Five FUN Ideas for Hiking with kids:
1.Play house
2. Go on an expedition
3. Pretend you are lost and need to survive
4. Play, I spy
5. Search for clues
Five TIPS for hiking with kids:
1. Start at a young age.
2. Start with short hikes.
3. Start early; Start fresh. Don’t go at nap time or too close to nap time.
4. Always eat right before the hike and bring snacks.
5. Any water source on a hike is always a bonus – a river, a lake, even a small creek or stream. A water feature always adds fun for kids.
Bonus tip - start with trails in the woods that create shade along your hike.
We’ve been taking Alexis hiking out on the trail since she was just shy of two years old and along with her help we’ve come up with some fun ideas to pass along the time and keep away those questions like
How long will this be?
Are we back yet?
When will this be over?
I’m tired.
I’m hungry.
I’m hot.
We adults, of course just love enjoying the beautiful scenery around us as we hike, but kids need a little more than just beauty in nature they need adventure!
Our first fun idea is to play house.
Playing house or playing Family has always been something kids of every generation enjoy.
This was actually our first idea to keep Alexis entertained on the trails when she was two years old.
2 year old Alexis would pretend that she was the mommy and we were her children and she had to be sure that we were to behave out on these hiking trails.
She named daddy, Daniel and mommy was Elizabeth I’m sure we got a few interesting looks as people would walk by and hear our two-year-old calling us by what they thought was our first names, but this actually sparked a big interest in hiking with mommy and daddy, as it was her chance for her to be in charge.
Fun idea number two is to go on an expedition!
Jason and I have always been big fans of Bigfoot so we would act like we were on a secret expedition searching for Bigfoot in the woods. We would look for foot prints or other clues that Bigfoot had been here. We would also listen for sounds in the woods to see if we could hear Sasquatch. Daddy never did quite fool Alexis with his Sasquatch calls, but we also had fun pretending.
Fun idea number three is to Pretend that you are lost and you need to survive. It’s always fun to make up your prequel as to how you got stranded on this trail. Just coming up with that story can take up to a mile of the hike. Once you have established how you got lost in the woods, next, you need to figure out how to get out of the woods. Or maybe you need to find a shelter and set up camp for the night. The possibilities are endless.
Fun idea number four is to play I spy.
For those of you who are not familiar with this game, one person will state I spy, something that is green or whatever other color you see, and everyone else has to try to guess what the specific object is that the person sees.
We also play a twist to This traditional game of iSpy by playing a version we call I hear in which you listen for sounds in the woods and see if you can figure out what sound you are hearing.
Fun idea number five is to search for clues and create a nature scavenger hunt.
The first person would read a clue on the bark of a tree, stating that we need to look for a Mossy patch. Once someone finds a Mossy patch, they come up with a clue to find a crooked branch. The play continues as everyone uses their imagination to determine what the next clue might be.
This last fun idea is what is featured in this video as the girls find clues to get to their next stop in the woods until all the clues finally leave them to Avalanche lake.
And we have a bonus fun idea along the same lines of a scavenger hunt. You can create a list of things you would potentially see along your hike, and the kids can mark them off as you find them. You could also create a bingo card with different objects in each of the squares of things that you may see along your hike. Whoever gets bingo, first wins a prize!
With all of these ideas, creativity is the key! Come up with an adventure, and everyone can play their role as you all enjoy your family hike!
In the beginning, mommy and daddy came up with the specific adventure of the hike, but it didn’t take long for Alexis to come up with her own adventures and we would just play along. I can honestly say we’ve never had a hike where Alexis has complained or a time that she hasn’t wanted to go on a hike.
Of course, you always want to start small. Start with short hikes at a young age and make them fun. Build up to longer hikes and just enjoy nature together.
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction 😎
00:36 5 Tips for Hiking with Kids 🖐🏼
02:51 5 Fun Ideas to turn Hiking into an Adventure!
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
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Music from Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
[ Ссылка ]
Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):
[ Ссылка ]
