Hiking with Children – Printables & Activities to Get Outdoors
Published:
December 20, 2020
Contributor:
Annette Breedlove
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning if you decide to make a purchase via my links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure for more info.
My kids love being outside. Whether playing with friends, hiking, going to the beach, or just hanging out around the campfire, outside is definitely their favorite place to be. Me on the other hand, not so much. Oh sure I love getting outside and exploring nature but truth be told, I want it to be optimal conditions. Hiking with children isn’t the easiest of tasks, especially when you’re not an “outdoorsy” person yourself. But that doesn’t mean I don’t give it my all.
Several years ago I was working long hours with a deadline looming. It was a beautiful spring day so my husband took the kids (all 5 of them at the time) on a hike at one of our state parks. They were so excited to go on a hike and explore new areas of this park we had visited before. Only things didn’t go quite as planned. They hiked a little further than planned, got soaked walking through the creek (several times), ran out of water, and ended up on the other side of the park from the parking lot. Needless to say, my kids affectionately refer to it as the “hike of death” and talk about it to this day.
Thankfully since then, we have learned a lot and improved in our preparations. We learned that taking shorter hikes with our children are better for us. And that super hot days are not good for our family, even if we’re properly hydrated. We have also learned what and how much to take on our hikes so that we are properly prepared. Even with two little ones in tow, our hikes have been much more enjoyable for everyone and we even look forward to getting out into nature together.
If you’re new to hiking or want to make sure you don’t leave anything behind, we found this day hike packing list and these tips for what to take and what to leave behind to be quite helpful. Not sure how to incorporate different subjects into your hike? Check out this post to see how you can include five subjects into your trip.
Hiking with children can be a fun and educational experience too! Take along some paper to journal, a nature scavenger hunt, or create a unit study based on what you see to expand your learning.
Journaling is a wonderful way to help children be creative as they reflect on a topic or idea. Create your own hiking logs or journal entries with these freebies!
FREE Plant Terminology Copywork Notebook
FREE Leaf Terminology Vocabulary Copywork Notebook
FREE Audubon Birds Notebooking Journal
FREE 80-Page Nature Collection Journal from Life Abundantly
Hiking Log Entry Pages from The Crazy Outdoor Mama
Nature Scavenger Hunt Book from Early Learning Ideas
Free Printable Kids Nature Journal from My Mountain Wild
Tips & Prompts for Journaling Your Hikes from Dear Summit
FREE Animal and Plant Cell Notebooking Journal
Nature Scavenger Hunts for Hiking
Scavenger hunts are an easy way to add a little fun to your hiking trip. They can be done in all seasons and for all ages.
Nature Scavenger Hunt Printable from Eating Richly
Nature Scavenger Hunt for Kids & Tweens and Teens from Carla Schauer Studio
Eye Spy Nature Scavenger Hunt from The Joys of Boys
Winter Scavenger Hunts from In All You Do
FREE Nature Scavenger Hunt PDF Printable for Kids from The Pragmatic Parent
Forest Scavenger Hunt for Kids from Edventures with Kids
Hiking Scavenger Hunt Printable for Kids from Make and Takes
Nature Bingo Printable Activity from Momgineer
Fall Senses Scavenger Hunt from In All You Do
Nature Scavenger Hunt for Kids from Craftivity Designs
Creepy-Crawly & Bug Hunt for Kids {with Free Printable} from Worth Writing For
Hiking with Kids FREE Printable Scavenger Hunt from Views From a Step Stool
Nature Scavenger Hunt – Free printable from The Printables Fairy
Summer Scavenger Hunts Bundle from In All You Do
Unit Studies about Nature
Whether you create a unit study before or after your hike, they can be a wonderful way to add more depth to your trip. Check out these free unit studies for exploring nature.
Wildflowers Unit Study & Lapbook from Tina’s Dynamic Homeschool Plus
Make Your Own Mineral Identification Kit from The Barefoot Mom
Why Don’t Rivers Run Straight? A Hands On Demonstration from The Barefoot Mom
FREE All About Insects Nature Study Printable Packet from Mom. Wife. Homeschool Life
FREE Printable Bird Book Nature Study from Real World Learners
FREE Nature Study for the Winter from Ben and Me
Easy and Fun Fall Nature Study Ideas from Table Life Blog
FREE Biome and Habitat Notebooking Research Journal
Find more homeschool resources on my Pinterest boards!
Annette Breedlove
Annette has been married to her husband and best friend since 2003. Together they are raising their six children to follow the Lord’s will, no matter what. Annette longs for the day when she will meet her angel babies who have entered heaven before her. She enjoys creating UNIT STUDIES and FREE PRINTABLES for homeschool families. You can follow her crazy life at In All You Do where she blogs about homeschooling, homemaking and marriage while trying to maintain her sanity. She is also the owner of Thrifty Homeschoolers where she shares her tips on homeschooling without breaking the bank.
