Keep Hikes Short
Hiking is an enjoyable way to get outdoors and spend time with loved ones; however, long hikes may tire or disinterest children quickly. Make hiking family friendly by selecting an accessible trail. Because children tend to tire quickly on long hikes, choose easy routes which don’t stray too far or become difficult.
As hiking can be tiresome and challenging for children, it’s advisable to keep them short and enjoyable. Try planning an interesting trek that has an appealing destination like a waterfall, historic site, stream or lake so children have something exciting to look forward to on the trail.
Hiking provides an ideal opportunity for families to connect and unwind as a unit – not only does it give everyone time alone together, but this personal interaction may help relieve any complaints from your children about their day!
Include a Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts offer an engaging, low-maintenance way for kids to experience nature. No complex setup necessary – simply grab your kids and head outside! They don’t require extensive prep time either and can easily be carried out anywhere natural such as your backyard or local park!
This game provides a fantastic way to strengthen team communication among teammates, making it an effective activity for team building. Participants will need to work together in order to locate items on a list while learning interesting facts about the area in which they’re playing.
Play Follow the Leader
Follow the Leader is a fun and interactive learning activity to get everyone up and moving, developing motor skills as well as teaching how to follow directions. This game can easily be tailored to a hike and works great for small or large groups alike.
Bring Snacks
Bring snacks along on your hiking trips if you want to add an extra fun element for both you and the kids. Snacks can keep them engaged while providing essential hydration during prolonged outings.
Consider including protein, fats, complex carbohydrates and sodium when choosing hiking snacks to ensure they provide sustained energy for an active hike. The ideal hiking snacks contain all these wholesome components to provide sustained energy throughout your adventure.
Crackers are an excellent snack that will keep kids from becoming hangry – bring along their favorite snacks to reduce any temper tantrums that may arise.
Keep the Backpack Weight Small
For family-friendly hiking trips, it is essential that backpacks remain light. Carrying a heavy load can put undue strain and weight on your back. Backpacks can cause shoulder and neck aches, so a good rule of thumb when packing them should be to try not exceed 10-20% of your body weight.
It may seem daunting at first, but the number is actually not too difficult to remember – better to stay within an acceptable comfort level!
Let Your Kids Pick the Trails
Allowing children to choose their hiking trails can make the adventure more engaging and give them a sense of autonomy. Look for trails with landmarks they’ll find engaging, such as large rocks they can scramble over or fascinating trees; or old chimneys and cars left standing from history that they might enjoy exploring.
When selecting a trail that is appropriate for young children, selecting one with no too strenuous challenges should also be key. Scrambling up steep hills or climbing lots of stairs may present additional difficulties and lead to injury for your youngsters.
TEACH THEM TO LEAVE NO TRACE (REWRITE THIS SECTION)
The Leave No Trace principle is an important message for all hikers to follow, regardless of their age. Get your kids on board with this as early as possible by making sure they pick up after themselves while on the trail. Do this by letting them know that snack garbage should be put back in their bag (or yours) until you arrive at a spot where it can be properly disposed.
Alternatively, bring a small garbage bag and have everyone pick up anything they find on the trail, even if it’s not their garbage. This is a great opportunity to create a kind reward system for them to learn how to help keep the environment clean so it can be enjoyed for years to come.
Teach them that instead of leaving trash behind, they should…
Take Lots of Pictures
Hiking can be an amazing way to spend quality time outdoors with loved ones and appreciate nature’s splendor, not to mention capture all these memories with your camera without breaking the bank! Capturing these experiences doesn’t need to be complex or expensive either!
As you hike, look out for moments where something unique occurs on your trail; these will really capture your eye and make your photos more intriguing.
Keep the lighting of the sun in mind; its lighting can have an enormous impact on your images. When possible, try shooting during “magic hour” when the sun is low in the sky before dawn or dusk for best results.
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