It happens to all of us eventually. We head out for a hike, and as we听negotiate with our child to keep moving, we realize that this isn鈥檛 like the old days when we just gathered them, kicking and screaming, onto our backs and marched on.
That听was me recently, as I pleaded with Mason to go on a hike I really听wanted to do. We sat in the parking lot,听him听in his car seat, arms crossed, saying one word over and over: movie.听I tried the old听鈥淣o movie unless you go for a hike.鈥 No dice. After a long and arduous process, I听cajoled him out of the car. By the time we hit the trail, I barely felt up for the听hike myself.
What鈥檚听the secret to keeping a kid excited about the outdoors all the time and not just occasionally?听I turned to my friends in the Hike It Baby community with kids over age four. Here鈥檚 their advice.
Let Them Be the Leaders
Get maps and compasses, then ask your child to help decide what trail you鈥檙e hiking. Let them hold the map and lead the way on the trail. For fun, act lost and ask him or her to figure out the way back out.
Bring a Friend
This may be tricky with the crazy schedules we all have, but having a friend along will help the miles click by quickly. Grab a friend鈥檚 child who you know has spent time on trail and is comfortable hiking and give your friend the afternoon off. Pick a trail that the kids can really explore together so it鈥檚 a big adventure.
Log It
Get a special trail journal and start tracking all the hikes you do. Maybe find a park or trail system where you can mark off how many times you have hiked a certain trail in a month or over a听year. There are challenges, like 52 Hikes Challenge, that anyone can join, so you can go online and join with your kiddo and let them听pick the weekly hike to add to their听challenge so they听have听a goal. You can promise something fun after 52 hikes, such as a new pair of hiking shoes or a new backpack.
Pay Attention to Gear
Keep an eye on your kids鈥 feet. Make sure their footwear doesn鈥檛 pinch or have a slippery bottom. If their feet hurt, even if听they听don鈥檛 realize that鈥檚 what鈥檚 bothering them, they听may not want to hike due to the discomfort.
Find Magical Trail Friends
Search for Bigfoot, fairies, and gnomes. Dinosaur tracks can also be a good one if you鈥檙e in the Southwest. Find out what the local lore is in your area and add that storytelling to your hike.
Figure Out Your听End Goal听
Most kids have less fun walking aimlessly. There has to be a reward along the way or at the end, like a waterfall, playground, or vista. If your hike involves some distance, make sure there are a few payoffs along the way, like a cave听before you get to the waterfall.
Remember that Age Matters
It can be tricky to find hikes where all the ages sync up, especially for people with multiple kids. If you find you鈥檙e doing a lot of baby/toddler hikes and have an older kid, make sure you also get out on a hike with big kids. It can be boring for an eight-year-old to always be with toddlers. If you鈥檙e looking to meet up with people through Hike It Baby and have an older kid, just remember that it鈥檚听traditionally geared for kids under five, so be clear in your description and do a shout-out for older kids on the Facebook group.
Take Advantage of Natural Play Structures
If you know a trail that has a lot of wildlife spottings, like birds, deer, black bears, beavers, or whatever is native to your area, consider heading out there. If a trail has a lot of fallen logs or trees to climb, that鈥檚 another bonus. This may not be the best hike for a toddler, so consider making it a 鈥渂ig kid鈥 hike day and find those challenges that they鈥檒l appreciate.
Make an Exception for Technology on the Trail
While we try to encourage less technology on the trail, tracking your hike or putting a tracker on your older kid鈥檚 wrist can be another fun way to keep them听engaged. Show them听an app like 听where they听can have an account (with your permission and information, of course), and then they听can see their听mileage and watch the fun.听听is an app that links to Strava, Garmin, and a number of other apps, and it shows听you the actual mountains and the ups and downs of your hike in 3-D.
Hangry听Kids Don鈥檛 Hike
Make sure your kiddo has been well fed before you hike. If you know you鈥檙e picking them听up from school and heading for a hike, make sure they鈥檙e well fed before you hit the trail. Load up with snacks they听really like,听so it won鈥檛 be a challenge getting them听to eat before you head out.
Perform on Trail
Do a hike with access to an outdoor amphitheater or听stagelike area,听and have your child plan a performance for the group听to watch midway. If your little one always soaks up the spotlight, they鈥檒l love the open-air听venue.
Come Prepared with Games
Bring a board game, card game, or other travel game and plan to play on a picnic table somewhere. That way, even if the hike doesn鈥檛 happen, you can still talk your child into spending some time outside.