Turning Hikes into Adventures with Kids

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The older I get the more “outdoorsy” I consider myself. Something about taking a hike just feels good for the soul and it’s a great way to clear your mind. So, I’ve been trying to get my daughter, who is 7, to share my same love for the outdoors but sometimes it can be a challenge . That was until I figured out one simple thing.

In the beginning when I’d ask her if she wanted to go on a hike she would just kind of make a face and say “no thanks! I’ll just stay home.” Because she associated a hike with work (long walk, sweating, I get it) but as soon as I started referring to our hikes as adventures she was all for it. Who knew that changing how I worded something could change her attitude completely!

She gets excited when it’s time to pack our “adventure bag” full of snacks and goodies for the day. Her personal favorite bag is this Skip Hop giraffe backpack that you can see her wearing below (we’re a family that loves giraffes).

With kids you want to try to make the whole hiking experience fun so that they forget that they're actually taking a really long walk. So the best way to do that is to incorporate a few things into your "adventure". Some of the things that we like to do while on our hikes are:

• Finding rocks to add to her rock collection
• Looking for places to try her favorite yoga pose (it’s not perfect but we’re getting there)
• Having a “who can find the biggest leaf competitions” - these tend to get very competitive just so you know
• Trying to find the absolute best location to have our lunch

And this is a picture of Kiara and Kimberly working on their poses at the top of Sugarloaf Mountain in Maryland, one of our favorite places to go. 

Make sure you pack an "adventure bag" full of essentials like water of course, baby wipes for hand washing and plenty of snacks! A go-to hiking lunch favorite is rolled up tortillas with turkey and cheese. 

If you’re in Maryland and looking to try out some adventure of your own here are just a few of our favorite places to go:

1. Great falls, VA
1. We’ve tried both the Virginia side and the Maryland side and we both agree that VA is the best side, although if you don’t go early the line to get into the park can be pretty long.
2. Roosevelt Island
1. This is Kiara’s favorite because it has rocks on the water that are great for doing her yoga poses on, she loves walking on the boardwalk along the swamp section and the benches in front of the Teddy statue make the perfect picnic location.
   
3. C&O Canal
1. We always park at Lock 10 but the smooth trail makes it perfect for strollers, occasionally I let her bring her baby dolls along for adventures.
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4. Sugarloaf Mountain
1. Some parts of this hike may be a little tiring for little legs but the view once you get to the top is well worth it and the rocks are a great picnic table!

Where are some of your favorite places to go on adventures? We're always up for suggestions of new places to explore!

XOXO