HIKING WITH KIDS Even with the impending arrival of our first baby hiking was never off the cards. Rather than googling lightweight, compact prams I was researching baby carrying hike packs. Luckily for me, with a seven and four year old, hiking has become deeply embedded in my family’s repertoire. And I’m not talking Bear Grylls style, just simply being surrounded by trees rather than the suburban sprawl. Family hiking isn’t about the distance covered or the pace. It’s about connection; connecting with ourselves, each other and the broader world around us. We don’t rush our hikes but allow time for therapeutic outdoor free play. The bush awakens and rejuvenates our minds and engages all the senses at the same time. Playing in nature my children are free to explore and free to jump and shout. We let them scramble up river banks (watching the vegetation of course). They collect fallen giant fern leaves and climb trees. They get bumps, bruises, scrapped knees and very dirty. On one of our recent hikes the kids’ most memorable moment was trying to traverse down a very steep, muddy embankment where we all fell over. The four of us walked the rest of the 3km hike with muddy bums, a hilarious sight for anyone coming up behind us! Here are some of the simple strategies we have implemented to ensure successful hiking over the past seven years:
Waterproof everything! This is my number one tip – get waterproof shoes or boots. Once kids have cold, wet feet it puts a huge dampener on the hike and they are unlikely to want to go on! Our kids also have light-weight waterproof jackets and pants so we can continue regardless of any changes in the weather.
It’s not about the distance covered We walk at ‘kiddie pace’ to encourage ‘kiddie enjoyment’. Hiking doesn’t have to be about getting from point A to point B quickly. Going 56
slowly allows my four year old to pick up all the yellow leaves she can hold in her little hands, and allows my seven year old son to find the best climbing trees.
Give the kids responsibility From 2 years old our children have carried a backpack. To begin with they simply carried an apple and then as they got older this increased to carrying their drink bottles, more food and their waterproof jackets. Tip: we have also added whistles to each backpack in case we become separated. This in itself is a learning opportunity – do not blow the whistle if you are not lost!
Make a halfway moment When you are halfway through your hike make a big deal out of it! For us, this is done with food! We generally carry a Trangia and tiny 200g propane fuel canister to cook up some noodles for the kids, followed by hot chocolate. The kids find a safe, flat surface to use the stove and remove all leaves close by, help pour in the water and connect the Trangia together. They love this responsibility, but love the hot noodles even more!
Take snacks! We take muesli bars or popcorn, fruit and always a block of chocolate divided between the backpacks. Chocolate is energy dense, which means it is high in calories for a small portion size. A little can keep you going for a long time if you become lost (my parents used this with me when hiking as a kid; if you don’t get lost you can eat the chocolate in the car on the way home!).
Location control Let the kids decide where you go; ‘Will it be a river walk or the mountain walk?’ Plan the hike together, and discuss what you might see in advance to help build excitement. Our eldest is often assigned to map reading and our younger child is called the ‘marker lookout person’. She watches for the trial markers along the track).
