreciate a nice cold post-hike beer? Sour patch kids at the summit may serve the same purpose for a five-year-old. I’ll often let the kids know what the treat is ahead of time, but make it clear that we can only enjoy it once we reach a certain point along the hike. For younger kids, or longer hikes, it’s nice to have a few treat breaks en route as well.
- Pack extra water and extra snacks, more than you think you will need. Hangry little hikers do not the ideal trail companions make. And if you feel your little one is ready for his or her own hydration pack, I recommend it. Stopping every ten minutes to get out the water bottle can wear out its welcome. This also brings me to my next tip…
- Expect some bumps. I’m not talking lumpy ground here, I’m talking emotional ups and downs. Even if you think your child is oh so lucky to be outside on this beautiful day enjoying the bounty of mother nature, they may not see it that way, and even the child who was raring to get to the trailhead may run out of steam surprisingly quickly. Some kids are more intrepid than others, but expect that it will not always be easy. Setting your own internal expectations ahead of time can help both adults and children navigate low morale and potential emotional fallout. And remember, family time doesn’t have to be perfect to be memorable, meaningful, and, ultimately, fun.
- Talk with your kids. Hiking can be a wonderful time to have conversations together, and starting one can also be a great way to take a child’s mind off how difficult this whole hiking thing is. You can bring up a topic you know your child enjoys, ask questions, play word games, or talk about things your see on the trail. Once you get going (and it sometimes takes time, depending on the mood of your young hiker), this can also be a great opportunity to share stories of when you were a child, perhaps reminiscing about your childhood hikes or other outdoor experiences.
- Experience the wonder. The child’s view of the trail is different from an adult’s. The natural world is a magical realm to many children. An unexpectedly large beetle may elicit surprise and delight, a first taste of sourgrass is a mouth-puckering adventure. This is your chance to really be present in the moment, to revisit that childhood sense of wonder, and to encourage your child to revel in these discoveries. Talking about these experiences after the hike can further instill a sense of adventure and curiosity in your child’s mind.
- Don’t overdo it. You’ve been hiking an hour or two, and have reached your destination, a beautiful Alpine lake, complete with the perfect log for enjoying lunch with a view while the kids splash happily at the water’s edge. And wouldn’t you know it? There’s another lake, just a mile and a half further up the trail. We should keep going, this is amazing! Well, maybe. After all, you’re the best judge of how much is too much for you and yours. But when all is going well, it can be easy to forget how cranky your youngest child gets after he’s gone a half mile too far, or how she always askes to be carried three quarters of the way back to the car. You may forget how long a mile and a half really takes for young children who have already traveled two miles, and the fact that that extra mile and half handily translates to an extra three miles of hiking, and because it’s October the sun will be setting in two hours… The point is, really consider whether adding on to a planned hike is a good idea or not before attempting it. Remember, you can always save that longer trek for when the kids are a few years older.
There you have it! My personal top ten. At least for the moment. As kids grow, needs change, and there is always something more that could be said. Actually, that reminds me of what is perhaps the most important, yet most basic tip of all – just get out there and do it! Mark it on the calendar, do a little research, fill the water bottles, grab your pack, and go! Your adventure awaits.
