Hiking With Your Kids: 6 Tips for a Great Family Hike

Taking your kids hiking is an excellent way to get some fresh air and exercise while enjoying quality time together. Hiking provides a major mood lift for grownups, which means you'll be a happier parent around your kids. Spending time in nature also has a positive effect on children. Children who spend more time outside tend to be happier, more creative and less prone to hyperactivity and attention problems. You will need to give your family hike some forethought.

Create a negative hiking experience and your kids won't want to repeat it. Create a positive experience and your kids will beg to go hiking again.

If you want to take your family to the trail, here are some things you should consider.

1) Always Research the Trail Beforehand

If the hike is too strenuous for your kids, they won't enjoy it and are unlikely to be enthusiastic about the next hike. Keep the distances appropriate for your kids' ages. Too great distances can be tiring for smaller bodies. It's also worth looking into how strenuous the hike is. Kids can do surprisingly well with scrambling and strenuous climbs, but some hikes might be too difficult for really young children.

2. Calculate the Right Amount of Water to Bring

This is the bottom line rule for all hikes. You will need to bring at least two liters of water per person. If children are too small to carry their own water, make sure you have a comfortable backpack so you can carry water for everyone. Take frequent water breaks and make sure your kids actually drink what they need. Kids often forget to drink, and dehydration is no joke on the trail. If you're halfway through your hike and your child's bottle is full, take a mandatory water break.

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3. Bring Kid-Friendly Food

Hiking is sure to work up an appetite and your kids will be much happier hikers if they have tasty food to satisfy their appetites. Bring easy-to-pack snacks such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, trail mix with chocolate chunks, or granola bars so you and your kids can keep up your energy on the trail.

4. Make Sure Your Kids Have Properly Fitting Shoes and Socks

It can be hard to spot poorly fitting shoes until it's too late and your child's feet are covered with blisters. Still, do your best to provide them with non-sliding socks and properly sized-shoes. Otherwise, your kid will have sore feet and become very cranky, which won't be fun for either of you. This goes for adults as well. Good shoes are key to happy hiking.

5. Picnic at a Great Vista Point

Hikes with good picnic vista points are perfect for family hikes. Small mountains or river valleys with picturesque views often provide excellent scenery for adults and rocky playgrounds for children. Have a destination on your hike that you can appreciate and where children can play.

6. Bring a Good Attitude and Sense of Humor

This is perhaps the most important tip of all. Leave your temper, stress and worries at home. If you forgot something, don't worry. (However, if you forgot water and food, you should go back for it! Just don't lose your temper.) If you have to cut your hike short because of weather, don't stress out. Being around parents in a bad mood is a very negative experience for children. The best thing you can provide your kids with on a hike is a positive attitude and joyful approach to tackling problems.

Family hikes aren't about hiking the longest distance or pushing endurance. You can save that for going out with your hiking buddies. Family hikes are about spending time with your kids. Use these tips to plan the best family hikes possible. The more thought you put into your hikes, the more likely your children are to acquire a lifelong love of nature and the outdoors.