When hiking with toddlers and really little kids, it’s tempting to put them in a carrier the moment they start whining that they are tired. But there is a lot you can do to motivate them to hike on their own instead of being carried.
Don’t get me wrong. I know that it takes a LOT of mental willpower to stay upbeat when your little kid is whining that they are “too tired to hike further.” (It’s even harder when you haven’t quite made peace with the fact that you can’tgo on tough hikes like you used to before having kids.)
But, in the long run, it’s good to get your little kids to hike instead of carrying them. Not only is it less physically exhausting for you, but it helps “train” your child so they become good hikers once their older (and then you might finally be able to take them on some tougher hikes).
Here are some of the tricks I used to motivate my little kids to hike, as well as some tricks I got from other hiking parents too.
Also read: How Far Can Kids Hike?
1. Set Targets which Are Within Eyesight
Little kids have no sense of how long a mile is. Nor do they have a good sense of time. So, you need to choose targets which are visible to them. For example, spot a large boulder which is 300 feet away. Then tell your child that you are going to hike to that boulder. Once you get there, reward them with a snack or high five.
I also used this tactic when my toddler would beg for breaks (even after we just took one). I’d locate a good target and say we’d take a quick break when we got there.
2. Take Quick Breaks
Another way to deal with the frequent “I’m tired” is to take quick breaks. Counting to 10 together can be highly effective.
3. Use Recurring Features
If there was something recurring on the hike, we’d use it to motivate our 3 year old to hike. For example, on one hike there were a lot of bridges. We counted each bridge and let her photograph with each one. She also got interested in having her photo taken with really big trees.
4. Games of Chase
These were very effective for picking up the pace when hiking. My daughter would choose a twig with some leaves that we dubbed “smacky sticks.” She would chase after me as I walked quickly and try to smack my twig with hers.
5. Sing Songs
We changed the words to “Ants go marching” to “Child’s name goes marching one by one hurrah-hurrah”. My toddler also enjoyed army marching songs and liked songs that talked about the order we were walking in, what we might see or goofy stuff avoiding stepping in poop.
6. Use Snacks in a Smart Way
A lot of people suggest using snacks as a way to motivate little kids to hike. But you’ve got to be smart about how you use snacks (it’s not like you are going to deny your child their favorite snack just because you didn’t make it to the destination!).
For example, keep a separate bag of special snacks. Only break out these snacks at certain destinations that you agree upon in advance. Such as getting the special snacks each time you make it to the top of a steep incline.
7. Let Them Be the Leader
Go ahead and give them the map and have them show you the way. It really helps with motivation.
My daughter at 4 years old “reading” the map. It got her really excited about hiking further.
8. Walking Sticks
Let your kids choose a walking stick. Some parents call these “magic wands”. They really are like magic for motivating kids to hike.
9. Treasure Hunts
Choose a certain thing to look for on the hike, such as mushrooms. Each time you see a mushroom, take a photo of it. If you want to get really organized about it, you could make a proper scavenger hunt with various nature objects.
10. Choose an Activity for the Top of Steep Inclines
For little kids (and many adults too!), staying motivated to go up steep inclines is tough. Decide on an activity you will do at the top of each incline. Such as getting out binoculars to look for birds in the tree canopy. Or taking a selfie. Or eating a special snack.
11. Encourage Collecting
Both of my daughters are collectors and want to bring every single leaf, rock, pinecone home. Allowing them to collect things on our hike really motivates them to keep going.
Obviously, there needs to be some limits on this. Otherwise, I’d be hauling 15lbs of rocks home. And it’s also important to follow Leave No Trace.
One solution is to give you kids a smallish container and only let them bring what can fit into the container. When my girls got a bit older (and weren’t being carried on hikes anymore), I’d let them take whatever they wanted – but under the condition that they had to carry it out in their own packs. Once they were shouldering the weight, they started getting very selective about which rocks they wanted!
Also Read: Leave No Trace and Little Kids: What’s Allowed?
12. Ground Is Lava Game
This game works well when hiking on rocky paths. In the game, no one is allowed to touch the ground. Instead, you have to hop from stone to stone, or branch to branch, etc.
13. Get Them Talking
Little kids can be chatterboxes. And, once they are talking, they usually forget about being “tired.” So, when you start noticing that your kids are getting bored on the hike, start asking them questions. Like what their favorite sea animal is. Or what their favorite foods are and why.
14. Make a Hiking Journal
This works better for motivating slightly older kids to hike, such as 5 year olds. You make a special hiking journal where they log things they’ve seen (like trees, plants, insects, animal poop, animal tracks, etc.) in it. You also have them log how much distance they traveled and other info about the hike.
15. Stickers
Get some outdoor-themed stickers. Give your little kid a sticker each time they accomplish a goal, such as making it to the halfway point of the hike or getting up a steep slope. You can put the stickers in a hiking journal. Or put them on your kid’s water bottle (though this will fill up quickly). There are tons of cute hiking stickers on Amazon.
16. Planting Treats on the Trail
A lot of parents suggest going on the trail ahead of your little kids and planting treats for them to find. For example, one dad said he’d go the day before a hike and leave candy or toys for his girls to find en route. He told them that fairies left it there.
This would definitely be a lot of fun and motivating for little kids to hike without being carried. However, I have a couple of qualms with this method. First, wild animals could find the candy (it’s never okay for wild animals to eat human food). Second, if you can’t find one of the toys, then you are littering nature. Also not cool!
For it to work, you’d have to leave all the surprises in really obvious places. And write down where you left them so nothing accidentally got left behind. Then you run the risk of having someone else find your treats and taking them, thus leaving you with disappointed kids. So maybe stick to the other tricks for motivating your kids to hike before you resort to this. 🙂
Image credit: “Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail, Cal” (CC BY 2.0) by mypubliclands
Post your comments