by Francis Harris

Created on: April 19, 2010

Hiking with children has some unique challenges whether they are 6 years or 16 years. When you do take children with you, there are some things that you really need to know especially if they are not your own children, or you are just getting to know kids in a blended family situation. Even if you are taking your own kids, think about these things before you are too far from home!

1. You should know everything about their own unique health needs. The common questions to ask are do they need to take any medication? are they allergic to anything? are they asthmatic? do they have any psychological needs or fears? are they epileptic? are they a diabetic? and of course you should know what to do in the event of an emergency and who to contact - whether parents or doctors.

2. You should know if they have any experience of hiking before and whether they are currently fit or not. Some youngsters of just 6 years will have clocked up several hikes of 10Km, while some 12 year olds might never have walked further than the car! If they are experienced walkers who have already demonstrated ability you can of course try longer or more difficult trails than with a child who has never stepped foot in the great outdoors or who is overweight and unfit.

3. You should know something about how the children respond to difficulty; act when they are tired and generally how they behave. Some kids complain about the slightest thing - that they really should just ignore; while others will let nasty blisters form and dehydration set in before you know anything is wrong.

4. You should know if they have any behavioral difficulties - like following instructions or respecting their peers. If they have a tendency to totally disobey instructions then you will need to keep a close watch on them and if they tend to bully other children you will also need to make sure that they don't start hurting others around them while your back is turned.

5. Understanding some basic nutritional needs for hiking will help make sure children get what they need while walking - water is the best fluid to take; foods that give you energy without giving you a drop in sugar levels are preferable - such as bananas. Some hikers enjoy gorp - a high protein food sometimes known as trail mix - that you can make (see http://www.seeyosemite.com/hiking-food.html) interesting for children by adding in chocolate that wont melt so bad as if carried alone.

6. Make sure you keep it fun for the child's age. Young children will enjoy silly games on route - like chase (choose a flat section or they often fall over!), try skipping a section or climbing a tree for a break from walking; while older children might like to sing songs they know; play guessing games; learn something; practice map-reading or simply chat about anything and everything that they never otherwise get a chance to tell you!

7. And always remember children - especially young children - have great sensitivity to nature and often experience it in far more profound ways than adults do. Give them time to stop and wonder. Even if you've seen a tree 1000 times before and are actually quite bored by it, let them look at it and explore it - even if the hike takes longer than it should!

Keeping in mind some of these common sense aspects of caring for children - your own or others - will go a long way to making sure that everyone has an enjoyable experience hiking that is repeated again and again.

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