How do you motivate kids while hiking?

How do you motivate kids while hiking?

Mountain guide Loïc shares some tips on how to encourage your children to go hiking... again and again!

Taking your children outdoors to discover nature means offering them an adventure rich in discovery and memories. However, going hiking with your kids can sometimes prove to be challenging, especially if they lose heart when pushed physically, or tend to lose their enthusiasm quickly. Between complaints of feeling tired, boredom setting in, and wanting to turn back, it’s not always easy to keep their spirits high. So how can you turn a simple walk into a true family expedition?

Child playing in a field

Adapted objectives in an imaginary world

Having a good reason to hike is key to motivating children to get to the top. Kitted out in their hiking boots, sunglasses on the tip of their noses, and covered in sunscreen, the little ones are starting to look like great adventurers! However, they don’t yet have our strength or our endurance. That’s why it’s so important to consider their physical capabilities when setting the goal for the day. If the goal is too hard or too long, we could lose our children’s interest along the way.

Let’s consider the type of goal. A mountain top, lake or mountain hut may be good examples, but for the younger ones, it’s more effective to choose goals that appeal to the imagination. In this sense, you’ll need to be creative. One technique involves narrating the hike. So as your sports activity unfolds, you venture further into the story. For example, you could run into trolls, unicorns or other mythical creatures along the way.

The aim is to break it up into different sections: you make your way towards the next destination for the next part of the story. As the pages turn, the children’s steps lead to the next, and they start hurrying to find out the ending. This type of adventure offers much enjoyment, while building their confidence and inner motivation.

Sport and motivation are closely linked. Doing a form of sport in a fun setting helps to create a source of positive motivation. By giving children suitable challenges that stimulate their imagination, we’re giving them the opportunity to stay motivated and appreciate every moment of their sports adventure.

Finally, it’s important to share this experience with others, whether family or friends. Working together as a team can also motivate them and allow them to discover the pleasure of sport, while also having fun. With this advice, your little ones will not only achieve their sports goals, they’ll also excel and feel good in both body and mind.

Child playing while hiking and looking through a magnifying glass

Observing bugs and pretending to be Sherlock.

Exploring and observing: pretending to be a budding detective can be an excellent way to motivate children to set off on a hike. However, to pique their curiosity, it’s vital that you help them to observe the interesting objects surrounding them. To do this, you need some basic knowledge about the natural environment around you. So first stock up on anecdotes and surprising facts about the “little” creatures that you may meet along the way.

There’s an array of resources on this, either in the library or online. For example, you can have a look through a nature-inspired magazine which has a special edition for children. Out in the field, you can go in search of all kinds of animals and bugs, and trace back to these specimens. That said, the exploration is always more interesting when it ends with a tangible observation. To prevent the disappointment of finding nothing while trying to track down a mountain goat or other four-legged mammal, insects are an excellent compromise.

Easily observable, they often offer unsuspecting treasures. Let’s take ants, for example. The way they structure their society, their habitat and their abilities could amaze your children. Learning that they possess superhero strength and that their home, an anthill, is a lot more organised than just a pile of the haphazard twigs you see can make the search for these insects exciting.

With this little tip, the hike turns into a captivating intrigue. It is broken up by breaks to observe and explore, which may take up a bit of time, but this could be a source of immense joy for children. They’re sure to ask for another getaway in the great outdoors, eager to continue their sports adventures, while turning themselves into budding detectives.

How do you motivate kids while hiking?

Thinking up a creative, easy-to-achieve hike

Land art, Wild painting, and more... does that ring a bell? At the crossroads between an outing and an artist’s workshop. A hike that includes Land Art or Wild Painting sessions can motivate children to go hiking. These activities allow you to transform each outing into a creative adventure, while also adding a reason to walk and explore nature.

Land Art involves using natural elements (preferably already dead or dropped, to prevent picking the surrounding vegetation) to create a scene. This allows us to construct, on the ground, a whimsical work from twigs, rocks, branches or any other object encountered along the way. This process becomes a little game for our little ones, who set out to discover everything they may need to express their imagination during the lunch break. By including Land Art into your outing, you’re helping your children to gain confidence in their creative abilities, while also getting them to practice a sports activity at the same time.

Wild Painting involves creating a drawing on a blank leaf, using pigments you can find out in nature. Leaves, petals, earth, wood become colouring pencils. This sports adventure encourages children to walk along paths, like explorers, in search of the right colours that will allow them to create the drawing of their choice. This takes some time, but it’s time your children spend understanding the richness living in their surroundings, while having fun.

These art practices serve to bolster children’s inner motivation to practice a sport, as they offer the opportunity to achieve something tangible. Having fun while doing it is key: it’s a case of creating positive memories and associating the hike with happy moments. By setting creative goals along your hiking route, you can keep children motivated and encourage them to explore more.

A treasure hunt, an activity out in nature

Turning your hike into a real treasure hunt, a captivating adventure that encourages children to explore nature while having fun. Imagine the scene: little adventurers, kitted out in their hiking boots, making their way along paths, eager to unearth the next hidden treasure. To motivate children, choose an itinerary in line with their capabilities and prepare a list of objects to discover, such as a feather or coloured stone. Each goal becomes an opportunity for excitement... their motivation grows as they discover each element.

As they continue along the path, each discovery becomes a victory. And to spice it up even further, link each object to a little story. An oak leaf could symbolise a magic tree, while an animal spoor takes them a step further into the mystical world of forests. Every step leads them towards a new adventure, and the little ones quicken their pace to find the next clue. This practice also encourages physical activity and helps children to feel in good shape, thereby contributing towards their health and well-being.

Treasure hunts also encourage team spirit. By getting into groups, they share their findings, share ideas and mutually encourage one another. This creates shared moments and laughter, turning the hike into an unforgettable experience. The spirit of friendly competition can also motivate children to go above and beyond, training together to reach their goals.

At the end of the day, children will not only remember the objects that they find, but also the stories they’ve created together. This experience teaches them to appreciate the beauty of nature, to develop their curiosity and strengthen family bonds, while cultivating their taste for adventure. Practising a sports adventure in this fun context is a source of motivation that encourages them to want to rediscover nature and keep their enthusiasm for sport. So prepare yourself to set off to seek those rare gems, and create unforgettable memories together out in nature!

How do you motivate kids while hiking?

Become an exploring scientist

To add a captivating, educational aspect to the hike, suggest that your child pretends to be an exploring scientist. With notebook under arm, a magnifying glass and a plant or insect guide, they’ll be able to observe and identify the natural elements they come across on the path. Encourage them to jot down their discoveries, draw the leaves or insects they encounter, or even collect some little samples such as stones or fallen leaves (respecting the environment, of course). This activity offers them the opportunity to develop their curiosity about natural sciences, raising their awareness about biodiversity, turning each hike into a real nature expedition!

There is no miraculous recipe to make sure your little ones have fun when hiking with you, but these few tips can help them get to the top. A far cry from the bustle of Disneyland, tranquillity in the mountains and yet ever so close to the very same imaginary world... a storytelling hike appeals to children like none other. Observing small creatures or playing with nature are also techniques that make them smile and give them incentive to walk. Many other tips exist to motivate those little ones into walking. This list is not exhaustive. Now it is your turn to play, or should we rather say: hike!

Photo of the Quechua and Forclaz design offices in the Mountain Store

The hiking and camping editorial team

Designed and tested in the mountains, our Quechua products are designed to meet the needs of hikers of all levels. We draw on our experience to ensure your safety and comfort, so that every outing is a pleasurable experience connecting with nature.

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