Day Hiking Trails: Fun game for kids on day hike: On Time

Monday, October 29, 2012

Fun game for kids on day hike: On Time

"2 minutes, 45 second!"

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 On Time.

Give each child a set amount of time, such as “2 minutes, 45 seconds.” You then head down the trail about 30-50 yards (but not out of sight of the child). Without looking at a watch, the child must walk to you in the amount of time you listed. If there is more than one child, turn it into a friendly competition by giving children different times and seeing which one arrives closest to the time you gave them.

Materials: Watch (for adult)

Ages: 9 and up

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

Meet the Author

My name is Rob Bignell. I'm a long-time hiker, journalist and editor. My son Kieran and I have been hiking together for the past decade. Before Kieran, I taught middle school students in New Mexico and Wisconsin, served as an infantryman in the Army National Guard, and worked in newspapers. I've won several journalism awards, from editorial writing to sports reporting. In 2001, The Prescott Journal, which I served as managing editor of, was named Wisconsin’s Weekly Newspaper of the Year. Currently I own and operate an online editing business, Inventing Reality Editing Service. After spending several years in Southern California, my son and I now live in Wisconsin on the scenic Red Cedar River.