There are so many great reasons to get out there and hike with your family this fall! Here’s my personal Top 5 list for why you and your family should be bringing the kids out for an adventure…
1. Get to know nature and appreciate our earth.
This is my favorite reason to hike! Every time I go out into the woods I see something new or cool that really makes me appreciate our earth! The great thing about hiking is that it isn’t a race. You can take your time, explore, ‘stop to smell the roses’ as they say. When you’re hiking with your little ones it’s a great time to introduce them to different animals they may not see in your yard, different types of trees, plants, and leaves. For the very young it’s a great time to teach them about colors and textures to get them ready for Pre-K and Kindergarten. You can even have a scavenger hunt with the older kids.
2. It’s an excellent Exercise.
Have you ever needed a great idea to trick your kids into exercising? This is it! haha All kidding aside though, hiking is an amazing exercise for the whole body! A flat hike or walk through nature does wonders for cardiovascular exercise, but if you venture into a more woodsy hike with a little bit of a climb you start working out some of your core muscles as you traverse rocks and climb over fallen trees. For the little ones this is great practice in balance and agility!
3. Being in nature is good for mental health!
Nature has been proven time and time again to bring out the best in us. Recent research from Stanford tells us that being in nature (hiking/walking) lowers your risk of depression. Being in nature also lowers feelings of stress and anger while increasing pleasant feelings!
4. Hiking provides unplugged family time with no distractions!
How often do you wish your kids would focus on family time and get off the iPad or their phone? Hiking is the perfect activity to bring you all together without any distractions.
5. It will teach your kids perseverance.
Perseverance is steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success. There are many obstacles to overcome while hiking; you may get tired, be facing a steep hill you’re unsure you can make it to the top of, you could be afraid of heights, or even nervous about the rocky terrain. One thing is for certain though, if you persevere through the difficulty and keep pushing yourself to the end you’ll have an overwhelming sense of self-achievement which can’t be beat. In this case, hiking is what will teach your kids the importance of perseverance on the sports field, in school, and in life. In a similar fashion, hiking will also teach your kids to work hard and gives them a boost in self-confidence!
Are you ready to head out and hike with your family?
Here are some tips:
- Practice Leave No Trace. Whatever you carry in with you, carry back out. Please don’t litter in nature.
- Pack extra water and food. My favorite hiking meal is an apple and peanut butter sandwich! You’ll want to find foods high in protein. It’s okay to eat a lot of calories as you’ll be burning them off. Salty and Sweet foods are great to have on hand.
- Say Hi to those you pass on the trail. Opposite of walking on a city sidewalk, it may be found rude to not say hi to passing hikers.
- Bring a ziplock baggie in case your little one falls in love with a couple stones or leaves so you can bring them home with you.
- Don’t forget the wipes! Allow your kid to touch everything and get a little dirty. It’s a great way to learn and foster a love of nature. But bring those wipes in case they pick up a slug! haha (Also good to wash hands before eating lunch!)
- Don’t forget to take some photos for the family album! Here’s one of my favorites from when I was a kid. (Yep, thats me!)
Where should you hike?
Here’s a great resource from the New York New Jersey Trail Conference (NYNJTC) called “Find a Hike”: https://www.nynjtc.org/view/hike
I am also very open to messages about where to hike and giving you some recommendations based on your families skill level and size! Get in touch anytime – I’d love to help you plan your day hike. Leave me a comment below!