Fun game/activity for the drive to the trailhead: More than You

That's one point for the fencepost. Photo courtesy of iorek7c / Photoree.

Once you’ve got your children excited about the hike, you next have to get them to the trailhead, probably in a motor vehicle. Sometimes those drives to a national forest, nature preserve or state park can be long. You can keep kids’ spirits up by playing games on the drive there.

One tried and true children’s game is More than You.

Pick an object that appears regularly on the road you’re traveling: blackbirds, do not pass signs, farmhouses (but not objects that appear too frequently, such as rocks or fence posts). Each child looks out a specific window and each time the object is spotted, they count a point. For wild cards, which is great with older kids, name a single, rare object that is worth 5 points – or one that costs the child 2 points.

Materials: None needed

Ages: 5 and up

Learn about more than a hundred other hiking diversions for kids in Hikes with Tykes: Games and Activities.