Hiking with toddlers can be a total crapshoot. There are many variables, and like most activities with kiddos, it’s important to plan and prepare appropriately. However, getting little kids out on the trails and seeing their excitement over a really cool rock, or a tiny little ant on the trail can be extremely rewarding! Their excitement, curiosity, and sense of adventure is infectious. Some of my favorite days with my kids are our “adventure trail” days, ending with a wonderful collection of cool rocks growing in our study!
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Hiking with Toddlers
Here are 8 tips that will help you make the most of your family hikes:
1. Plan your route, and have a backup (or 2). One of your first considerations for planning where to take toddlers hiking is safety. Make sure you choose a trail that isn’t too steep, slippery, really close to fast water, or close to any major drop-offs. Do a little research and look for a potential alternate trail or activity nearby in case you have an early meltdown or it’s just too crowded or closed. Maybe there’s a playground nearby, or a lake for skipping rocks. Having a fun back-up option might just save the day!
2. Start out on a short, flat, and relatively easy trail. Ease them into hiking with something small. They still get to experience being out on the trail – the fresh air, breeze, and sunshine, but you’re also always pretty close to the car/ranger station/home, just in case someone is truly uncomfortable. And on that note, listen to them. If they’re not having fun, try to find out why and provide a solution. Ultimately though, understand that it just might not be their day for a hike. I want them to enjoy being outside and exploring new places on trails, and forcing them to go on a hike when they don’t want to might have the opposite effect.
3. Bring plenty of snacks and water. A hungry toddler is rarely in a good mood, or in the mood for adventure. Pack their favorite snacks, or introduce them to fun trail snacks like trail mix, dehydrated fruit, or granola bars. Mine get excited for the trail snacks, it’s something special that they don’t regularly eat at home.
4. Let them carry a small backpack. Our 2 and 4 year old are at the stages where they love to do what mom and dad do. We always plan to have enough space in one of our daypacks to carry their little packs, but I’ve found that they really enjoy it! Keep it super light, maybe just let them carry one or two of their snacks, but let them be part of the back-pack carrying team! These little Camelbak hydration packs are perfect. They’re small, but let your kids carry some of their own water, with room for a few snacks. They LOVE the “fire hose” to drink from!
5. Sun protection. Make sure each little hiker has a hat, sunscreen, or spf clothing to help protect that baby soft skin. Sunburn and heat exhaustion can really sneak up on toddlers. Oftentimes they don’t realize their skin is burning or they’re getting dehydrated. Check in with them regularly and make sure everyone is drinking enough water.
6. Bring appropriate layers. If there is potential for high winds, rain, or it’s a little chilly outside, remember their rain/wind jackets! My kiddos don’t mind a little drizzle when we’re out, as long as they’re protected.
7. Appropriate footwear. I’ve found that hiking boots for kids are great in theory, and they sure are cute, but they’re not always practical. They’re usually bulky, ill-fitting, and end up causing more trips and falls. Let them wear their favorite sneakers. Their normal outdoor or play shoes are probably just fine, and your kids are used to wearing them. Unless you’re going on a major expedition, or doing a Patagonia photo shoot, stick with their worn-in sneakers.
8. Hype them up! We try talk to them about the hike, what they might see on the trail, the benefits of exercise and fresh air, etc… Then I try to make a short list of items they might see, like a certain type of tree, flower, or bug, and turn it into a scavenger hunt. It gets them engaged and excited – I’m all about making them happy on the trails.
That’s my list! Depending on their ages and where you’re planning on hiking, there will be more things you should consider, but this list is generally a great place to start. Let me know if you have any more tips for hiking with toddlers, or tell me about your adventures!
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