: How to Make Hiking Fun and Exciting for Kids

How to Make Hiking Exciting for Kids

At Carhartt, we appreciate hikers in all shapes and sizes. Hiking is a great experience for the entire family. That is if you can get the entire family away from their electronics and out into the great wide open. Part of encouraging your kids to go hiking is making it fun, and this especially applies to younger children.

So for all of those parents out there, here are a few of our favorite tips for making hiking exciting for kids!

Shorter Hikes

Kids will be kids, and that means they will have short attention spans. Choose trails that are shorter or make a loop so you don’t tire your children out too much. Also, plan on making many stops along the way. Remember your kids’ legs are shorter than yours!

Fun Snacks

When are kids not hungry? Pretty much never, and that’s exactly why you should pack great snacks for your hiking trip. You could bring fruit, granola bars and other high energy snacks to keep your kiddos on their toes. Oh, and don’t forget the water!

Scavenger Hunts

Have your kids find different items on the trails. Type out a list to carry with you on the hike which can include green leaves, yellow flowers, small pebbles and other fun items that can be found on a hike. Check off each item as it’s found and have a prize for the winner at the end of the hike.

Treasure Hunts

While similar to the scavenger hunt, the treasure hunt is about finding hidden treasures. Geocaching has become a worldwide adventure for all age groups. Just research the trail you will be hiking. Once you find your buried treasure, work together with your kids to leave another cached item on the trails for others to find.

Fellow Friends

Allow your kids to invite their friends along on the hike. Having their friends with them can make the hike much more exciting. Plus, that means the parents won’t have to be quite as entertaining.

Adventure Time

For younger children, you don’t always have to call the hike a hike. Call it an adventure, and let them be adventurers! If they want to stop by the side of the trail to explore a rock or bug, let them. They will enjoy having a little bit of control over the adventure, and they will be learning along the way.

So what are you waiting for? Start planning your next hiking adventure now! Now that you are ready to make hiking exciting don’t forget to outfit your kids in the best hiking gear, like the kind you can find in our kid’s clothing section.