HIKING
FRIDAY: ExerciseAs you know, I love hiking. Living in Utah has made it possible for us to explore many different mountains and canyons, all with a unique beauty only found here. This is so true about Southern Utah! I am in awe every time I go there and am amazed at the majestic scenes. For those familiar with the area, we hiked in Snow Canyon, somewhere in Leeds, and then Zion’s National Park.
Hiking with kids is somewhat of a learned talent. They get tired easily, cranky, bored, etc. There are ways to keep it interesting and to keep them going. Here are some things we have tried:
- Keep hikes short! You don’t have to take them to the TOP of the mountain to have fun. The shortest hikes are sometimes the best.
- Bring food and water. Take many rest stops and offer them a snack or a drink.
- Play games. Twenty questions or trivia games are easy on a trail.
- Respect their fears. The flip flopper is afraid of heights. This was not good considering the boys had their heart set on a pretty difficult hike. But we obliged. (And frankly I was glad. My 6 year old is giving me a heart attack with his fearlessness).
- Stop to talk about wildlife. We found dozens of lizards. Every time we would stop to observe and watch.
- Have an exciting destination. We love hikes that end at a waterfall or a pool (The Emerald Pools at Zion’s are gorgeous).
- Don’t rush. Use the time to really connect with your kids. Nothing else is competing for their attention like tv or video games. Talk to them and enjoy this time you have them to yourself.
- Bring their friends. My kids LOVE it when we invite their friends along. Once when we invited the flip-floppers friend, she had mentioned she never had been hiking! I was glad we were able to help her experience something so fabulous.
- Have your kids repeat the safety rule: If you are lost, STAY PUT!
- Plan your hikes ahead of time. We have the book, Best Hikes with Children Utah to help us plan the hikes ahead of time.
Getting your kids outside can be easy when there is so much of nature to observe. Any advice you have to make hiking fun for kids?
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Posted: April 17th, 2009 under Exercise.
Tags: active, blog, exercise, family, fun, healthy, hiking, ideas, kids, vacations
Comments
Comment from cathy
Time April 17, 2009 at 7:02 am
Another tip that we find essential – pick a hike with a payoff. My son has been happily hiking up our local ski hill since he was 3 because of the payoff of riding the chairlift down. Whether it’s a waterfall or a nice view or a chairlift – having something to look forward to at the end of the hike makes all of the difference for my kids.
Comment from angee
Time April 17, 2009 at 8:27 am
Okay, this is our FAVORITE thing to do!!! My son hiked 7 miles WITHOUT being carried on his own last year (he was 3)!! We take it slow and try not to focus on getting “there,” but more on enjoying the journey. We, too, love waterfalls. We wear yucky shoes and let the kids play in it. We just invested in a nice hiking backpack carrier for our toddler. Can’t wait to use it!! And we are totally buying that book. Thanx for the recommendation!
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Time December 7, 2009 at 8:49 pm
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Comment from Courtney
Time April 17, 2009 at 5:54 am
Great tips! Thanks!