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Über Stock und über Stein: Tipps für einen Wandertag mit Kindern

Over hill and dale: Tips for a hiking day with children

by Kerstin Schallaböck in KAMI SKINCARE BLOG

summertime – hiking season. Parents who love hiking often struggle with how to get their children excited about their hobby. Today, Dr. Kerstin Schallaböck, general practitioner, mother of four, and founder of KAMI skincare, shares her experiences and tips on hiking with children:

A hike, especially with small children, can be fun, but also very strenuous, even if the little ones can already walk longer distances themselves. Even children of kindergarten age sometimes give up after a short time. To avoid this and, above all, not to spoil their joy in movement, even small things help.

My tips for planning a hike with children:

  • Choose realistic routes, with the youngest child as the benchmark. As commendable as it is to hike with children: It is better to go out into the fresh air several times and plan small routes and activities, than to overwhelm everyone in one day.
  • If it gets hot, plan shady routes in the forest. (Always apply sunscreen beforehand AND bring it with you, of course!)
  • The destination should be interesting for children: a great forest playground, an imposing summit cross, a small stream, or a hut that offers their favorite food. Beautiful scenery is – and I say this from experience – rather uninteresting for children.
  • Many hiking regions offer special activities for children; inquire beforehand at the hotel or tourist office. There are also special children's guides (further links below).
  • If there is a cable car, spare the children the strenuous ascent and opt for a high-altitude hike instead. There are beautiful viewpoints, often also playgrounds and/or nature trails. Often, cable car tickets are included in the region's tourism offerings (e.g., Hochkönig or Schladming Card).
  • Games while walking distract from the effort and duration. We always play the word chain game with various themes like first names, fruits/vegetables, countries/cities, etc. The youngest child starts with a word, e.g., their first name, and the next person has to find a new name starting with the last letter (Anna – Andrew – Wendy…).
  • Tell sagas and fairy tales: Research what sagas exist about the holiday resort or hiking area. While walking, you can tell them and adapt them to make them interesting and exciting for your child. (Tip: there are sagas with dragons, dwarfs, and/or princesses everywhere; if not, you're sure to come up with something 😉!).
  • Children dehydrate quickly. Make sure to take regular breaks with water (!!!) and small snacks that can also be eaten on the go.
  • Don't forget to plan the return journey! It often takes longer because the children are already tired and the destination no longer beckons. If the chosen route turns out to be too difficult or too long, it's better to turn back early than to face serious problems on the way back.
  • Go into the day with an extra portion of motivation and humor, and as a very last resort for motivation, pack a packet of their favorite sweets!

If a toddler is carried in a backpack carrier, make sure their legs are not pinched, and their back and head are well supported and protected. Also, remember that your child is exposed to sun, wind, and weather. The clothing must serve as sun and rain protection and be quickly adaptable to changing temperatures – the higher you go, the colder it gets, even in summer.

Please pack the child's backpack yourself or check the children's backpacks. The little ones should only carry their water bottle, tissues, and a light jacket themselves. Carrying snacks and heavy items should be done by the adults.

Good shoes, however, are almost the most important thing when hiking. They should provide support when walking over stones, cover the ankles, and, above all, have good treads. For my children, waterproof is also extremely important, as every stream is crossed. So no worn-out sneakers, ballet flats, or even sandals!

If it hurts: The right first aid for scrapes

Most importantly, don't go on any excursion without several small and large plasters. Plasters often help even without a wound 😉

Sometimes, however, a scraped knee or elbow really needs to be treated when hiking with children. Over sticks and stones, during a playground trip afterward, or while romping around at a rest stop: a fall can happen quickly. As a doctor and a mom, I know that at that moment, one thing is paramount – acting quickly and correctly, without further irritating delicate children's skin.

My four steps for small scrapes:

  1. Stay calm. First, calm the child, then attend to the wound – that already takes away half the fright.
  2. Clean. Rinse carefully with clear water. Dirt and small stones must be removed; strong disinfectants are usually not necessary for small children.
  3. Pat dry. Do not rub – that further irritates the skin.
  4. Care. A moisturizing, nourishing layer can support healing and alleviate the uncomfortable feeling of tightness.

As soon as a wound is no longer actively bleeding, I like to gently apply our KAMI SOS Oil or the SOS Skin Care Balm. One of the ingredients, marmot oil, has been used for centuries for both minor and major inflammations and skin irritations and contains natural active ingredients that can support skin regeneration and improve scar formation – ideal for sensitive children's skin, but equally for adults. Our roll-on fits in any pocket or backpack and is also a natural companion for the whole summer for itchy mosquito bites.

For falls or blunt traumas, massage in KAMI SOS Oil and stabilize and cool the injured area as best as possible, for example, with a bandage or a cloth.

And very important: For deep, heavily bleeding, or infected wounds, with fever, or if the wound does not improve after a few days, always consult a doctor.

I recommend packing the following in a small bag:

  • Special blister plasters that won't slip
  • Small disinfectant spray
  • 2-3 normal plasters in different sizes
  • KAMI SOS Oil Roll-on for minor wounds, scratches, or insect bites
  • For allergy sufferers: antihistamines
  • A small bandage
  • Steristrips to close more heavily bleeding wounds

Your mobile phone should definitely be with you and charged. You never know what might happen. It's also helpful to write down/save local emergency numbers or the mountain rescue number beforehand.

I hope these tips help you motivate your children for hikes. We parents love hiking very much, and our children do too – when the day is over. 😉

Here are a few more addresses for information:

http://www.bergfex.at

http://www.wanderhotels.com

https://www.bergwelten.com/lp/wandern-mit-kindern

https://outdoorkid.de/wandern-mit-kindern/

https://www.alpenverein.de/bergsport/familie/wandern-bergsteigen-mit-kindern/wandern-mit-kindern_aid_10485.html

In this spirit, I wish you a wonderful and carefree time in the mountains!

Your Kerstin Schallaböck

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