I truly enjoy the outdoors. The fresh air, especially in the mountains, is all the calming and re-energising I need after a hard week’s work. Before our children were born, my husband and I would spend our weekends climbing and wandering in the mountains. But once they came along, spending time outdoors, especially hiking, became an even more important priority. But how to get them to like hiking as much as we did?
When the kids were younger, we thought we had this hiking with kids all sorted, keeping up with our active hiking lifestyle with the help of a backpack carrier. However, as they grew, going for a hike became more complicated. As they grew independent, they also developed a stubbornness of not wanting to walk at all. So, we realised that we needed to become a little more creative in motivating them to enjoy hiking as much as we do, and avoid having to carry them.
Disclaimer: When I say hiking, I don’t only always mean alpine, up in the mountains kind of hiking. Hiking in our family can also include forest walks, wandering through the mountain valleys or even urban hiking, a.k.a. walking through cities.
6 Tips for Hiking with Kids
Snacks – the secret to getting kids to hike
Snacks get me through hikes even as an adult, so motivating my kids through their stomachs was my first port of call. Plus, now that your backpack has all that extra space, you know because you are no longer carrying mountains of nappies, spare clothes and wipes, you can fill that space with snacks!. So fill your pockets with goodies to help them get through those ” I can’t walk anymore” moments that we all know will arise.
My go-to snacks are:
- Trail mix
- Muesli bars
- Small chocolates
- Cut up vegetables
- Fruit.
Get the kids excited to hike with a map
Maps are a great way to get kids motivated about what you might see along the way. They can see where they are, what will happen along the trail, but also have a visual reminder of how far they have walked. The various themed paths found throughout Switzerland are fantastic for this (check out tip 5 for my kid-approved list), often having maps, small books and stamps along the way to mark where you have been. In addition, using any map provides a reachable target for the kids, plus you can plan out a good spot or two to enjoy all those snacks filling your bag.
Let the kids lead
Nothing makes a small child move slower than when asked to hurry up – accepting that the hike will take longer than the recommended time on those Swiss yellow hiking posts. It’s ok! You have enough snacks to get you through for the next week!
Letting the child lead and set the pace means it becomes more about the journey, not the destination. Surprisingly, it is much more relaxing and calming when you have no fixed plan for how quickly you need to get through the hike. If hiking is new to you, I recommend starting small – trying little walks through a forest first to get them used to the terrain. Forest walks are easy to get back out from, should it get too much, all while setting a scene of sense of wonder and excitement to perhaps go a little further next time.
Celebrate the end
For me, a breathtaking view at the end, or the reward of a nice cold beer at the Gipfel restaurant, is enough to keep me climbing. And for kids, celebrating the end of the hike is just as important. So why not celebrate with a hot chocolate at the restaurant, sausages on the fire once you have reached a picturesque destination or an ice cream in the Coop parking lot. Of course, hiking to a playground or ending with a toboggan ride is a great way to celebrate too.
Themed Hikes are your friend
As I mentioned above in tip 2, using one of the many themed hikes found across Switzerland is a fantastic way to introduce your kids into the world of hiking. You get out in the fresh air, and they are entertained with finding the next station which often has playgrounds or activities- Here is my kid’s list of their favourite themed Paths in Switzerland:
- Hexenweg Gummenalp
- Globi Wanderweg Lenzerheide
- Der Schellen-Ursli-Weg Guarda
- Klangweg Toggenburg
- Zugiblubbi Erlebnisweg Zugerberg
- Kugelweg Hasliberg
- Alpine Flora Weg Savognin
- Globine and Globi’s Schatzsuche Brunni Engelberg
Other ideas that have helped us with getting the kids walking
Here are 5 other ideas that we’ve tried in the past
- What kid doesn’t love a good stick to carry along? So why not bring some walking sticks on your hike – be that a hiking pole or just a stick you find along the way. On the hills, we often tie a smaller stick to one of our backpacks to make a T-Bar to hold onto to help them get up the steep parts. Our youngest loves this and reminds us when we leave the house to make sure that we have packed string. You can use a hiking pole or a stick you find along the way.
- Speaking of string, bringing string along is excellent for encouraging creative play along the way. Think along the lines of a forest mobile or even creating a bow and arrow.
- We often bring along a digital camera and binoculars for animal spotting.
- Bring a small pad of paper and a set of pencils to do leaf-rubbing as they go. The artists of the family may want to stop and sketch too.
- Why not hike up and sled down in winter if you hike in a higher location. Or take a cable car/chairlift/funicular up (or down) and hike in the opposite direction.
Do you have any other tips to motivate your kids to hike? Or perhaps a favourite themed hiking path that your kids just loved? Share your ideas with us here in the comments!
