So, you’re beginning to hike with your little. Easy, right? I mean, it’s basically just walking or strapping a little one to your back...and anyone can walk. So how hard can it really be?
WELL. For some this may be an easy-peasy experience right off the bat. But for me and my little guy I can honestly say it wasn’t so simple for us at first. Hiking with kids comes with some extra packing, thought, and, yes, challenges.
We have grown a LOT in the last year and each hike we do together is a new learning experience. This may sound corny, but it’s true. He grows as a hiker with each trail we do and I grow at getting better at meeting his needs on the trail to make it the most enjoyable experience for us both. Because that’s what this is about, having a fun experience doing something we both enjoy together.
That said, here seven things I’ve learned so far in my experiences hiking with my little guy! Every family is different so you’ll find your hiking stride in your own way. But I’m hoping by putting this information out there as a resource you may be able to get a few tips and tricks which may help you tweak or glide into your own hiking journey just a bit easier 🙂.
1. Plan, plan, plan
If you don’t already have AllTrails this is step one. AllTrails is an amazing, free (there is a pay option) app you can use to find trails near you. It will tell you the trail length and difficulty along with providing real hiker’s recent reviews and photos of the trail. When I fly solo or hike with adults, I may just roll out of bed and pop AllTrails open that very morning and find something. See where the day takes me 🤷🏼♀️.
But with my son, I really like to have a loose plan in place. We talk about which days we’ll hike so he knows what to expect. I also make him a part of the plan by selecting a few trail options with various lengths and features to let him choose from. I feel like this way its “his” hike and he seems to get more excited.
He also packs his own backpack and gets to choose what toys he’d like to bring. I pack the essential stuff, but I’ve found he enjoys having his choice of “car ride” toys and likes to take small toys, like Hot Wheels cars, on the trail with him. My hope is this is teaching him some sense of responsibility as he’s in charge of whatever he brings in his pack and needs to make the decision as to what stays in the car and what comes with us on the trail.
This next part is an important part of planning. Plan for the unplanned! Plans can change and trails can close (especially right now!), so it’s always good to have a backup plan in place. Packing up littles for the day can be a LOT and heading out just to head back home can be a bit hard on everyone.
AllTrails also makes having a backup plan easy by being able to save trails to a favorites list. You can even make separate lists and I have about 10 going right now. One is specific to kid-friendly hikes and I add to it anytime I see something we may like from Facebook or the Gram.
2. Pick a Kid-Friendly Trail
GREAT SEGWAY, Kristin. Trail selection is super important when you’re hiking with kiddos. You don’t want to pick something that’s going to be stressful or too tough on them and this all boils down to knowing your kiddo and learning how they react on different types of trails.
Starting slowly is key. AllTrails has a filter option for kid-friendly and easy hikes which can help you in the beginning. We’ve done some tougher trails at this point, but starting off I found it better to do flatter trails with more “interesting” features.
Hiking with kids is simply not going to be all about the destination. Sometimes that may be a motivator, but I’ve found it’s best to let my son explore along the way, in his own way. This is one of the reasons I love trails with slow moving streams.
Kids love playing in the water and if it’s hot, this is a great way to cool off. Pups are usually pretty pleased when we hike these trails as well. I’ve found he also enjoys trails with ruins, signage, trail markers, waterfalls, and basically anything more interesting to a five year old’s brain than a “boring old” forest. Kids, am I right?
3. Slow roll those expectations
So, I love hiking. And I really, really want my son to love hiking as much as I do. But, realistically, he’s not going to be doing any major incline or anything over five miles anytime soon...and that is just fine.
Hiking isn’t something I want to push him with and I’ve found it best to slowly increase mileage and prepare for a TON of breaks. There’s no pace on our hikes together and I make sure not to have any kind of appointment around the time I think we may be done...because we’re about to be done like a solid hour after that.
