activities to keep your children busy during hikes and walks

8 Activities to get your kids into hiking

Do you know about Geocaching? Do you know how to build a shack? Discover 8 activities to get your kids into hiking.

IF YOU DECIDE TO GO HIKING WITH YOUR PRE-TEENS, PLAN SOME FUN, MOTIVATING ACTIVITIES TO AVOID SEEING THEM DRAG THEIR FEET AFTER JUST FIVE MINUTES.

Children need a succession of small challenges that are quickly over to remain focused during a walk and manage their excess energy. It's also an opportunity for you to revisit your childhood and spend some special moments with them.

A little tip: invite at least one of your child's friends so that they have a really unforgettable day. Nothing beats spending these moments with people your age.

8 ACTIVITIES TO GET YOUR KIDS INTO HIKING

Building a shack

Materials:

- A very long and strong branch
- Two strong Y-shaped branches
- Branches of different lengths



Duration and number of people:

- 30 min / 2 people



Stage 1: Look for very solid wood, a long branch for the top of the shack, two Y-shaped branches to support it and many branches in different sizes to make the two walls.

Step 2: Plant one end of the longest and strongest branch and support the other end with two Y-branches.

Step 3: Cover the sides with all the other branches.

Step 4: Cover the frame with leaves or snow, depending on the season.

8 ACTIVITIES TO GET YOUR KIDS INTO HIKING

Telling the time with the sun and your hands

Materials:

- Your two hands
- An open view



Duration and number of people:

5 min / 1 people



Step 1: Find an open place and stand facing the sun.

Step 2: Place your hand with your palm facing you, fingers together, with the base of your little finger on the horizon.

Step 3: Place one hand over the other until you reach the sun.

Step 4: Count the number of hands and fingers between the horizon and sun, 1 finger = 15 minutes.

8 ACTIVITIES TO GET YOUR KIDS INTO HIKING

Making drinking water

Materials:

- A plastic bottle
- Scissors
- Gravel
- Sand
- Charcoal
- A piece of fabric



Duration and number of people:

1 hour / 2 people

Warning, always do this activity with an adult.Do not drink filtered water if you have the slightest doubt.



Step 1: Cut the bottom off the plastic bottle.

Step 2: Place the bottle head down and in this order, place the piece of fabric, a layer of charcoal, a layer of sand, a layer of gravel.

Step 3: Pour water through the top of the bottle and wait for it to pass through the bottle. Collect it in a container.

Step 4: Do not hesitate to re-filter it as many times as required.

8 ACTIVITIES TO GET YOUR KIDS INTO HIKING

Build a water mill

Materials:

- A round cheese box
- A wooden crate
- A wooden skewer
- A saw
- Glue
- Two Y-shaped branches of the same length



Duration and number of people:

45 min / 2 people including an adult



Step 1: Cut the crate to make 8 strips, add a notch to assemble them to the cheese box.

Step 2: Make a hole in the middle of the cheese box and fit the skewer through it.

Step 3: Insert and stick the strips of wood on the cheese box.

Step 4: Place it on the two Y-shaped pieces of wood in a river, low enough for the water to push on the strips.

8 ACTIVITIES TO GET YOUR KIDS INTO HIKING

Start a photo safari on instagram

Materials:

- Sheets of thick paper
- A pencil
- Scissors
- A box cutter
- A smartphone



Duration and number of people:

- 30 minutes or until the day of walking is over / 1 or more



Step 1: Cut out the names of objects or colours to find during the hike (example: a pine tree, bark, bird, water, blue, green, etc).

Step 2: Hand out the cards to participants.

Step 3: Take a photo of the things behind the photo to see them through the cut-out words and share with friends on Instagram.

Step 4: Reward the most beautiful photos and the ones with the most likes on Instagram.

8 ACTIVITIES TO GET YOUR KIDS INTO HIKING

Making a crown of flowers

Materials:

- Daisies~ (or any other flower if they are not a protected species and have long flexible stems)



Duration and number of people:

10 min  / 1 person

Step 1: Pick the daisies, making sure the stem is long enough.

Step 2: Tie a daisy around the stem of another daisy.

Step 3: Bring the two stems together around another daisy and so on then close the crown by sliding the remaining stems into those of the first daisies.

8 ACTIVITIES TO GET YOUR KIDS INTO HIKING

Play detective with animal prints

Materials:

- A printoscope (download below)



Duration and number of people:

-Throughout the duration of the hike / 1 person minimum



Step 1: Keeps your eyes open and look for animal prints in the ground or snow

Step 2: Look for the matching print in the printoscope. The one who finds the most prints wins.

8 ACTIVITIES TO GET YOUR KIDS INTO HIKING

Find little treasures with geocaching

Materials:

- A smartphone
- The geocaching application (download below)
- A pencil or a pen


Duration and number of people:

30 minutes - 1 hour / 1 person minimum


Step 1: Connect to the application and look for hiking places near you.

Step 2: Solve the puzzle to get to the hidden object.

Step 3: After finding the hiding place, note that you have been there on the paper and put the box back in its place for the next Geocachers.

Equip your child from head to toe

And you, what is your favourite activity when you go walking with your children?

8 ACTIVITIES TO GET YOUR KIDS INTO HIKING

Margaux

HIKING ADVICE EDITOR

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