Autumn is 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 KAMI skincare founder, shares her experiences and tips on hiking with children:
A hike, especially with small children, can be fun, but it can also be very strenuous, even if the little ones can already walk longer distances on their own. Even kindergarten-aged children sometimes give up after a short time. To avoid this, and above all to keep their enjoyment of the exercise from spoiling, even small things can help.
Here are my tips for planning:
- Plan realistic routes, using the youngest child as a benchmark. While hiking with children is a great idea, it's better to get out into the fresh air several times and plan shorter routes and activities than to overwhelm everyone in one day.
- When it gets hot, plan shady routes in the forest (always apply sunscreen beforehand AND take it with you!);
- The destination should be interesting for children: a great forest playground, an impressive summit cross, a small stream, or a hut serving their favorite food. Beautiful scenery—and I say this from experience—is pretty uninteresting for children.
- Many hiking regions have special programs for children; check with your hotel or tourist office in advance; there are also special children's guides (see links below).
- If there's a cable car, save the kids the arduous climb and opt for a high-altitude hike instead. There are beautiful viewpoints, often playgrounds, and/or nature trails. Cable car tickets are often included in the region's tourism packages (e.g., the Hochkönig or Schladming tickets).
- Playing games while walking helps distract from the effort and the length of the walk. We always play the word chain game with different themes like first names, fruits/vegetables, countries/cities, etc. The youngest child starts with a word, such as their first name, and the next one has to find a new name with the last letter (Anne – Egon – Nadja…).
- Telling legends and fairy tales: Read up on the legends related to your vacation spot or hiking area. As you walk, you can then retell them and adapt them to make it interesting and exciting for your child. (Tip: There are legends involving dragons, elves, 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 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 appeals. If the chosen route proves too difficult or too long, it's better to turn back early than to run into serious problems on the way back.
- Start your day with an extra dose of motivation and humor and, as a last-minute motivational measure, pack a box of your favorite sweets!
If a toddler is carried in a back carrier (I personally recommend Buzzidil - https://www.buzzidil.com/de/ ), make sure the legs aren't trapped and the back and head are well supported and protected. Also, keep in mind that your child will be exposed to sun, wind, and weather. Clothing must provide sun and rain protection and be able to be quickly adjusted to changing temperatures—the higher you go, the colder it gets, even in summer.
Please pack your child's backpack yourself or check their backpacks. Children should only carry a water bottle, tissues, and a light jacket. Adults should carry snacks and heavy items.
Good shoes are practically the most important thing when hiking. They should provide support when walking over rocks, fit over the ankles, and, above all, have good tread. Waterproof shoes are also extremely important for my kids, as they'll be crossing every little stream. So no worn-out sneakers, ballet flats, or even sandals!
Above all, don't go on any trip without some small and large bandages. Band-aids often help even without a wound 😉
I recommend packing the following in a small bag:
- Special blister plasters that cannot slip;
- Small disinfectant spray;
- 2-3 regular plasters in different sizes;
- KAMI SOS Oil Roll-On for minor wounds, scratches or insect bites;
- For allergy sufferers: antihistamines;
- A small bandage;
- Steristrip for closing heavily bleeding wounds.
In case of falls or blunt trauma, massage in the KAMI SOS oil and stabilize and cool the injured area as best as possible, for example with a bandage or a cloth.
In any case, you should have your cell phone with you and charged. You never know what might happen. It's also helpful to write down or save local emergency numbers or the mountain rescue number beforehand.
I hope these tips help you motivate your children to go hiking. We parents love hiking, and so do our children – once the day is over. 😉
Here are a few more addresses for information:
https://www.bergwelten.com/lp/wandern-mit-kindern
https://outdoorkid.de/wandern-mit-kindern/
With that in mind, I wish you a wonderful and carefree time in the mountains!
Yours, Kerstin Schallaböck
