ZisBoomBah

Hiking is full of learning opportunities for kids. Most importantly, take only pictures and leave only footprints!

The air is starting to feel cooler, making it bearable to be outside. In some parts of the United States, green leaves on the trees are transforming into vivid shades of red, orange and yellow. And you, dear parents, want the family to hike along the various trails that zig zag across the nation to enjoy all that Autumn has to offer. But, your kids have other ideas. To them, hiking is boring. And, they would rather stay inside with the wide screen TV, or at most, play in the backyard.

I tracked down an outdoor expert and parents who have successfully hiked with their children along the Appalachian Trail, which winds through such states as Pennsylvania and Maryland, the footpaths of Lake Tahoe, Calif., and beyond. And, they have shared with ZisBoomBah their secrets for creating fun hikes. Perhaps their tips, outlined below, will help encourage your children to give hiking a shot.

Don’t just walk through nature. Talk about it! Ask your kids to find as many shades of green as they can in the forest. Have them run a net through the water and discuss what they catch. Bring a white cloth, place it under a bush, then shake the plant and talk about what falls out. “I bet there will be a lot of insects,” Jackie Nelson, environmental education supervisor for the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District in California, said. “With younger kids, you can talk about the colors and shapes. For older kids, legs and wings.” And don’t worry if you’re not an expert about plants, animals and bugs. “I think naming something is the least interesting,” Nelson said. “Watching it, feeling it, is really what’s key to being out there.”

Encourage kids to use their imagination. Randall and Miho, who have a five year old daughter and five month old son, said they encourage their daughter to use her imagination as a cure for boredom on a hike. “Though a hike may be fun for us, it may be incredibly boring for a five year old to look at the trees for a couple of hours,” according to Randall and Miho, whose family has hiked in both the U.S. and Japan. Kylie Cook-Gagnon — who has three year old daughter and two year old son — agrees. Cook-Gagnon tells her daughter, for example, to imagine that they are explorers while on a hike. And, Cook-Gagnon provides her daughter with the tools to play the part: a small pair of binoculars and a magnifying glass. “She even wore her ‘explorer’ shorts out on (the) last hike,” Cook-Gagnon said.

Say cheese! Kids will be tempted to pick flowers, take home leaves and throw rocks during the hike, according to Christy Hagen, an officer in the Navy who hikes with her husband and two kids in Oahu, Hawaii. However, Hagen said it’s important for children to respect the land. The solution? “Give them a camera and teach them to ‘Take only pictures and leave only footprints,’” said Hagen, who has a six year old daughter and 3 year old son.

Pick a location that’s bound to entertain. This is the strategy of Dawn Reeves, a reporter and editor for Inside Washington Publishers who has hiked with her family on the Appalachian Trail in Pennsylvania and takes long walks near their home in Maryland. According to Reeves, she doesn’t have to do anything special during a hike to entertain her sons, who are six years old and two years old, respectively. The sites along the routes her family walks along are enough to entertain the kids. One regular Sunday morning walk her family takes in Silver Spring, Md., for example, “starts off at a spillway which they think is way cool,” Reeves said. The family proceeds to walk along a stream where they can watch people fishing. “Then it starts to rise up a hill and we’ve seen cool snakes, birds and other animals, and at one point you have to wade a smaller feeder to the creek by stepping on stones.”

Know your kids’ limits. Your children may not be ready to conquer miles of terrain. As a result, parents should plan a hike that is short and compatible with their children’s abilities. Failing to realize when it’s time to turn around could lead to “a very grumpy party,” according to Hagen, the Navy officer who has two children. “Hiking with kids for us meant slowing down and shorter hikes in both distance and time,” said Hagen. That said, she recommends relishing these shorter hikes. “A child’s stride is smaller and they will see things you don’t and will want to stop to explore,” she said. “Enjoy this fact. You will notice bugs, rocks, flowers, the wind, and noises like you have never experienced them before.”

Teach your kids safety. While hiking can be fun, it’s important to remember that injuries and other emergencies can occur. Hagen recommends making sure your children know such skills as dialing 911 on the cell phone, knowing where the emergency supplies are in the backpack and how to safely cross a stream. The lessons, however, don’t have to be boring. “Make learning safety a game along the way,” Hagen said.