Whether you are planning on going on a walking holiday for your breakaway or enjoy going hiking on the weekend as a way to wind down and forget about the hustle and bustle of everyday life, hiking can be fun for your kids – as long as you do it right!
For a start, hiking gets your children out in nature, running around and exploring, which will help them sleep that night. It also gives them a chance to see new things, such as the wonderful landscapes that you will see on your travels as well as the wildlife you may come across. Hiking is also a very affordable activity to do and there is no restriction on how many of you go. Hiking holidays are getting more popular and it’s no surprise when you consider there are so many benefits to one.
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Below we have put together our guide on tips for making it more fun when taking your kids hiking.
Make it funÂ
Hiking is only as fun as you make it, so try to make it fun for everyone. Hiking isn’t just about walking, it’s about engaging with each other. Play games like Eye Spy or Bird Bingo. Stop off on your hike and make a base or if there is water, throw a few stones in and see who can skim the stone the most along the water. If you feel brave enough (and it’s safe to do so) don’t be afraid to walk off the beaten track and explore the forests near you. If you have a fitness watch, try and set a challenge of how many steps you are going to do and see if your children can beat that.
Let your children lead youÂ
When it’s safe to do so, let your children lead you on your hike. By giving them the power to lead, they will feel more involved in the hike and get so much more enjoyment out of it. It will give them a purpose as well as more fun, as they will start to take you down routes you may not have thought of going down before.
Right Footwear
Make sure they have the right footwear on.
Make sure you bring your wellies or waterpoof trainers with you, as we are sure they will try to get you in a few puddles if you are hiking on a wet day. adidas do a range of kids waterproof trainers which are a great alternative to wellies.
Plan rest breaksÂ
When you’re out exploring, it can get tiring at times, especially if you haven’t taken a break. If you are with your children, a tired child is not always a fun child. When hiking, plan rest breaks where you can sit down, have a drink and treat your children to different snacks along the way. Let them pick the snacks, this way they can look forward to the rest breaks and enjoy the snack they have chosen.
Have we convinced you to take your children on your next hiking adventure? We hope so! Your kids will love it and so will you. You will create some everlasting memories and once you have done it, we are sure you will be doing many more. Who knows you may even be going away with your friend’s children as well as your own.
Have you been hiking with your kids before and what did you love most about the experience? Are you going to be booking a walking holiday in the future and if so where? Is there anything missing from our guide that you think we should be adding? Let us know in the comment box below, we look forward to hearing from you.
