11 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Hiking With Your Kids

Going Too Fast

When hiking with kids, one of the biggest mistakes you can make is going too fast. Adults often hike with an end goal in mind- a destination, even if it’s just getting back to the trailhead. Kids don’t hike like that and for good reason. It’s not very fun! When you are hiking with children, you need to go at their pace. Be willing to stop and look at rocks, climb on fallen logs, and watch caterpillars. Not only with your children enjoy the hike and get more out of it, but you will probably learn something, too!

With children, a hike should look more like a wander, a saunter, or an explore. If you are willing to take each hike as an adventure with no specific destination, no timetable, and no goal in mind (other than enjoying each other and nature) your day will be much more successful, and your kids will be left with great memories.

Picking the Wrong Hikes

Another reason that your hike might go badly is that you chose the wrong trail to take. While there really aren’t any wrong hikes, there can be wrong hikes for your family, the weather, or the time you have. For example, you might not want to take your preschooler on a 4-mile trail for his first hike. You might also not have the best time if you choose to go hiking in the desert at midday during summer break. Finally, choosing a boring hike without anything interesting to do or see will likely backfire if you are hiking with kids of any age.

Choosing the best hike for each family, location, and situation isn’t easy as there is no one-size-fits-all approach. However, I have found that there are some kinds of hikes that just appeal to children. You can read all about how I choose the best hikes for children here.

Skipping Snacks

Don’t forget to bring snacks when you go hiking with children. The younger your kids are and the longer you will be out, the more snacks you should have. Bring healthy snacks that will help them stay energetic and will make them feel full. Snacks that combine protein with complex carbohydrates, such as peanut butter and crackers, or trail mix with fruit and nuts, are often the best way to keep everyone fueled and feeling good. Here is a list of some great hiking snack ideas.

Not Bringing Enough Water

Not bringing enough water, especially during warm weather, can go beyond frustration and inconvenience. If you forget a snack, you will be hungry. But if you forget to bring water, you might not be walking out. Dehydration can strike quickly, especially in areas that are hot, sunny, and dry. Even in cooler weather, water is important. You and your children will need more water than you usually need, and you might be surprised how quickly your supply is depleted. You should also bring extra water and keep it in your vehicle to drink after your hike is over.

Forgetting to Have Fun

When you are out hiking, it can be easy to get focused on the task at hand and forget to have fun. However, from a child’s point of view, a hike is a great adventure and full of endless opportunities to explore, learn about the world, and have fun. In a young child’s mind, adventures can happen at anytime and the imagination they bring with them offers great opportunities for having fun while in the outdoors. If you embrace this experience as an adventure and a chance to explore, you will probably enjoy it more, too. If you have run out of ways to have fun in the woods, here are some ideas.

Packing Too Much

Don’t pack too much when you are hiking, either for your children or for yourself. The general recommendation is not to carry more than 10-15% of your body weight. (Of course, this applies to a healthy weight. An overweight person shouldn’t carry extra weight in a pack.) If you are going on a short to medium-length hike, you shouldn’t need to carry too much. Carrying more than you need adds frustration and fatigue, and makes it hard to enjoy the trip.

Hiking for Too Long

If you hike for too long your children and you will not enjoy the experience. Make sure that you choose a hike that is an appropriate length for your children’s ages and experience and for the weather. If you are on vacation and have been having active, full days, you might want to find a shorter hike than you would if you were hiking on a regular weekend near home.

How do you know what length and level of trail is appropriate for your kids’ ages? First, assume that children can work up to a hike that is about the same number of miles as they are years old. So a 2-year-old can work up to a 2-mile hike. However, these aren’t distances that you want to attempt with a new, inexperienced hiker. Consider starting with a hike that is about half the recommended length, or even less, for your first few trips. Once you have a few hikes under your belt you will have a better idea of how much hiking is appropriate for your particular family.

Hiking in Poor Weather

Choosing to hike in weather that is hot, cold, windy, or wet is a good way to ensure that your children don’t have fun. Of course, many children learn to enjoy hiking in less-than-perfect weather. However, you shouldn’t do this with beginning hikers or very little ones. Not only will you risk them learning to hate hiking and nature, but you may also risk their health if it is too hot or cold to be safe.

In general, you should avoid hiking at all if the weather is too hot or too cold, even if your children are used to being outside. When hiking, there is no way to take breaks from the weather to warm up or cool off. In general, you shouldn’t be hiking if it is more than 90°F or less than 32°F. If you want more information, here are two articles I wrote about hiking in the cold and the heat.

Expecting Too Much

Another sure way to have frustrated children and adults is to go on a hike with huge expectations. Whether you are expecting to see or experience certain things on the hike itself, or whether you are expecting things out of your children and yourself, if your experience doesn’t live up to the expectations, it’s a recipe for disappointment.

I have experienced disappointment on hikes when I expected my children to enjoy a location or situation more than they did. When you are hoping for a happy family day, but your children end up bickering or complaining, it’s easy to be frustrated. I have also experienced this when a trail, waterfall, or view was supposed to be better than it turned out to be. Try to lower your expectations and resolve to take the day as it comes. Being in the wilderness is an adventure, and it’s best to approach it as such.

Not Dressing for the Occasion

If you don’t dress properly for your outdoor adventure, you can’t expect it to go very well. First, make sure that you dress yourself and your children in layers. Dressing in layers allows you to remove or replace layers as the weather changes or as you get warm from exertion. In addition to wearing layers, you should also consider bringing waterproof layers if there is any chance of rain, hats if it is hot and sunny, and proper footwear. You don’t have to have specialized hiking boots, but you and your children should have comfortable athletic shoes with good traction and support.

Forgetting to Prepare Well

You need to adequately prepare for any hike. As always, the single most important way to prepare for your hike is to tell someone when and where you are going and when you will be back. Consider also leaving a note on your car or at the trailhead if the person you notified might not know right away if you don’t return, for example, if they don’t live with you. If your trailhead has a sign-in station, don’t forget to sign in and out.

if you are going to be out for more than half an hour to an hour, or if the weather is warm or cool, or if you are traveling in a wilderness area or to a location where you might not encounter any other people, you need to take extra precautions. Prepare for inclement weather by dressing in layers and consider taking an extra layer of clothing in case it gets cloudy, wet, or windy. If it is warm or sunny, bring more water than you expect. If you are hiking with children, bring a lightweight, basic first-aid kit. Alternatively, keep a first-aid kit in your vehicle and bring bandaids and a few other basic supplies with you in your pack.

It is possible to prepare for a hike without overloading your pack. The essentials that you should have on any hike are:

• Water
• A way to orient yourself (such as a phone with GPS or a map)
• Basic first aid (bandages, antibiotic cream, bug bite cream, etc.)
• Essential clothing
• A flashlight

You should also pack more if you are planning to hike in hot or cold weather, if there is a chance for rain, or if you are going to be out on a longer hike in a less-frequented area:

• Extra water and snacks
• Extra clothing as needed for the weather (socks if you might get wet, sweaters, perhaps a lightweight blanket for small children)
• A larger first-aid kit
• A way to light a fire or a heat source
• Basic survival supplies