So, you’re going to stay in New York State this summer. How
about a road trip? Maybe a bit of hiking? How to keep the kids happy with
limited activities that aren’t theme parks or digital?
St. Louis Today has handled the first subject well
with a number of tips for avoiding back seat squabbles. Among their tips:
Factor in naptimes for babies and toddlers, tied to eating
times and guaranteed to stop meltdowns in their tracks.
Let each of your grade school age children pack their own
road trip survival backpacks filled with their favorite car-friendly snacks, crafting
gear and tech gadgets. Make sure items are fully charged and bring along extra
batteries. Think about bringing a new book or snack they haven’t seen before to
keep things interesting when their interest begins to wane.
For teens and tweens: give them a say in decisions. Let them
choose the car’s musical playlist for one hour or use an app to geo-locate a
restaurant for lunch. Allow them time in their own headphone-protected bubbles.
For everyone in the vehicle: make sure you have a first aid
kit handy and have extra bottled water in the trunk. Most importantly (besides
seat belts) is to keep one’s sense of curiosity and humor intact. Always.
As for hiking with same family, Summit Daily’s Sarah Watson
(of Colorado) had a host of
suggestions,
- Start with shorter hikes
- Know routes beforehand
- Clearly communicate expectations for the trek, and each
hiker, beforehand
Games can make a hike go faster.
- Attempt to pin a clothespin to
another student’s clothes without them noticing. As the group hikes, each
person must look out for the clothespin until everyone has been tagged.
- Try scavenger hunts. With a
list of items for everyone to find like a certain color leaf, pine cone, rock or
stick.
- Practice Leave No Trace
principles by returning their items to the location they found them.
For younger children, parents can bring a special treat on
their walks, such as a candy bar or snack, and hide it near the end of the hike
or along the path. And hide and seek works well, within reason.
Make hiking entertaining and educational for
children
- Parents can bring nature
and wildlife guidebooks with them on the trail and help their children identify
specific plants and animals as they hike. Not only does this teach children
about different species, but it encourages kids to be analytical about the
natural environment around them.
- The natural environment
also can be a way to encourage children to be artistic. Kids can use natural
items to create art and then return objects to their original locations.
- Parents can bring
clipboards, paper and pencils for their children to have some quiet time
drawing views, wildlife or flowers and plants they observe during their hike.
Watson points out that studies have shown that
physical activity during childhood can lead to more active lifestyles in
adulthood. By helping children engage with nature, parents are able to pass on
healthy practices, a sense of adventure and outdoor hobbies.
It also makes a long summer go faster. And what a
great state for hiking we all live in!