How to change reluctant little hikers' minds

"But I don't want to hike anymore."

Is your child reluctant to hike? Don’t worry, you can get them excited about the hike.

First, there are a couple of different kinds of reluctant kids you might run into. There is the one who doesn’t want to go hiking at all, and then there is the one who doesn’t want to explore when on the trail. Each needs to be addressed a little differently.

Doesn’t want to hike at all
You’ll need to find some ways to get kids enthusiastic about the hike. Consider allowing them to bring a friend along or go hiking with another family that has children (especially of similar age). You also can involve them in the trip planning, selecting snacks, packing, and navigating with map and compass. Then they feel as if you are giving them attention, and they will associate hiking with your respect and love for them.

Do something special at the destination, so the child has something to look forward to. In fact, this is a great idea even if your child is excited about the hike, as doing something special upon reaching your goal is a great way of bonding. Some hikers carry a small camp stove and whip up cups of hot chocolate for everyone in the party. My son and I always share a package of freeze-dried ice cream while gazing out at the view from the mountain top or rock formation we’ve reached.

Doesn’t want to explore on a hike
Let such children focus on what they want to do: scampering over boulders, swimming in a pond, pretending to fight off dragons in the woods. You also might engage them in some activities, particularly ones they like.

Penny J., of Ogden, Utah, offers this unique suggestion: “If a kid who is too heavy to carry doesn’t want to walk anymore but isn’t tired, bribe him by offering him one M&M for every 20 steps he takes. Twenty steps is doable for any kid, especially if there is a reward at the end of it. Be careful, though – you don’t want every hike to be an M&M for every 20 steps beginning at the trailhead.”

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Always go over hiking safety with kids before taking your first step on the trail

It’s best to review hiking safety rules before leaving the house – but just before hitting the trailhead, a gentle reminder is a good idea. Through repetition, they’ll get it. Even my son at the age of three could tell me after a couple of hiking trips what to do if he saw a snake.

Some ground rules you need to cover include:
g Stay in sight of an adult at all times
g Only drink water we bring in
g What to do if they get lost
g Watch for poison ivy/oak/sumac
g What to do if they see a snake
g Where they should not go (also what not to climb, no stepping into water, stay away from cliff sides and other drop offs, etc.)
g Stay on the trail, no shortcuts

Cover anything else you feel is necessary.

As kids get older and have done several hikes, they probably don’t need to go over every item on the list or you can review the rules quite quickly.

Now herd the kids onto the trailhead!

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Putting on gear during a day hike with kids

Once you arrive at the hiking area, you’ll want to strap on your own gear – and that’s not so easy to do when you’re also trying to watch little ones and making sure they don’t discard clothing or gear you just make sure they had.

Double check so you haven’t left something valuable in the vehicle that needs to be taken on the trail, such as maps you used to reach the site, your mobile phone, your wallet, and trail mix your kids talked you into munching on early. Once you’ve done that, get your gear on.

When putting on the backpack, tighten the waist belt snug, then shift the pack as high on your shoulders as you can and tighten the belt again. This will provide better stability when walking and keep most of the weight on your hips rather than your shoulders, which would be tiring.

If you have a baby carrier, put on your fanny pack first, then situate and buckle up the child in the carrier. Next, put on the carrier, grab the trekking pole, and gather the kids around to go over safety rules (more about that in an upcoming blog entry!).

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Things to do with kids before hittin' the trail

When arriving where you plan to day hike with children, you'll want to take some basic steps to ensure everyone has the best hiking experience possible. Though everyone is eager to hit the trailhead, taking a few minutes for these simple, preparatory steps will prevent lots of headaches on the trail and hours of suffering afterward.

Begin by making sure each child is properly dressed. You did this at home, of course, but during the drive kids have a way of removing shoes and shocks and layers of clothing or of leaving their hats and sunglasses in the vehicle.

Next, apply sunscreen, lip balm and insect repellent to each child. Older elementary school kids probably can do their own (and teenagers certainly can), but you’ll need to at least talk younger kids through the steps and make sure they’ve been thorough. You can put on your sunscreen, lip balm and repellent with the kids. The order that you put on these items doesn’t matter.

Next, distribute the kids their gear, from daypacks to trekking poles. Make sure they put on the gear properly. If you don’t, you’ll either have to stop along the way and do it or you’ll have kids with sore backs, shoulders, necks, wrists or more.

Leave behind emergency information sheet

Leave an emergency information sheet on your dashboard before setting
off into the wilds on a hike. Photo courtesy of jquiz/Photoree.

Leave an emergency information sheet for each person going on the hike. Information on it should include medical conditions, insurance numbers, allergies, blood type, and emergency contact information. If you or one of the children should be injured, this is information that emergency responders, rescuers and medical personnel can use.

You might also leave a hiker’s safety form on the dashboard of your vehicle. When rangers pass your vehicle and see it, they’ll be able to read it and see if you are late in arriving.

The downside of the safety form is it also lets criminals know how long you’ll be gone, giving them ample opportunity to search through your vehicle after breaking in.

But if crime is not an issue at the park or area you’re heading into, use the safety form so long as children are with you. Check with rangers or local law enforcement to see if break-ins are a problem where you plan to hike.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

Arriving at the Trailhead Tip: Secure vehicle

When parking at the trailhead, keep valuables as the kids' such as CDs, DVDs, purses and video-games out of sight in your vehicle. Most parking areas are safe, but if you notice broken window glass on the ground, then a break-in probably occurred there recently.

Most such break-ins are smash-and-runs, so by forcing the robber to have to look through your vehicle for valuables, you're encouraging him to instead move on to another one.

Take your wallet and some emergency money with you on the hike. Your vehicle is more likely to be broken into than you are to be mugged on the trail.

You want to carry a credit card or some extra money with you in case of an emergency. If one of the kids breaks a leg and ends up in a local hospital, you'll need money at least to buy dinner for your other children.

Read more about day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.

On hike, let someone know you've arrived

So you've arrived at your hiking trail and are about to set out. Presuming you have mobile phone reception, first call a responsible party - who already knows where you're hiking - and let them know you have arrived at the trailhead. Remind them again of when you plan to return.

Make sure you stick to this schedule. If you haven't arrived home within an hour after the time you planned and have had no communication with this person since arriving at the trailhead, they should contact authorities (such as the park ranger or local sheriff's office) to report you lost. You also can sign the trail register, if one is available.

Read more about day hiking with children in the guidebook Hikes with Tykes.