A large part of our traveling and adventures is hiking! It is perhaps my favorite part. Many people feel that if you have kids and love to hike that you need to find a sitter and leave them at home. For some hikes that is true, but for many it is not necessary. I suppose, it just depends on what your ultimate goals are and why you are hiking.
I began hiking and fell in love with it for a multitude of reasons. The fresh air, open space, exercise, and ability to experience places not easily seen by everyone. Through the years more reasons have been added to my list. When I hike with my children they help me slow down and notice the little things. We pick up sticks, find cool rocks, and investigate the leaves. We talk A LOT and about anything and everything. We talk about hiking, how to be safe, how to take care of the trails and nature. We don’t make good time mileage wise, at least not yet, but we make memories that last. I would not trade them for anything.
We started hiking with our kids before they could walk. A quality child hiking pack is important at this stage. As they reached toddler years we started having them walk safe portions of the trails. We let them hold sticks and leaves (not always very pleasant for my head). The older they got, the more they walked and the slower we became. It was a necessary sacrifice to help build their comfort outside as well as their stamina.
As they were growing and starting to get harder to hold we needed to help encourage them to push through and continue hiking. At this point we offered each of them a goal. We told them if they successfully hiked three 2+ mile hikes in a row without being carried they would earn their own hiking bag!! This was actually very motivational for them. It also allowed us to give them their own water bladder and to have them begin carrying their own snacks and small toys if they wanted them. Once they earned their bags then if they complained or wanted carried we could simply remind them that they have proven they CAN hike, even when it is hard or they are tired.
Our oldest is turning 10 this summer and is a very confident hiker, and our younger two are also well on their way. We are starting to be able to hike further and a bit faster these days. Speed to me is not the most important thing, I love that they enjoy hiking and nature. I hope this will be something that will carry us through their teen years and help us to continue to feel connected.
Our tips for hiking with kids:
- Find a comfortable Child Carrier.
- Bring lots of snacks. Space them out on the trail (they are great motovation for kids).
- Choose a hike based on the abilities of all in your group, including the children.
- Encourage the child/children to hike as much as possible on their own. This will sometimes feel frustrating but in the long run it is beneficial. They are learning to hike. Try to make it fun for them!
- Familiarize yourself with first aid and other safety measures. Hiking with young kids often means first aid will be necessary.
- Slow down and enjoy nature. Use the slower pace as an opportunity to teach and connect with your child.
- When they are old enough get them a backpack sized correctly for them, and add a water bladder. We LOVE the child sized day packs by REI.
I hope you feel inspired to get out and hike and explore with your children. If you don’t have kids of your own, hopefully this information will help if you ever join a family/friends with kids on a hike! Our children love encountering friendly hikers on the trail. Hikers who understand how kids hike and encourage them are immensely inspiring for our children.
Happy Adventuring,
Stephanie
Exploring the Oregon Outback 