Hiking With Children

[hiking_and_biking]

Originally Posted by Miley

I think kids and hiking, can go either way. It all depends on the personality of the child. .

I agree with you there. I'm all about teaching your children to get out and about and I'm definitely all about encouraging exercise and connecting with nature, but there's nothing I hate worse that being within earshot of a spoiled brat on a nature trail, whining and complaining b/c their parents "made me come on this stupid hike"!! (True story.)

[pastywhite]

I enjoy taking my kids with me but it is a lot of work. I think it is easier to take 4-5 of them since they seem to keep themselves entertained. When it's just my kids they are done after about 3 miles but I have gotten them to do almost 8 miles with friends.

[ChadTower]

Well it depends on the age of the kid and their experience level. They are like adults that way. You can't expect a kid who isn't used to hiking to do an 8 mile out and back. It's asking too much of them just like it is with an adult.

I have yet to meet a kid that, given an appropriate hike in a good place, does not enjoy it. Just like anyone else some need to be eased into it more than others, and some need more personal attention than others, but they all find some reason to get into it. They key is not interfering with whatever style they have for interacting with their surroundings. Some are purely driving to see what is next. Go, go, go! Others want to stop and examine things every 500 feet.

I remember on Mt Monadnock in NH a few years ago my older son found an orange salamander crossing the trail. He loved that thing and for 30 minutes it was his whole world. A first all I could think about was dwindling sunlight and how many miles we had left. After ten minutes of that, though, I said screw it look how happy he is, I want some of that. I sat down with him and watched the salamander crawl across the trail. I would never have done that if I were by myself and that's one of my favorite hiking memories of the last few years.

[oldmangunner]

I think starting young is the best way to go. We started with our kids before they could walk. Little by little they walked more and more. Now all of our children love the outdoors. If you take a child who has never been hiking you can not expect too much of them.