9 Tips & Tricks for Hiking with Kids

One of the most prevalent questions we receive as a family is what parents should know before they take their kiddos on a hike. At first, hiking with children can feel daunting and sometimes just plain exhausting! Especially if your littles resist. Trust me, over the past year I’ve considered every tip and trick in the book to encourage our sons to hike with us. What works for some, doesn’t work for others. Fortunately, there are lots of families who are successfully hiking with their kiddos — and I’ve asked them to share their best tips!

1. Start Small

“Start off with shorter hikes and work your way up to longer ones. Your kids are likely much more capable than you initially think they may be. If you keep it fun and converse with them as if you KNOW they can do it, they will likely have a more positive attitude and continue to push themselves further on their own accord. Give them time to stop and explore — don’t rush them! And of course… bring plenty of snacks. ?”

–Mallory, Mommy of 5-year-old, 3-year-old and 2-year-old, @baconsontheroad

2. Pack Plenty of Snacks & Water

This seems like a no brainer, but having some of our favorite snacks on hand makes a world of a difference. Little legs need many breaks, and busting out applesauce, crackers, chips, fruit or cookies always lifts our spirits. We tend to save the cookies — or any other sweet treats — for the mid-way point and the very end. Then the kids have something to look forward too! Having enough water on hand is key too. I highly recommend this kids’ hydration backpack by Osprey, which allows them to easily access water on the go.

3. Keep the Conversation Flowing

“Kids are natural chatter boxes that are usually supported by a wild imagination! Use that to your advantage by making conversation flow, bring up something they love to talk about or ask them to tell you a story. This is the method that works for me and my little guy – it keeps him focused on the conversation and less inclination to whine!”

–Chloe, Mama of 7-year-old, @destinationwanderers

4. Incorporate Wildschool on the Trail

One of our favorite things to do on a hike is try to learn about the area — and any flora or fauna — while out on the trail. When hiking in a state or national park, swing by the visitor’s center first to see if you can pick up any trail guides or general info about the place you’ll be hiking. If that’s not possible, have a back-up plan. Our boys know that if they see a cool flower, plant or insect, you better believe I’m whipping out my iPhone to take a photo. We can then upload our photos to the Seek app to find out more information about what we’ve captured. The more fun facts you can pepper your kiddos with, the better!

5. Have a Sense of Humor!

“Sense of humor. Laughter to distract from miles. Laughter to run up mountains. Laughter that the days when it’s just meltdowns you still want to explore again and again. Tickle, sing silly songs, play and laugh it off when it just is the worst hiking day imaginable. That’s my best advice.”

–Kaitlin, Mama of 7-year-old and 11-year-old, @runawaymusbus

6. Be Patient

I’ve learned over time — and many miles of hiking with our boys — that your attitude will make alllll the difference when out on the trail. Patience is key. You might need to take lots of breaks. Or provide lots of coaxing to keep going. Or heck, you might need to just turn around and try again next time. Whatever the road block, keeping your cool and going with the flow will serve everyone better in the long run.

7. Have a Plan

“Share the plan with them. We look at the map together, the elevation profile, and the mileage for the day. We talk about where we might lunch, and update them on milage anytime we get to a spot where we know how far we’ve come.”

–Elizabeth, Mom of 7-year-old and 10-year-old, @deliberatelifebus

8. Try, Try and Try Again

Have a bad experience on that last hike? Don’t let it stop you guys from getting out there again! If we would’ve quit after the first couple of disaster hikes, we would’ve missed out on many more miles of fun. I promise you — it will get better. You got this!!

9. Don’t Forget to Have Fun!

“Our trick for getting the boys to hike is to make it FUN with games and challenges! We play a ton of eye spy or sometimes we’ll bring matchbox cars and hide them up the trail further so they can go find them. Also picking trails with obstacles (age appropriate) like rock scrambling, ladders, bridges or water make it even more fun and they’ll want to keep making their way down the trail to see what else we can find!”

–Taylor, Mom of 5-year-old and 8-year-old, @meandering.may

What other tips and tricks do you have for hiking with kids? Let us know in the comments below!