There are many benefits to hiking, especially hiking with the family. It is a wonderful opportunity to get some exercise, improve your mental health, and build relationships with your family, especially your kids!
There is absolutely no reason you can’t explore the outdoors and go hiking when you have young kids. Please keep in mind that while you may be able to make an 8-hour cross-country hike, you need to adjust your expectations with kids and do things a bit differently.
Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better.
Albert Einstein
There are no real rules when it comes to hiking with kids, and always expect the unexpected. For example, you could spend two hours driving to an incredible hiking trail only to have your child exclaim, “I am tired. I want to go home. I hate hiking!!!” As a parent, it’s our job to ensure their safety and be aware of their energy levels, mood, and physical needs. As long as you are organized, keep an open mind, and are flexible with plans, hiking with young kids can be fun!
Benefits of Hiking
There are many benefits to hiking like physical exercise, improving mental health, becoming one with nature, or becoming a backwoods survivalist. For me, it is a critical and focused family bonding activity. Today we are all so busy with work, school, social media. Hiking allows you to break away from the chaos and focus on family and nature.
Physical Exercise
Hiking is one of the best ways to get exercise. Whether an easy, immediate or advanced trail, there can be health benefits no matter what kind of hiking you are doing.
Some of these benefits can include:
- Building stronger muscles and bones
- Improving your sense of balance
- Improving your heart health
- Decreasing the risk of certain respiratory problems
Whether hiking winding paths, climbing hills, or going down steep declines, you are giving yourself and your family a great workout.
Mental Health
I have significantly benefited from being in nature can boost your mood and improve mental health. Spending quality time in the great outdoors reduces stress, calms anxiety, and can lead to a lower risk of depression, according to a study done by researchers at Stanford University. In addition to having mental health benefits, being outdoors opens up your senses to your surroundings and improves your sensory perception. In this hectic and chaotic world, it is sometimes difficult to spend quality and focused time with our children. This creates stress for me in the form of a “missed opportunity with my kids.” Hiking provides an excellent outlet for dedicated time with the family.
Family Relational Health
Hiking with your kids can improve the strength and health of your relationships. It is an excellent opportunity to teach your child character building experiences. Use is as an opportunity to stay away from technology and focus on your children’s enjoyment of the outdoors. Because hiking ranges in difficulty from a highly challenging climb to a casual way of spending time outside, it’s a great way to strengthen the friendships or bonds you have with your kids. Whether it’s with a younger sibling, neighborhood friend, or even a grandparent, hiking a trail together can bring you closer and help build a healthy relationship
Hiking Tips
I do not have all the answers here but just wanted to come up with a helpful list to make your hike more enjoyable.
Make it Fun and Create an Adventure
Please keep in mind that a long hike can be boring for kids, and try to come up with creative games and talking when you walk. Try to spot animals on the trail. Look for exciting items in nature. Warn them to watch for the troll under the bridge you are crossing.
Ensure the trail is not boring for them by choosing a trail with some form of activity. It does not always have to be “true” as long as it is fun. When playing a game, you can make things up! Here in Ohio, we have some bat caves with gates to keep people from ruining the bat’s habitat. I should probably be teaching them about conservation, but it is more fun to tell them that the gate is there to keep the vampires from getting out.
There is another trail near our home with an old house structure, with the only remaining part being an old chimney. I have told my kids that this is a witch’s house and if they listen carefully they can hear he cackle in the distance.
This is the witch’s house pictured below. Okay, not a true story, but my boys talk about it all the time. That hike is a memory they will always have, and we even created a Christmas Elf-themed video of their Christmas elves going to battle with the witch (Elves Battle the Witch in the Woods). Very corny, but my kids loved it!
Let Them Take The Lead
It is essential to remember that this is also a learning experience for your kids. Let them have a go when it’s safe to do so. Your kids will surprise you!
In the photo below, my youngest son is taking the lead position in the hike. Letting him do this boosted his confidence, and since then, he has been more willing to take point on other hikes. He gets a little farther ahead of us each time we go hiking.
Be prepared for some sibling rivalry. They will both want to take the lead.
Know When to Call it Quits
Learn to judge between general complaints and knowing when to call it quits.
If you have been hiking in the rain or heat all day, don’t feel bad about ditching the plans and returning home or back to the hotel. You are hiking to have fun! You are trying to spend quality time with your kids. A positive experience will open the door to future hiking memories.
Combine the Hike With Geocaching or a Treasure Hunt
Geocaching is the world’s largest treasure hunt. There are geocaches worldwide, and you are sure to find some on popular hiking tracks. Check out the official geocache website for more information and download the app to use your phone to locate them. It’s free! You can also use a GPS devise if you have one. I am currently testing Gaia GPS on my iPhone.
Another exciting activity would be to set up a treasure hunt for the kids to execute during the hike. With great success, I have used Actionbound for many birthday parties, Christmas, and other holiday treasure hunts. Even a checklist with a handwritten treasure map adds an extra level of adventure on the hike.
Take Breaks
Take the time to sit down, rest your feet, and have a good snack and drink. Remember, this is not a marathon for adults but a family bonding experience. Kids have lots of energy, but their batteries still need recharging. Sitting on a fallen log and munching on their favorite snacks can be a fantastic bonding experience with your kids.
Remember to travel lightly. There is a good change you will be carrying your younger kids at some point in the hike!
Record the Experience
My kids love being given the important job of taking photos and videos!
I bought my kids both a Canon PowerShot ELPH 180 20-Megapixel Digital Camera and a case. I also have a couple of Go Pro Cameras that they strap on and make movies with. They also get to borrow mom or dad’s iPhone from time to time.
More often than not, I get lots of close-up, out-of-focus pictures of fingers, noses, and feet, but it’s still a fun way to document the journey through the eyes of your kids.
These are just a few ideas. Get to it! Get back to nature, bond with your kids. Be patient but most importantly, just have fun.
