Kids ages nine to twelve, or “tweens” can be fantastic hiking companions, but sometimes they are also relentless whiners. Here are some tips to make your hikes this season a fun experience for everyone.
Choose Your Hike Wisely
One of the most important keys to a successful hike is choosing a hike that’s the right length with a great view. The view is the reward, so be sure to choose a hike with a vista.
If it’s your child’s first hike, I would choose a hike no more than three miles. If they have one or two under their belts, then you can notch it up.
Give yourself plenty of time. Some kids have lots of energy and will run up most of the trail, but they still like to explore cool rock formations, stop to pick up toads, and just sit and have a snack. At some point even your highly active ten year old might get a bit tuckered out and slow their pace.
Other kids are simply not very active. Hiking is perfect for kids who don’t enjoy sports. For these kids, choose a short hike first, and follow it up a week later with a hike that’s a little bit longer. In Maine, the perfect hikes for beginners are in the Kennebec Highlands and on the coast. Try the Beehive on MDI or the Camden Hills. Another option is to hike to waterfalls or unique geologic sites, such as Piazza Rock in Rangeley, Maine or Daggett Rock in Phillips. There are so many spectacular waterfalls in western Maine, and most of them do not require much elevation gain . Get out your Gazeteer and take a road trip, or contact a guide to show you the way.
Plan Together/Forced Choice
Forced choice is a sneaky and effective trick known to most parents and teachers. Brush your teeth first or take a bath? Walk the dog or do the dishes? The child feels more empowered because they are allowed to choose between two or three options, instead of just being told what to do.
Forced choice can be used when selecting where to hike. Once you have narrowed your list down to two choices, let your children help decide. Pull out maps if they are interested, or let them check out the destinations using Google Earth. Have them navigate Maine Trail Finder or the trail location website for your state. (Is everyone as lucky as Mainers are to have such an outstanding resource?)
A Little Something Special
When we want our kids to enjoy something as much as we do, we need to build in as many positive associations as possible. Ski instructors are masters of this; every lesson seems to involve hot cocoa and cookies, songs, games, and general merriment that has little to do with skiing. With hiking, buying your child a little something special for the hike is a nice touch. One thing every person should have is a whistle. Teach your children not to blow it unless they are in danger or lost: three blasts in a row, then pause for five counts, and blow three times again. Here are some other purchases that would be useful to a hiker, are fun, and build excitement around the activity:
bird call (This is one of my all time favorite things to give kids, but parents have told me that the sound drives them crazy and their child uses it nonstop.)
small notebook and pencil (waterproof paper is cool)
trinkets for geocaching (Many hikes have a geocache. Start here at geocaching.com)
small Swiss Army Knife or multitool
field guide cards (like these from Acorn Naturalists)
magnifying glass and specimen jar
a camera (You might have an old digital camera kicking around. Taking photos with a camera instead of a phone is novel to many kids today.)
survival kit (This is a great project to do with your kids, and they can help decide what to include. There are many articles online with suggestions for what to include.)
special hiking socks
a bandana
camelback or other hydration system
compass (although a bubble or button compass that you pin to your shirt is not helpful for accurate navigation on an azimuth, it’s an excellent tool for paying attention to direction. Every once in a while ask your child, “What direction are we walking in now?”)
I always have kids carry a pill bottle with a plastic bag shoved inside to collect trash they find along the way.
Boredom Busters
What?! How could someone get bored hiking?? Kids do. And if you hear, “I’m bored,” don’t reprimand your child, engage them. Don’t ask them if they want to, for example, play “Twenty Questions.” Instead, launch right into the game or tell them a joke or riddle. If they moan, I used to say, “Come on, it’s forced family fun time!” and before he knew it, my son was playing along as our feet carried us onward.
Play “20 Questions”
play “Would You Rather”
tell jokes or riddles
talk about your shared favorite tv shows or books…ask them which character they would want to be most, what they would have done differently, what do they predict will happen next, etc.
