Five great quotes for kids on a day hike

“Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars...
and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence
is joyful."

One of the great advantages of being out on the trail with your children is the opportunity to bond with them – to jointly share the beauty of nature, to engage in meaningful conversation. The former will take care of itself, but the latter is up to you.

To that end, here are five great quotations about hiking that you might discuss with your children, especially if they are in upper elementary grades or teenagers:

“But nature is always more subtle, more intricate, more elegant than what we are able to imagine.” – Carl Sagan

“Earth was bountiful and we were surrounded with blessings of the Great Mystery.” – Chief Luther Standing Bear

“Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.” – Francis Bacon

“Look at the trees, look at the birds, look at the clouds, look at the stars... and if you have eyes you will be able to see that the whole existence is joyful. Everything is simply happy. Trees are happy for no reason; they are not going to become prime ministers or presidents and they are not going to become rich and they will never have any bank balance. Look at the flowers – for no reason. It is simply unbelievable how happy flowers are.” – Osho

“Society speaks and all men listen; mountains speak and wise men listen.” - John Muir

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.