Fun game for hiking kids: Plantphabet

"O is for 'oak.'"

Generally, exploring and discovery is enough for kids, but sometimes even they can grow bored with that and become restless. Remember that they naturally have shorter attention spans than adults.

Fortunately, there are lots of tried and true activities you can do on the trail that’ll keep kids from getting bored. Among them is Plantphabet.

Give each child a notepad or a clipboard with paper, as well as a pen or pencil; on the paper, write each letter of the alphabet. As children come across trees, flowers, bushes or other plants, have them write down its name next to the letter that the plant starts with (Maple tree is listed next to M). See which child can fill in the most letters.

Materials: Notepad or clipboard with paper, pen or pencil

Ages: 10 and up

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