Ways to motivate children to hike

CEBU, Philippines — Hiking with children can be an excellent and inexpensive way to spend uninterrupted time together as a family. It’s a good idea to consider for summer. With just the family in the great outdoors, they can all enjoy the wilderness and each other’s company.

But how do you motivate children to hike? Most children find hiking to be an arduous and forced activity. But fostering the kids’ connection with the great outdoors at a young age can help encourage them to hit the trails for years to come. Hiking, of course, is a great physical exercise.

Here are tips for parents to motivate children to join a family hike:

Involvement. Get your children excited to come along on your next hike by involving them in planning the trip and route. Bring out the trail map or hiking book at the kitchen table and show the kids some options on where to go. Let them have a say in where they would like to explore while providing input. However, you should set the rule that everyone will take turns in determining which hike to conquer next so no one has the monopoly of always being the one to choose.

Fun. When choosing between multiple hikes, pick the one that will be the most fun. For kids, this generally means a shorter hike. Long, loop hikes can be tricky with kids. If they decide they aren’t interested in hiking halfway through the trail, you could end up carrying them and all their belongings much farther than you want to. Waterfall hikes and hikes with lookout points are also popular options for kids.

Preparation. Be prepared when you hike with children as they have different needs than adults. In addition to the normal items you would bring along on a hike, there are additional pieces of gear that may be helpful to include in your packing list. These additional items include: diapers, baby wipes (even for older kids), light jacket, plastic grocery bag for garbage and dirty clothes, facial tissue, whistle (for kids over the age of 4), and snacks.

Kids are highly motivated by snacks. While most of the time you probably prefer for your kids to eat healthy, saving a treat to be enjoyed at your hike’s endpoint could be a good way to not only motivate but reward your children for joining in. Have certain foods that you only have on hikes to keep them special.

Games. Play games to keep your kids entertained as you walk. This can especially come in handy as your kids begin to grow tired or complain. Distract them by making them smile. A few games you could play on the trails are: “I Spy,” guessing game (What animal has black and orange strips and looks like a big cat?), counting games (Let’s see how many bugs we can find on this trail.), bird or animal imitations.

Storytelling is fun too. Ask your kids what story they want to hear. Once they respond, find ways to incorporate your hike into the story. This can get them more excited about the hike and eager to keep going.

Friends. Invite another family along on your backpacking or hiking trip, particularly a family that has kids of ages similar to yours. This can make a huge difference in the outlook of your own kids and provide a simple, free distraction when you hit tough terrain. Even if you run into a family you don’t know on the trail, think about striking a conversation with them if you’re headed in the same direction. The conversation can increase your kid’s endurance and boost their confidence seeing people their same age completing the same hike.

Geocache. Geocaching is a fun, interactive way to enhance any hiking experience. It offers you a family-friendly way to teach your children about the wonders of the great outdoors while using technology to locate a hidden treasure. When you realize you are getting close to the treasure, ensure your children are the ones to find it. Not only will they be more excited by discovering a hidden treasure, this treasure can also double as a reward. You need to bury the ‘treasures’ beforehand and make sure outsiders don’t get to it before your kids do. The ‘treasures’ can simply be small toys that you know your kids love. (www.sunkissedhiker.com)