• About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Media
  • #outfam
  • NEWSLETTER

Outdoor Families Magazine

Where Families and Nature Unite

  • HOME
  • REWILDING
  • OUTDOOR EDUCATION
  • OUTDOOR GEAR
  • OUTDOOR FAMILY TRAVEL
  • GETTING OUTDOORS

5 Hiking Tips To Inspire Teens and Tweens to Hike

June 3, 2016 by Heather Mundt 2 Comments

  • Share1103
  • Tweet5
  • Reddit
  • Pocket
  • Flipboard
Five Ways to Inspire Teens and Tweens to Hike - Outdoor Families Magazine
Friends who hike together… (all images courtesy Traci Lehman)

by Traci Lehman – Like most outdoor activities, hiking offers limitless fun that can be tailored to all ages. From easy nature walks to tiring mountain climbs and challenging multi-day treks, hiking promotes fitness, entertainment and hands-on education to anyone who partakes, especially kids.

Why Is Hiking Important For Kids?

For tweens and teens, the outdoors is less alluring than ever before. Whether due to lack of access to natural areas or too much technology, this group is increasingly less active than generations past, especially girls.

| Related: Hiking Colorado’s “14er” Mountains With Kids |

According to a 2013 report by the Outdoor Foundation, an Outdoor Industry Association non-profit organization that encourages future generations of outdoor enthusiasts, outdoor recreation among boys ages 13 to 17 has actually increased 3 percent in the last two years. Among girls the same age, however, participation is about 50 percent, the lowest rate since the first report in 2006. And overall, according to the study, the rates drop for both by ages 16 to 20.

Five Ways to Inspire Teens and Tweens to Hike - Outdoor Families Magazine
A picnic at a water feature destination

Given the numerous benefits for tweens and teens getting outdoors, including developing self-esteem, teamwork and communication skills, says Peter O’Neil, executive director of Colorado Outward Bound School, it’s critical for adults to help reverse that trend.

They learn these skills by being in a really healthy environment disconnected from digital devices, O’Neil says. Even at very young ages, being outside the classroom creates a different, very positive energy where we see (youth) open to new ways of learning and interacting with one another. It’s more than just leaves and logs; it’s about life skills.

| Related: Hiking with Kids in 7,982 Simple Steps |

In this day in age, it is important to get kids off the couch, off their electronics and experience the great outdoors, says Carly Pridham, adapted physical education specialist at Berryessa Union School District in San Jose, Calif. Many teens I talk to haven’t been out of their county let alone the city they live in to see what our world is all about. Sometimes you just need to stop, get out of the house, find an activity that gets you moving and smell the flowers.

Five Ways to Inspire Teens and Tweens to Hike hiking tips

5 Tips To Make Hiking Fun For Teens & Tweens

And since hiking is an easy activity requiring little more than comfortable shoes and water to get started, it’s a perfect way for caregivers to help kids get outside. Here are five great tips to inspire tweens and teens to hike:

1. Bring friends

Family and friends are big motivators for kids. Teens especially love hang time with friends, and hiking together is a great place to bond and have fun. Friendships are strengthened through shared experiences, and going on an adventure together is one of the best ways. Kids and parents can also share and grow from spending time with each other.

2. Get them involved in the planning and preparation

Many of us realize the journey can be more rewarding than the destination. So if you want to motivate teenagers to keep going, let them help you pick a fun destination can. The choices are unlimited, ranging from a waterfall to an amazing lookout or peak, or a pristine campsite for the night.

Look at maps and compare options together, calculating mileage and times. And ask the kids to plan activities playing games, singing songs, geocaching, for example so they’ll be engaged during the hike, or organize the hike as part of hunting for a geocache. Help them feel involved, and they are more likely to care.

Five Ways to Inspire Teens and Tweens to Hike hiking tips
Give a kid a camera

3. Let them explore

Don’t rush the outing. Instead be flexible with time and be willing to adapt to the kids curiosity. Stop and study the scat you see, for instance, or identify edible and non-edible plants. Maybe even discuss the weather. Learning about our natural world is yet another way for kids to engage, so come prepared with kid-friendly discussion topics.

4. Bring Snacks

No matter the length of hike or age of the hikers, always bring food. Even if you ate just before leaving the trailhead, someone will be hungry about 15 minutes later. Plus eating on the trail can help boost energy level and mood.

Make it fun and pack a picnic to enjoy at your destination, allowing an extended rest to soak up the scenery before finishing the trip. Finger foods like seasonal fruit, nuts, cheeses and salami work well on the trail.

5. Encourage them to share THEIR story

Provide your youngster with tools to capture and record thoughts for reference later. Give them a notebook and pen to jot down stats, observations and feelings. Give them a camera to capture the world through their eyes. Applaud creativity and individuality, and they’ll enthusiastically jump at the chance. Discuss their findings and why it interests them, which is likely to encourage further participation in the great outdoors.

READ NEXT >> One Teen’s Epic Solo PCT Hiking Adventure

IMG_2537

Traci Lehman is the Operations Director of Outdoor Families Magazine, publisher of WalkSimply.com, a blog to encourage everyone to go outdoors and view the world up close, and an IT analyst in the healthcare industry. She lives in Southern California with her family where she gets outside daily.

Related

Filed Under: GETTING OUTDOORS Tagged With: hiking with kids, June 2016, Outdoor families, outdoors with kids, Spring 2016

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Trending Outdoor Families Articles

  • 35 Nature Books for Kids
  • 8 Reasons Why Glamping at Capitol Reef Resort Should Be on Your Family Travel Bucket List
  • The 12 Best Family-Friendly Whitewater River Rafting Trips in the U.S.
  • What is Wildschooling?
  • Creating A Pollinator Garden: This spring give bees a helping hand
  • Camping Packing List PLUS Expert Camping Storage Ideas - Printable!
  • 26 Outdoor STEM Activities For Kids

NATURE NEWS

A Little Nature a Day Keeps Negative Self-Feelings At Bay, Science Says

Human-Induced Climate Change Takes its Toll On Our Tallest Peaks?

Love of Nature Is In Your Genes, Research Shows

OUTDOOR FAMILIES MAGAZINE

  • HOME
  • REWILDING
  • OUTDOOR EDUCATION
  • OUTDOOR GEAR
  • OUTDOOR FAMILY TRAVEL
  • GETTING OUTDOORS

Search Outdoor Families Magazine

Outdoor Families Magazine Mission

Outdoor Families Magazine and Community strives to enrich the lives of multi-generational families internationally by providing unparalleled, award-winning outdoor and adventure related content meant to inspire a connection to, participation in and stewardship of the natural world.

Outdoor Family Community

  • View OutdoorFamiliesOnline’s profile on Facebook
  • View @outdoorfammag’s profile on Twitter
  • View outdoorfammag’s profile on Instagram
  • View outdoorfammag’s profile on Pinterest
  • View OutFam’s profile on YouTube

Privacy Policy

Outdoor Families Magazine Tree Logo - Cheryl Robertson Rosa

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

  • 1103
  • 5
 

Loading Comments...