5 Tips For Beginning Hiking With Children - Thetis Lake, Victoria, BC

Do not underestimate children’s natural strength and energy. I feel we far too often do that.

We assume things about their abilities because they’re “too little” or “too young” but they can actually - and should actually - do more than we give them credit for.

On Sunday I had the experience of taking my niece, age 5 (on the day!) and 7 for a hike.

Now, I have been following a bunch of adventure and travel with children-based accounts and I love them so I really wanted to have that type of adventure and I thought my nieces were the perfect kiddos for it.

I know my nieces really well. I know their personalities, what they like and don’t like and I know they love the outdoors and playing outside. We have gone for plenty of walks and to the park for plays and honestly, those girls almost prefer to run through the trees than they do playing on the actual structure.

So, I knew they would be the kind of kids who would enjoy this experience.

If your kids are not outdoor kids that’s okay, you just might first want to start with regular walks and other fun outdoor activities.

5 year old hiker rocking this hill during a hike at Thetis Lake

Photo taken on iPhone 12

Here are 5 Tips For Taking Kids Hiking (who are new to hiking):

1. Choose an appropriate environment

7 year old hiker climbing a hill during a Thetis Lake hike

Photo taken on iPhone 12

When they’re just getting started and they’re young it’s good to select an environment that provides both a challenge but also is easy enough that they can accomplish it without losing their interest or ending up with grumpy kids.

Knowing your child’s strengths and what skills they’re still working on will be helpful in choosing your location.

Based on the ages and experience levels of my nieces I chose Thetis Lake in Victoria, BC.

I knew they were both naturally good athletes with lots of energy so I knew they could accomplish a 3.5km hike. But Thetis Lake provides the best of all worlds.

It feels like a hike with its lake and forest views so they were able to experience nature and it was a great combination of uphills and flats. There were a handful of uphills (which I warned them about as we came up to them) but nothing too challenging. Enough that they got to practice what an actual hike would be like but enough flats they could get some breaks in.

It also provided a lot of fun exploring and scenery for them!

2. Prepare them ahead of time for what it will be like & the expectations

5 year old hiking with a jacket and a backpack with the essentials at Thetis Lake

Photo taken on an iPhone 12

It’s a great idea to tell your kiddos what to expect for the hike. I told them the length, that it was through the forest and we could run around, I said there were a couple of hills at the beginning but it got flatter as we went along.

I also let them know that we could take breaks whenever they wanted and it was completely okay to ask, I said we should explore with all of our senses (except taste because “trees are pretty yucky tasting.” Make sure you use kid-appropriate language. I didn’t say the hike was 3.5km’s I said it would take until the clock had a 4 in front of the number.

I wanted to make sure we stayed safe so I set out 3 expectations. 3 is a doable number for most kids and my rule of thumb is to have two that are “serious” for safety and one that will make them laugh.

My “rules” for our hike:

1. You don’t have to hold my hands or stay at my side (unless you want to) but I always need to see you or you need to see me

2. We need to take care of and protect the earth. It’s precious and gives us lots of things so we don’t want to destroy it.

3. We must have so much FUN!

(Feel free to snag these or you can make your own).

3. Keep it fun and engaging

5 year old hiker watching otters by the lake at Thetis Lake

Photo taken on an iPhone 12

This is key when you’re out with kids, especially ones on the younger side because let’s be real… Hiking isn’t that interesting when you’re 5 years old with a backpack full of stuffies.

So, it’s important to find ways for them to enjoy themselves. If they finish the hike and there was nothing interesting their memory of hiking will be “it’s boring” and they won’t be inclined again. Whereas, an adult might think “one hike sucked but it doesn’t mean the rest will.”

When I take kids hiking I like to think of fun ways to keep them engaged, little games, surprises and adding in things that I know they’ll like.

So, at the start, I told them I wanted them to explore with all of their sense (except taste unless we were having a snack) and we went over what all of our senses were so as we went through we were able to point out things using different senses.