Sing songs such as as the “Name Game” or “Bohemian Rhapsody” or any song you know by heart.
Make up a story together, about a kid who goes on a hike with their parents and everything is going fine UNTIL. Pass the story along.
Pacing and Breaks
Pacing: Do not rush your child. It’s your job to choose a hike short enough to take your time. They will generally keep up with you if you slow your normal pace. Look at how small they are…cut them some slack and relax. There will be plenty of time to hike with them when they leave you in the dust. If you put your time in now. That means make it fun and don’t push them. Plus, you might be delighted by the things you notice when you slow down.
At some point your child will ask how much longer. It’s fine. Sometimes it’s as though they are busy CEOs with a 3:00 meeting.
There is no formula for how often to stop. Pay attention to your kids’ energy level and when you see them tripping more or looking tired, take a break, especially to drink water. Sit in the shade, chat, have a snack and a drink.
Another good time to take a break is right before or right after a really steep part of the hike. With some groups of kids, we’ve scrambled up a steep part one at a time while the others cheer them on. One of my campers would exclaim, “Beast mode!” and motor right up the incline. At the top, fist punching the sky, she was mighty. It turned into a chant for these 12 year old girls: “Beast mode! Beast mode! Beast mode!” as they pushed themselves up the toughest parts of the trail.
Be sure your kids are hydrated. Insist on water breaks. If you can get your child a water bottle with a tube, it may help them to remember to drink lots of water. They love the novelty of these. However, even with thorough washing, sometimes these hydration systems leave a funny taste in the water that kids are more sensitive to than adults. A little lemon juice can help.
The Power of Friends
The easiest way to increase your child’s enjoyment while hiking? Let them bring a friend. The friend should have about the same energy/fitness level as your child. If you don’t want to be responsible for another child, inviting another fun adult can sometimes be just the change in dynamics to make a day go more smoothly. Invite a friend who interacts with your child, of course.
Hiring a guide is also a great way to take the pressure off you. It’s a guide’s job to keep your whole party safe and to help everyone have a great time, including the kids. It’s our job to answer questions, tell stories, share our knowledge of nature, tie shoes, tend to injuries, remind to drink water, and lay down the law: ie.) no complaining. No whining.
The Power of Chocolate
For me, chocolate is a must-have trail food when hiking with kids. Unlike in the 70s when we could eat a candy bar every day for all our parents cared, today’s parents limit the sugar their children eat. Which is great, and makes chocolate even more special when hiking. It has a little caffeine and of course sugar, which gives kids a boost. It seems to be a mood elevator too. When you take a break, give the kids a Hershey Kiss or a small square of chocolate. Or, take along a high-calorie special sweet treat that you don’t normally have.
Celebration
You’ve reached the top! It’s a huge moment. From one parent to another, who has watched her son grow up way too fast, take it in, slow down. Bask in it.
Okay, now whip out your phone and take a million photos.
As I said in the beginning, the vista is the big pay off, but if you take this one step further your kids may want to continue to hike even more. Here are some ideas for celebrating and continuing the momentum:
go out for ice cream or burgers right from the hike (be sure to make a toast!)
look at the pictures you took on a screen bigger than your phone’s
buy a map and have your kids highlight the trails you hike
Make simple walking sticks and put a notch in for each hike
If you or your kids enjoy crafts, design a wooden nickel with Sharpies for each peak bagged and keep them in a special pouch. The Carrabassett Valley Adventure Camp collected Crown Royal bags from local restaurants, added a special patch to each one for their “Peak Baggers.”
And still, S@#& happens. If you have to turn back, who cares? If the kids bicker and whine despite your best efforts, well, that’s family for you. When you reflect in the car ride home, focus on the good. Try to laugh about the mishaps. You have masses of parents and educators right in the same boat with you. Think of it like offering vegetables…it’s likely that eventually your kids will like it.
