Making hikes fun for kids!

February 19, 2009 by taha 

So, for those of you who daydream about the day when you and the entire family can go out and enjoy a pleasant hike in the desert, we thought we would share a couple of the things we do to keep kids on our guided hikes engaged and hiking strong!

One of the things that all of the kids love when we hike with them is getting their own disposable camera. For a few dollars, you can purchase a disposable camera with 27 exposures. We like to also provide a “photo guide” to the kids. This photo guide has a list of items that the kids have to find along the hike and photograph. We leave about 10 “free” photos available that they can use to photograph anything they want. This activity has occupied the kids for an entire 4 mile hike! After the hike, the kids love to get their photos developed and create their own album. This also makes for a nice project for the kids to share at school with their class.

Another popular activity that the kids enjoy is doing a desert scavenger hunt. Create a list of things that they have to find such as a saguaro cactus under 12 inches tall or a saguaro with over 10 arms. We also like to have the kids look for specific animals and birds such as cottontail rabbits, lizards, cactus wrens, woodpeckers, or anything else that you have a likely chance of seeing on your hike. We do throw in a few animals that are more difficult to find such as a desert tortoise to make it a bit more challenging. That way the kids don’t complete the scavenger hunt in the first 20 minutes of the hike! This activity is a great way for the kids to learn more about the desert and pay more attention to the ecosystem around them.

Those are just a couple of the activities we do with kids on our hikes. However, just as important as keeping the kids engaged with activities is choosing the right trail for your family. I can’t imagine that anyone wants to end up carrying their child up a trail with a 1,500 foot elevation gain! Yikes! Before setting out on your hike, do a bit of research on the trails available in your area. Once you choose a trail, go with the mindset that the outing is about the enjoyment of getting out into nature with your kids, not just completing the entire hike. There have been times when we didn’t make it to the “end” of the trail, but that was okay. We had a good time just getting out and enjoying the part of the trail we did hike on and everyone was much happier for having turned around when we did versus getting to the endpoint.

Here in the Valley of  the Sun, there are a number of great Arizona hiking trails available for families. Our favorites include the Metate Trail (2 miles) at the Spur Cross Conservation Area in Cave Creek, The Wind Cave Trail (3 miles) at Usery Mountain Regional Park in Mesa, and the Pinnacle Peak Trail (4 miles) in Scottsdale. The more challenging of these hikes would be the Pinnacle Peak Trail at 4 miles with several sections of switchbacks. But the nice thing about this trail is the ability to stop at any restpoint and turn around and head back. Having the reststop as a turning point gives the kids a nice sense of accomplishment without having completed the entire trail.

So, those are just a few suggestions to help you get your hike started off on the right foot! Now, get out there and get hiking with the kids and have a great time!
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