20 Things To Do With Your Kids On The Trail
If you have a toddler on your back and you hike, then you know you have to be up on your game when it comes to keeping them intrigued with the nature that surrounds them. I can say I’ve exhausted the majority of questions I can think of, and have resorted to bouncing up and down a trail for a mid-hike “ride” on occasion. Here are some ideas for your littlest and your big kids alike that will keep the small talk going throughout the duration of a hike.
- Allow your child to walk the first part of your hike and free explore
- Ask your child what colors they see
- Ask your child what sounds they hear
- Touch trees that you pass. Extra fun for the mossy ones
- Say hello and wave to fellow hikers
- Pick up different rocks and hand them to your child to feel
- Sing songs or hum them with your child
- Observe animals you may pass on the trail and ask your child which one was his/her favorite
- Hand your child a stick and let them hold it for a while
- Ask them to stretch up high throughout the hike
- Start picking out different leaves that have fallen and ask your child to smell each one
- When a bird chirps, mock the sound and let your child try
- Ask your older kids to play hide and seek and let your tot find them
- Explain to your child how to dispose of trash you find and let them see you pack it away
- Let your child toss rocks into streams or over bridges. Extra fun for larger rocks
- Give your child dog toys or balls and let them toss them to your dog
- Observe fish and other water life in the stream or rivers
- Try and locate a nest and explain who lives there
- Make up imaginative creatures and using your environment tell the backdrop of a story.
- Ask your child to take deep breaths throughout the hike.