What Nobody Told You About Hiking With A Toddler
Hiking with toddlers is a slow and arduous process. The end. Ted Talk over. Kidding! Seeing your little one begin to hike and explore on their own is one of the most beautiful experiences an outdoor parent can have. It just takes a lot of patience, and a little intention to make it all go more smoothly.
I’m one of those parents that actually prefers that my kids let me haul them on the trail. While I do find joy in seeing my children love to explore and play, it also takes some work for me to be patient with the process (and not track our progress, ha). My oldest let me carry him most days until he was 4.5. My youngest started insisting (screaming) on hiking herself when she was about 14-16 months old. It almost seems like kids have their own time table of when they are interested in hiking independently. Here are 5 tips that I found to be true for BOTH of my kids, despite their different levels of interest in hiking.
1. Find The Right Shoe
Our 18 month old daughter refuses to walk- she runs. This has resulted in several bumps, bruises, and even some stitches. I have noticed that she does MUCH better with her footing when she has a lightweight, low tread hiking shoe. While Merrell makes several good kids’ shoes, we have had the best success with our toddler in the Bare Steps line, (the Ridge Jr, specifically). Since we aren’t taking her on technical trails, and she is only hiking 1-3 miles, she typically doesn’t need a shoe with a lot of tread.
2. Choose The Right Trail
If there is a ledge on a trail, our toddler will walk right next to it. And don’t get me started on a trail next to a river. Gahhh! It’s so much more stressful to have to be patrolling full time to keep her from falling off the trail. Instead, we try to find wider trails that are mostly free from drop offs. Same thing applies to hiking next to rivers. I love hiking next to rivers with my 5 year old! But it’s been too stressful to keep chasing after my fearless toddler at this age. Instead of wrestling her next to the river while she screams at me, I’m choosing dry trails right now.
3. Bring The Pack (just in case)
Toddlers are unpredictable. Some days they will run for miles, and other days they want to be held. Instead of navigating a rocky trail with a toddler in my arms, I like to bring my pack just in case somebody wants a ride. Yes, it’s bulkier than my day pack. And I typically unload it back at the car after a hike full of nothing more than pinecones and rocks that the kids collect and make me carry. But if the pack gets used when I’m crossing a river, or if somebody needs a trail nap, it’s more than worth it’s weight.
4. Keep Expectations Low
Although your toddler might be setting new PR’s, you likely won’t be crushing yours. Now that my toddler is hiking, I let go of expectations to finish a 3 mile hike or reach a summit (unless she lets me carry her). Instead I go with the expectation that we are going to be outside for two hours (or one hour, or a full day). End of story. I don’t care how far we go, how fast we move, and I know there will be at least a few tears when I have to carry her over a stream or when she trips along the trail. That’s okay!
5. Make It A Game
My oldest child was less interested in hiking as a toddler. We still have to work to keep him excited some days. We are constantly looking for grasshoppers/beetles, doing a scavenger hunt, or collecting rocks. It keeps everybody feeling playful and positive.
Remember, your goal isn’t to raise a hardcore mountaineer at this stage. You want to have a lifelong hiking buddy! The first step is to help them build some confidence and love to be outside on the trail.
