Hiking With Children: Everything You Need To Know

Hiking With Your Children Creates A Love Of Outdoors

Hi. Chelsea Gonzales here with some tips for hiking with your children. Hiking with kids can be a super fun way to explore the country. I know. We have been doing it for a few years now. That said, you do have to go in with a plan in order to ensure everyone has a great time. Otherwise, you might end up with some pretty whiny kids—and in turn, some cranky parents.

Fortunately, by taking the right gear, choosing the right trail, picking your hiking time appropriately, and ensuring you have ways to keep the little hikers entertained, you can ensure your family hiking adventures are good ones. Here are some helpful tips.

Kids Hiking Gear: Gathering Gear for a Family Hike

First things first, you will want to make sure you have all of the appropriate gear to keep everyone in your group comfortable and safe. This is always important of course, but is especially important when hiking with kids.

Below are some suggestions for gear you might want to pick up before you hit the trail with your little adventurers.

Get a Good Backpack

A good backpack to carry the bulk of your gear is a must-have. You want a quality day pack that can handle the weight of all your hiking essentials, as well as the bumps and scrapes that are bound to happen on the trail.

On top of that, you need a comfortable pack that distributes weight and doesn’t rub. This is especially important if you’ll be hiking with a baby or toddler who will need to be carried.

This video has some great recommendations:

https://youtu.be/SaPJOpjH6qM

Give the Kids Their Own Packs

In addition to the good family backpack, you’ll also want smaller packs for each of the kids who will be walking on their own. Include a snack, water, and a safety whistle in these packs.

Not only will this teach your kids to be responsible for their own things, these items will also be helpful if they are separated from you. Tell the kids to blow the whistle (three short blasts) if they need to find you.

Choose Your Baby Carrier Wisely

As mentioned before, if you’re hiking with babies or toddlers, you will likely need to carry them. Therefore, a hiking baby carrier of some sort is a must-have. There are a number of different carriers on the market, and the type that is best for you will depend on your hiking style as well as the age of your child.

Here are some that we recommend:

• Best Overall: Deuter Kid Comfort
• Best Budget Carrier: Kelty Journey Perfect Fit
• Best Soft Structured Carrier: Baby Tula Free-to-Grow
• Best for Tandem Carrying: Trail Magik Kid Carrier
• Best for Older Kids: Piggyback Rider Standing Backpack

https://youtu.be/yziFsG90OXI

Dress Smart

The weather can change quickly. For this reason, it’s always a good idea to dress in layers when hiking. If it’s hot out when you leave, pack a layer (or two, depending on where you are) to put over your hot weather clothes. If it’s cold, make sure you have a layer or two to peel off in case you get hot when hiking. Do the same for your kids.

Other clothing items to ensure you have while hiking include good socks that keep your feet warm and don’t rub, good hiking shoes or boots that offer traction and are comfortable, hats to keep the sun off your face, and a poncho for each person in case of rain.

Family Hiking Packing List

Of course, there are plenty of other things you will want to keep in your family hiking pack. These include:

• Water
• Lots of snacks (nobody wants to hang out with hangry kids)
• Headlamps and extra batteries
• A water filter (in case the water in your bottles runs out)
• A well-stocked first aid kit
• A “bathroom kit” (small towel, wet bag, TP, hand sanitizer)
• Waterproof matches
• Multi-tool
• Rope
• Sunscreen
• Bug spray
• Map
• Compass
• Bags for trash (be sure you always pack out!)
• Trekking poles

Family Hikes Near Me: Finding the Best Hikes for Kids

Now that you have all of your family hiking gear gathered, the next step is finding kid-friendly hiking trails. This is the section for you if you’re wondering, “How do I find places for hiking with kids near me?”

Use The AllTrails App

Our first suggestion is to download the AllTrails app. This is an awesome app that provides information on trails in pretty much any area of the US. 

Users can rate trails and leave detailed reviews, so you’ll be able to learn what to expect from any trail you choose to explore.

 

Ask a Ranger

Don’t want to use AllTrails to do your own research and find the best hikes for kids near you? If you happen to be in a state park, national park, or Forest Service site, you can always ask a ranger. Rangers are almost always knowledgeable and happy to help families have a great time.

Stick to Short Hikes

Anyone who has ever spent time with kids knows that they tend to have short attention spans. Because of this, long hikes will almost certainly lead to complaints from the younger folks in your family hiking group. We recommend skipping the long trails and sticking to shorter options when hiking with kids.

Keep It Interesting

Short does not have to mean boring. Yes, you will want to be mindful of your childrens’ limits, but don’t limit them to dull hikes without interesting features. Kids love a little challenge just as much as you do, and a good dose of natural beauty or a little water to play in never hurt anyone either.

Look for hikes with at least one of the following in order to keep things fun on the trail:

• Easy bouldering / mild rock scrambling
• Ladders
• Waterfalls
• Bodies of water that can be played in
• Caves

Choosing the Best Time for Hiking with Kids

Picking the right trail is very important, but finding the right time to go on your hike might be equally crucial. Going at the wrong time might make for a pretty rough hike, so make sure to keep these things in mind when planning when to go hiking with kids.