I also like to keep our schedule open for detours on our way there or back. There are some pretty neat places to visit that you can stumble upon accidentally and these can really add to the sense of adventure for your kiddo. My son has understandably been a big fan of small-town ice cream shops post-hike. This doesn’t hurt as bribery for a positive attitude during the hike, either :).
4. Feed (and water) the beasts
As a parent you learn early that you basically need a constant arsenal of snacks. Like, all the time and ever-flowing. You have a tiny beast that must be fed and you are well aware what happens when the hunger gets real. And with hiking, your life has not changed. The beast needs it’s snacks.
I’m big on packing “fun” treats like fruit snacks along with healthier items like apples. I try to set hiking goals with the treats (ex. let’s get to that tree and we can have fruit snacks) and the other items are for grazing whenever. If it’s a longer hike I try to plan lunchtime for when we summit or reach our destination, but that usually doesn’t go according to plan, which again, is AOK. As we all know, a hungry kiddo is usually not a happy kiddo.
Along with snacks always make sure to have PLENTY of water with you. I’m still shocked at the amount of water I go through when I have my son and dogs. I‘ve found although it’s not fun to be a pack mule, it’s a whole lot better than worrying about running out of water halfway through a hike 😅.
5. Safety first
It does not ever hurt to be prepared when it comes to hiking. Even if you’re hitting the easiest, flattest hiking trail in the history of all time and your car is a mile away...bring that kit. There have been times when a bandaid was 💯 not necessary, but the act of putting it on my son made him feel better. And because he felt better, we were able to continue the hike and he had a blast versus him being worried about his owie the rest of the day or us heading back.
In addition to first aid, always make sure you have the other 9 essentials. Here is the 10 essentials list from REI. Note that the list can vary, dependent upon what reference you’re using. I chose REI’s list because it’s what I use and I am basically madly in love with them. Make sure you have:
Navigation
Headlamp
Sun protection
First aid
Knife
Fire
Shelter
Extra food
Extra water
Extra clothes
It may sound like a lot, but I promise it’s all very manageable and worth having on you, just in case.
6. Engage those little brains
Kids have SO many questions and nature is a great place to get those gears grinding! Hiking is a wonderful way to learn from you and bond with you, so the conversation may be about the things they’re seeing or it may be about space 🤷🏼♀️. I’ve found it’s easier to let my son take the lead on this. I’ll bring up certain things about nature along the way and use it as an opportunity to teach. But if he wants to talk about Saturn that day, we talk about Saturn.
I’ve also found he really enjoys having his own trail map that we discuss as we hike. This allows him to know where features are on the trail and gives him a sense that he’s leading us to them, which is kind of adorable. I’ve heard with multiple kiddos it works to have a “leader” and switch off as well. Again, the more engaged they are with your and their surroundings, the more memorable and fun the experience will be for both of you.
7. Hang in there and have fun!
Let your expectations go and have a blast. Seriously. It may not be the perfect experience you’d envisioned right off the bat, but stick to it and learn what works best for you and your family. Relax and remember, this is supposed to be a fun experience for kiddo AND you, otherwise, why do it? Leave your stress and to do list at the door and just enjoy nature and being together.
Cheers to you if you’re getting out there with your littles! It may not be the easiest at first, but I think it‘s beyond valuable to garner an appreciation for nature early in life, especially now with them having access to so many screens. You’re going to do a great job and just remember, it’s all about creating those memories with them!
I thought it may also be helpful to list his top five favorite kid-friendly hikes we’ve done so far, in no particular order. I know what mine were, but thought it’s likely more helpful to give it to you straight from the source.
Red Rocks Trading Post Trail
Isak Heartstone Trail
Mount Falcon: Castle, Meadow and Tower Trails
Paint Mines Trail
Castlewood Canyon: Lake Gulch Trail Loop
There you have it! Please feel free to let me know if you have any tips or tricks that work well for you and your family! I’m always happy to share any other kid-friendly home recommendations and would love to hear yours as well. Thanks for stopping by and, as always, happy hiking 🥾🏔✌🏼.
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