Wondering how to get your kids to happily hike in the national parks with you? In this episode of Exploring the National Parks, we are sharing our top tips for hiking with kids.
We have been hiking with kids for many years, and we love how it forces us to slow down and really appreciate the parks even more. Join us as we share our favorite strategies for hiking the national parks with little ones!
Join us as we discuss:
- How to choose the right trail length for kids
- How to get your kids to sleep better while on vacation
- Why the gear you get for hiking with kids matters
- Our go-to trick to keep our kids going on trails
- How to make hiking extra fun with storytelling
- Our favorite games to play on the trails
- What you should never hike without
We love taking our kids on the trails with us because it is a great way to teach them the value of hard work and the reward that they can get at the end of a hike!
Listen to the Full Podcast Episode:
Tips for Hiking with Kids Overview
We’ve spent many years hiking with our kids, and it’s profoundly changed how we experience the outdoors. Hiking at a child’s pace allows for a deeper appreciation of nature. It’s a unique blend of challenges and joys, with the potential for great enjoyment or difficulties. Our key is finding strategies to enhance the experience, something we’ve become quite adept at with our little hikers.
In response to a request from our listener Lizzy, this episode focuses on tips for hiking with kids. We’re sharing our insights and experiences from countless treks. Remember, our suggestions are based on what works for us, and every family’s hiking journey is unique.
Hiking with Young Children: Finding the Right Trail Length
When asked about hiking distances for young kids, our experience has taught us the importance of choosing engaging yet manageable trails. We often surpass the typical expectations, following a rule of thumb: one to two miles per year of a child’s age. Our oldest, at four, impressively completed a six-and-a-half-mile trail in Yosemite.
This showed us that children can often go beyond what we might think. They’re resilient and can surprise parents with their stamina and determination. Starting with shorter hikes and gradually increasing the distance is key, and with the right approach, kids can enjoy and handle longer hikes than expected.
Tips for Helping Kids Sleep in New Settings
Our main strategy for helping our kids sleep while we’re on vacation is to keep the kids active during the day so they’re naturally tired by bedtime. This approach can be demanding but often leads to a smoother night. Despite this, adapting to unfamiliar sleeping places like tents has led to many restless nights.
To improve their sleep, we use white noise. We also decided to buy a travel trailer. It offers a consistent, familiar space for our children. In hotels, we create a home-like atmosphere by arranging pillows for personal space and bringing familiar items like their own blankets and stuffed animals. These practices, combined with daytime activities, generally help our kids sleep better in unfamiliar places.
Essential Tips for Encouraging Kids to Hike Better
How do we help our kids to hike better, and what strategies do we use on trails to keep them motivated? We’ve developed five key tips that significantly increase our kids’ hiking ability and enjoyment, especially in national parks where we spend a lot of time hiking and exploring.
One of our major achievements as a family was completing the Chesler Park Trail in Canyonlands, a challenging 12-mile hike. This trail, marked by cairns and involving a lot of climbing, was the longest we’ve done together. Our children, ages nine and six, impressively managed the entire hike. This was a huge accomplishment, especially considering the difficulty of the trail. We attribute this success to applying all of our key hiking tips, which have consistently improved our family hiking experiences.
Tip Number One: Get the Right Gear
Our top tip for better hiking with kids is to invest in quality gear. A critical item is a good child carrier backpack, like the Deuter Kid Comfort, which offers excellent hip support for comfort while carrying a child. These carriers are an investment but crucial for both the child’s and parent’s comfort.
Footwear is equally important. We prefer durable and comfortable brands like Teva, Merrell, and Salomon, despite their higher price. Quality shoes prevent discomfort and complaints on trails. Other essentials include moisture-wicking clothes, personal insulated water bottles, and giving kids their own cameras. These cameras keep them engaged and excited, making the hike more enjoyable for everyone. Investing in these key gear items significantly improves the hiking experience for kids.
Tip Number Two: Incentivize Them
Our second tip for encouraging kids on hikes revolves around using incentives or rewards. This approach has proven highly effective for us. For example, during a 12-mile hike in Canyonlands, we offered our kids a penny for each cairn they found. This simple reward turned the hike into an exciting game, keeping them actively engaged and motivated throughout the long trail.
Over time, these incentives have nurtured a genuine love for hiking in our children. What started as hiking for rewards has gradually evolved into hiking for personal enjoyment. Our nine-year-old, who grew up with this approach, now eagerly anticipates and even requests longer hikes.
Tip Number Three: Engage them with Storytelling
Tip number three for enhancing kids’ hiking experiences is engaging them through storytelling. John, being particularly skilled at this, keeps our children captivated with various stories while hiking. Whether it’s adventures with cowboys, knights, or characters from their favorite games, these tales hold their attention and make the miles pass unnoticed. For instance, during a trip to the North Cascades, our ongoing stories even intrigued a fellow hiker who followed our journey.
Not everyone may be a natural storyteller, but there are alternatives. For example, reciting a child’s favorite book can also keep them engaged. This approach of storytelling, whether interactive or through audiobooks, has proven to be an effective strategy for us. It not only entertains the kids but also encourages their participation in creating plot twists, making hiking a more immersive and enjoyable experience.
Tip Number Four: Play Trail Games
Tip number four for making hiking enjoyable for kids involves playing trail games, an approach that varies uniquely from family to family. One of our favorites is “I Spy,” which becomes a fun challenge on hikes as kids look for specific objects like an orange leaf or a caterpillar. This keeps them moving and observant of their surroundings.
Another imaginative game we play involves each family member having an imaginary shoulder-sized dragon, each with its own color. When the kids start to tire, we use the dragons as a motivational tool. We pretend to send these dragons off to fetch our favorite imaginary snacks or drinks. It’s a fun, interactive way to engage kids’ imaginations and keep them moving forward on the trail.
Tip Number Five: Bring Their Favorite Snacks
Our fifth and final tip for hiking with kids is simple yet effective: bring their favorite snacks. We make it a point to include treats that are not typically part of their everyday diet, creating a sense of novelty and excitement for our hiking trips.
We strategically use these snacks as incentives, promising them at certain milestones along the hike. This approach not only motivates the kids but also provides them with a needed energy boost, especially since hiking consumes a lot of energy. Additionally, these treats are real-time rewards, different from the other strategies where rewards are given post-hike.
Our approach to hiking with kids is about making it fun and rewarding, much like a grandparent’s indulgent weekend. We use a mix of strategies, from quality gear to treats and storytelling, to motivate and engage our children on the trails.
Recognizing that some days will be challenging despite these efforts, our focus remains on making outdoor activities enjoyable and a learning experience. These methods not only encourage physical activity and family bonding but also teach valuable lessons in perseverance, aiming to instill a lifelong love for nature and outdoor exploration in our children.
Links mentioned in this episode:
- Kids Teva Sandals
- Deuter Child Carrier at REI or Amazon
- Keen Kids Hiking Shoes (I originally said Merrells, but when I actually pulled them out to get the style name, they were Keens!)
- Salomon Kids Hiking/Everyday Shoes
- Kids Waterbottles
- Kids Cameras
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