Avoid Extreme Weather

If you’re taking a summertime hike, you will obviously want to avoid the hottest and brightest times of day if at all possible. Likewise, wintertime hikes with kids should be taken in the middle of the day when the sun is warmest.

If you’re in an area that tends to see afternoon rain storms, be sure to leave early enough to avoid the daily downpour. Meanwhile, if you’ll be hiking near the ocean, make sure the tide doesn’t play a part in when you should go.

Keep Naptime in Mind

Do your kids still nap? If so, you will definitely want to plan your family hikes around naptime whenever you can. Little babies can sleep in a carrier, but toddlers and older children are likely to skip their naps entirely if you’re out during their usual rest time, which is never good for anyone’s mood.

Plan for Snacks and Meals

As mentioned before, you will want to pack lots of snacks. Of course, if you’ll be gone during a given meal time, you will need to plan for that and pack some actual meal food as well. Keeping everyone well fed during your adventures is one of the keys to successful hikes with kids.

Games to Play while Hiking with Kids

You’ve packed your bags, picked your hike, and decided when to go. The next step? Ensuring the kids stay happily entertained as you hike. Simply looking around at nature might be enough to entertain us adults, but often it isn’t enough for kids, and finding ways to keep them entertained helps ensure they have as much fun as you do.

For this, we turn to hiking games. Here are some of our favorite options.

I Spy

Everyone knows how to play ‘I Spy’. This is a super simple game that even the youngest hikers can play, and it can keep everyone entertained for quite a while, while also encouraging everyone to pay attention to their surroundings.

 

 

Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is another great hiking game that helps engage young hikers in the natural world. We like to take this Find & Seek scavenger hunt game hiking with us.

Aqua Marooned

Do you like the idea of a card game that you can take hiking? Another great option is Aqua Marooned!. This game was made by Swim Pony and is currently being distributed only at certain environmental centers in Pennsylvania and Delaware. That said, we hope to see it on sale soon!

Candy Hunt

If you don’t mind running ahead of your kids, this game is a great way to motivate them to keep going. Hide small pieces of candy along the path and have your kids hunt for them as you hike. Just be sure you find them all and take the wrappers with you!

More Ways to Make Your Family Hike Fun

Want some ideas for making hiking with kids fun without playing games? Here are even more options!

Junior Ranger Programs

The National Parks Service, Forest Service, and many state park systems have Junior Ranger programs. These ask kids to fill out an activity book as they explore a park. Once they do, they receive a badge. It’s all very fun and a great way to motivate kids to learn something new! Of course, the free souvenir is pretty cool too.

Watch the video below to learn more:

https://youtu.be/_rdcz7AitWQ

Activity Books

If there isn’t a Junior Ranger program for the trail you plan to hike, consider taking an activity book of your own. This Hiking Activity Book for Kids is a great option!

Binoculars and Magnifying Glass

Be sure to carry binoculars and a magnifying glass when hiking with kids. These items are fantastic for getting a better view of the plants and animals along the way, and definitely make the whole experience more exciting.

Camera

We also recommend packing a kid-friendly camera (one for each kid if possible). Kids love taking pictures of cool things they find while hiking, and looking at your family hikes through the eyes of your kids is pretty fun too!

More Tips and Tricks for Hiking with Kids

With the tips and ideas above, you should be able to take a family hike and have a great time doing it. That said, we do have a few more thoughts up our sleeve that might help you have an even better time hiking with kids!

Get the Kids’ Input Whenever Possible

Nobody likes to be told what to do all the time. This includes kids more than any other age group, we’d say. For this reason, it’s always beneficial to include your kids in decision-making whenever it’s possible and practical.

Trying to decide which way to turn first when a trail splits? Let the kids choose. Looking for a picnic spot? Get the kids’ input. This will help them feel more involved, making them happier campers.

PS – Allow Your Kids to Try New Things

Obviously you want your kids to be safe, and we aren’t suggesting you shouldn’t keep them safe. That said, part of the fun of hiking is trying new things and testing your limits. Let your kids do those things (within reason, of course). You might be surprised just how capable they are, and they’ll finish feeling more confident and accomplished.

Give Space for Exploration

In the same vein, make sure you allow your little hikers to explore along the trail. Many adults like to get where they’re going as quickly as possible, but most kids we know would much prefer to stop and check out all the cool gems Mother Nature has placed along the way.

 

Schedule your hikes in such a way that you have time to stop to look at the bugs on the ground and jump on that cool moss-covered rock. Your kids will have a much better time, and you might find yourself enjoying the exploration as well!

 

There you have it, everything you need to know to hike with kids and have a blast doing it. Of course, you will need a place to stay after you finish your epic adventures in nature. An RV rental through the most trusted site RVnGO, is the perfect solution, allowing you to stay near the trail (or trails) of your choice while still giving you all the comforts of home! is STILL Less Expensive than staying at a resort.

Be sure to read our Road Trip Packing Check List and Great Meals For Road Trips. 

Follow my journey. My website is wonderwhereverwewander.wordpress.com. My instagram is @wonderwhereverwewander.