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Hiking with children is often considered more work than it is worth. Is that really true? Is it better to leave the little ones behind while the older family members enjoy time in the woods?

To answer these, you must first address two more questions. What are your hiking goals? What are your goals for your children?

Why do you hike? Most people are drawn to the back country because they love it. While this love is admirable and understandable, it begs a bigger question. Who is going to protect this pristine landscape for the next generation? Certainly only those with a love for nature will care enough to protect it. Understanding nature will develop in your children a desire to care for it.

All parents have goals for their children. Above all, we want our children to mature into successful, balanced adults with an understanding and concern for the important things in life. Of course, the big question is, how do we achieve this goal?

Hiking with our young children rarely tops our Important Things To Do' list. However, studies are showing we overlook this to our children's detriment. Books like Richard Louv's "Last Child In The Woods" have reintroduced a subject presented over 150 years ago by authors like the nineteenth century psychologist Herbert Spencer. Spencer's book, Principals of Psychology, espoused what he called the "surplus energy theory". Louv takes this further to link our children's mental health to their contact (or lack thereof) with the natural world.

Getting your children into nature offers many benefits, some obvious, some overlooked. Aside from the obvious physical benefits, hiking with young children will help them develop a balanced life view and an appreciation and understanding of their world. Furthermore, many professionals are espousing the need for time in nature to counteract the growing ADHD epidemic.

The idea is valid. The need is present. The means are simple and commonsense.

Children under six learn best using their senses. The great outdoors offer unnumerable opportunities. However, hiking with young children often seems too challenging to undertake.

It is more challenging to hike with young children. It can also be more rewarding. Good preparation, understanding your child's strengths and abilities, and realistic expectations go a long way toward making a hike with your children not only fun but a much repeated and favorite family activity.

Children see hiking, in correct proportions, as an enjoyable adventure. Younger children do not

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