Also, towards the beginning, I knew there were a couple of hills and I wanted to make sure they remembered all of the hike as fun so I turned on the song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” and we jammed and danced up the hill (which incidentally was the highlight of the hike. Their mom told me the 5-year-old came home going on and on about it. Hiking win!).

You can play games like iSpy, Follow The Leader, Find It, Nature Bingo (my plan for next time) and a Scavenger Hunt. For more information see Tales Of A Mountain Mama.

Otters popping out of the water at Thetis Lake

Also, try to be captivated and excited by what’s naturally around you. We were so lucky during one of our breaks, two women came up to me and said “take them to the water, there are otters that keep popping their heads up!” The kids love this!

Photo take on iPhone 12

4. Lots of praise, encouragement and… breaks

7 year old hiker finding a great spot for a snack break at Thetis Lake

Photo take on iPhone 12 (face blurred for privacy)

This is so important. Adults are fairly self-motivated. They can do things using internal motivation… kids… not so much; they’re still learning that one.

And honestly, not all adults have it mastered either.

Kids love praise and when they’re trying something new and potentially challenging they need to know they’re doing well to keep going. Thetis Lake is a loop so they’d have to make it all the way around.

Kids seek praise. Once they do something like get to the top of the hill, they’ll often turn to you for a bit of praise and desire to share how proud they are. Give it, give it freely and give it lots. Hiking is not an easy feat even for adults and even if you feel it’s an easy hill when you’re 4 feet tall it’s a great accomplishment.

Once you notice them starting to lose energy and excitement that’s when encouragement and laughs are required. I always try to make them laugh and keep them talking. There are no screens (except the snap-sapping of cameras - It can be a good idea to get your kids little cameras. The 7-year-old brought her VTech KidiZone camera) so it’s a great time to talk and get to know them more and be really present with them. Most kids love having people pay attention to them.

And breaks… the greatest tool in your toolbox. Yes, hikes with kids will absolutely take longer but you’ll be surprised at how quickly they pick it up.

But I told them right from the start we were free to have as many breaks as we needed and I also modelled asking for a break part way through so they knew it was really okay to ask.

I also brought them a little surprise treat (chocolate peanut butter cups) to enjoy halfway through.

It’s okay to allow the hike to go slower as well. Stop and look at things, create teaching moments, have dance parties, get them to make funny poses and explore the scenery. It’s all okay and will only reinforce them having a positive experience and wanting to come again.

5. Encourage risky - but safe - play

5 year old climbing up the rocks at Thetis Lake

Photo take on iPhone 12

A parent’s worst nightmare, amiright?

Here’s the thing, I have already established they need to be in my eyesight and if you have a level of trust with them this won’t be a problem. But do they need to stay right at your side?

Maybe, depending on the hike and age of the kids. I had a 5 and 7-year-old in a really commonly used family trail and they both listen really well. We walked the trail but I let them go and climb up on rocks, walk on “balance beams,” explore in the wooded areas, run, jump and play.

I was there if they needed me (the 5-year-old want to balance on something with a bit of a drop so I held her hand to keep her safe but I allowed her to explore what she was capable of).

Kids learn so much through risky play, they develop a sense of trust in their bodies, they get stronger, they develop self-esteem and confidence and improve their executive functioning skills. For more information on ways to encourage risky play check out this Active For Life Article.

Kids are active, resilient, have lots of energy and get excited about things. If you’re excited they’re excited.

Hiking can be a great family activity and don’t be afraid to take them out when they’re really little. The earlier you take them out the more used to it they’ll be. There are many great examples of hiking kids on Instagram and I encourage you to go check out some of those accounts for inspiration if you’re interested in teaching your kids to hike.

To get started, I suggest more of a nature walk, athletic clothing (no shorts, even in the summer, depending on where you are), a good pair of running shoes and have them carry backpacks with their own supplies. It doesn’t have to be a ton of stuff but it’s a good idea to teach them about responsibility by being in charge of their own supplies like water, a snack, a camera and anything else you and they might feel they’ll need for the hike.

Happy hiking!