Getting Kids Outside
We were always taking our kids on hikes that were entirely too long for their age. We wanted to experience the whole trail and they always seemed so fine—at the start. They'd raise ahead and lay in wait for us to pass by. They'd leap and whoop off the trail playing Robin Hood. But slowly and predictably, their enthusiasm would always begin to wane.
My in-laws in Wyoming, Ross and Dawna Hopeman, gave us the answer on a summer visit: The Trail Fairy. When their two kids were little and and they were doing a lot of hiking in the Wind Rivers, the elder Hopemans started out with individually wrapped pieces of candy hidden in their pocket. Just about the time the kids' energy and enthusiasm started to wane, Ross or Dawna would walk several yards ahead and drop a few candies in the trail. Voila! New energy.
Let me tell you, it works like a charm. You almost can't believe how excited and re-engaged the kids get. And it isn't like they spend the rest of the time haunting the trail for candy. They just perk up and when more appears, they are ecstatic. It seems to magically fill the whole experience with a sense of mystery and adventure. And it revolutionized our longer hikes!
Fall is the perfect time to get kids of all ages into the woods. Give the Trail Fairy a try, and share other ideas here.
My in-laws in Wyoming, Ross and Dawna Hopeman, gave us the answer on a summer visit: The Trail Fairy. When their two kids were little and and they were doing a lot of hiking in the Wind Rivers, the elder Hopemans started out with individually wrapped pieces of candy hidden in their pocket. Just about the time the kids' energy and enthusiasm started to wane, Ross or Dawna would walk several yards ahead and drop a few candies in the trail. Voila! New energy.
Let me tell you, it works like a charm. You almost can't believe how excited and re-engaged the kids get. And it isn't like they spend the rest of the time haunting the trail for candy. They just perk up and when more appears, they are ecstatic. It seems to magically fill the whole experience with a sense of mystery and adventure. And it revolutionized our longer hikes!
Fall is the perfect time to get kids of all ages into the woods. Give the Trail Fairy a try, and share other ideas here.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Theresa Baehr on -
I have recently discovered a way to keep my kids going on the trip back while hiking. We like to hike the VASA trail. We start at the trail head and they find a little stick to use as a dirt writing tool. Our journey is usually to the bridge and back. On the way there, they stop to draw a little pictures in the dirt on the trail. It is usually something quick like their name or a simple picture. Then on the way back, they have to find the pictures they drew. It really keeps them motivated to keep moving and find their next piece of artwork. They also check it out to see if it has been run over by a bike wheel or a hikers foot print.
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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Edwards on -
Wow, I love both these ideas. While we have also always tried to make hiking fun, I will add this: my husband and I have always viewed outdoor exercise as very important--right up there with homework and having family meals together. When you think about the mental and physical benefits of hiking, etc., it makes sense--it is just our screen-based society that doesn't value it enough. So our children HAVE to hike--or ski or bike or whatever. Whining isn't allowed. Sounds rough to some people but then again kids whine before homework and even sitting down for a family meal--but good parenting means putting your foot down. What I've seen over the years--raising two girls who are now 20-something and very physically fit, and now an 11-year-old son, is that the whining stops pretty soon after the hiking starts. The rhythm of walking, the fresh air, the colors of nature have the same soothing effect on children as adults. Pretty soon the kids are talking cheerfully, racing each other ... they always come back smiling.
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Permalink Reply by Jodi Simpson on -
I've never had to resort to the Trail Fairy, but I have relied on her sister the Ski Fairy a few times when my daughter was younger and less enthusiastic for cross-country skiing. Just be sure to choose brightly colored candy that's visible against the snow.
Hiking has never been a problem for us. My daughter's a budding naturalist, so we always bring along a magnifying glass and a small bag for treasures--milkweed pods, rose hips, tree bark, feathers, etc. Fall is our favorite time of year for hiking--no bugs, cool temps, beautiful color.
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Permalink Reply by Kate on -
We love fairy walks! We also do a lantern walk in early November, a sort of goodbye to daylight preparation for the advent season sort of thing. We make "lanterns" with canning jars and go late in the evening. It is a treat my kids look forward to year after year. Also, when winter hits, we go "snipe" hunting-- for the mythical snipe bird that arrives with the snow. Even Noah, at nine, still gets into it (once we get going, that is)...I always find as soon as we hit the trails, whether we are looking for scat (a favorite activity for the boys) or searching for troll slime (fungus on trees) or just trying to id fallen leaves, the minute we are enveloped by the woods, all the "do we havvveeeee toooooo?" whining just disappears:)
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Permalink Reply by Elizabeth Edwards on
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Kids love a reason to get outside. The leeks are up--take them leek picking then come home and make soup with them. Watching this video might inspire them. It's my 12-year-old son and his friend (both veteran leek pickers). We're starting to call them the Wild Food Dudes.
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Permalink Reply by Cherry Blossom Ma on -
Geocaching is a nice motivator. Finding the cache is always a thrill and there is usually something cool to see in them.
