What I learned from hiking with my kid for 6 weeks

We had an amazing summer!

After these 1.5 crazy years, we were so ready to get out there again, to explore, to roam and to just be free. We decided to go all in and went to Slovenia for 6 full weeks – determined to hike every day. Me and my daughter love hiking and exploring new areas by foot, so this did not seem too crazy when we planned it. Well, at least according to our standards.

So how did it go?

It actually went great! Hiking with kids still is one of our favorite hobbies, and we got to experience so many adventures and see new things. I cannot count the waterfalls we saw, the amazing paths we walked and the times we were just sitting in awe. The proud look in my daughters’ eyes after managing to walk a super challenging path or climbing a difficult passage is priceless – so is the excitement she felt while we were rafting and canyoning.

But there were some things that I learned about hiking with kids in these six weeks that I want to share with you. Some things that just made things easier for us and that will make them easier for you as well when you go out with your little ones. Being on the treks for six weeks nonstop as a family has taught me a lot and made me see many things more clearly, so here goes:

Don’t be afraid to change plans

This is one of the most important takeaways for me: When hiking with kids, especially when hiking for several days, don’t be afraid to change plans and to adjust. When your kids (or you) are tired, there is no harm in cutting the day short! When the weather is not looking promising, why push it? Or when something better and more interesting comes up, why stick with the original plan? The harm that you will do by pushing it through at all cost is always higher than trying to adjust.

When you force your kids to hike longer than they are ready for, it will be much more difficult to motivate them the next day. But when you show them that you see and understand them and that you are able to make compromises, it will energize them – and you – for the next part of your adventure.

Take snacks. And more snacks

I think this is one of the most important tips for hiking with kids – take enough food! Being hungry – and subsequently becoming hangry – is such a buzzkill when on a hike, and kids often do not have the ability to just ignore it. I always pack a lot of food and then some when we go, which has saved us a couple of times when things were about to go south. When you have some extra, you will also be able to deal better with changes of plans, particularly if you stay out longer than you had anticipated.

Healthy snacks are important, but sometimes the only thing that does the trick for us is chocolate. I think it is fine to take in some sugar when you are outside all day, walking and moving, so this has worked pretty well for us. But obviously it does not have to be chocolate, I just think its important to motivate kids on hikes with something they really love to eat – if that is a healthy snack without sugar, even better.

Leave enough time for breaks

When you plan your hikes, leave enough time for breaks. Never assume that you will just be walking – if there is something interesting, you should have enough time to check it out. When you hike along a river, assume you will spend time swimming or at least splashing around. When you hike through a forest, leave time to climb trees. When you hike through rocky terrain, make sure your kids get to climb some rocks. This will make the hike with kids so much more enjoyable and easy, because they will actually be doing something they enjoy along the way.

So many times, I have seen families trying to drag their kids along on the trail when they just wanted to take a break and play. This way, of course it’s a struggle. To avoid this, one of my tips for hiking with kids is to budget enough time for these unexpected breaks from the get go. Sometimes that will mean a much shorter hike, but isn’t a short and fun one better than a long one filled with complaining and whining?

I think we all know the answer to that…

Dive deep into story time

Telling stories is the thing that has kept us going through the most difficult hikes, because as long as she can listen to something, my daughter just keeps going. So now, knowing this, I prepare. Knowing stuff about the area we go to, some legends or myths, or even some stories from history helps me so much to keep her interested. She will ask questions, listen to the stories, think about them – and cover mile after mile while doing this.

Slovenia is full of great stories and fairy tales, so this was easy this time. We got a couple of books at the local tourist office with myths from the region and explored the areas with these stories in mind. When we cannot find resources like this, just telling her stories I know also helps. One of my favorite memories is me telling her the entire Lord of the Rings Saga while descending form the Everest Basecamp – it took me three days, but it was such a great experience for both of us.

So, my advice is to prepare for hikes with kids by making a list of things you can talk about. Its easy if you have stories to tell, but you could also ask questions, make plans, play games – whatever gets your kids to listen and engage.

Don’t be afraid to be silly

This is something I really have to learn – sometimes it´s great to be silly with your kids when hiking. It will really motivate them and they will join in quickly. Walk weird, take silly pictures, sing and laugh – just do what you feel like that very moment. In our six weeks, there were some situations when the mood was going to change, but I was able to change that quickly by just acting silly with my kid. Sometimes she started it and was so happily surprised when I joined in, that her entire face lit up.

Being on a hike and spending all this time together is the perfect opportunity to change things up and to get away from the grind of daily routines. And doing this even made our bond stronger – even though I foresee much less use for this technique once puberty hits…

Cherish that time together

I am sure our children feel if we are enjoying things and will follow suit. I loved these six weeks. I enjoyed every minute with my daughter, as we don’t get to spend as much time together as we used to due to school and work schedules. These days out and about were so precious to me, and I am sure my daughter felt just the same. When you stop thinking about all the things you want to do and focus on just being in the moment and being together, you will surely have a great time together.

Of course, the six weeks did not go down without discussions or even a couple of screaming matches – we both have a temper. But in general, we enjoyed each other’s company so much, particularly being out in nature and exploring new paths together. One big part definitely was letting go of expectations – expectations to cover a specific distance, expectations to always be on track with the plan and to always act “grown up”.

I can only recommend hiking with kids for extended periods of time. You develop routines, you get super fit and start focusing on the important things. You start to see details of your surroundings that would have escaped your attention before, and you start to really enjoy the company. I would not want to give up these six weeks for anything in the world!