Fun activity for hiking kids: Clay Ball

A clay ball can be great fun on a hiking trail.
Photo courtesy of Photoree.

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 Clay Ball.

Have children bring Play-Doh or clay with them. When they arrive at the trailhead, have them shape their Play-Doh or clay into a ball. While on the trail, they can collect objects to decorate their ball by inserting twigs, pine cones, pebbles, etc. into the clay. The ball might simply be decorative or it could be a a person/animal à la Mr. Potatohead. As the hike progresses and on the drive home, the Play-Doh or clay ball will dry and harden, resulting in a permanent decoration.

Materials: Play-Doh or clay, found objects on the trail

Ages: 3 or up

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