View Full Version : Teaching Pre-schoolers to hike
keepinitsimple
01-30-2012, 14:07
We are having a warm spell in the NE this week. I got out yesterday with my 3 and 5 year old. The first thing I was trying to enforce was " A good hiker keeps their hands out to stop a fall", which led to "look at the ground". We also made up the rule that " A good hiker watches out for eye pokers", which led to stay well behind someone when going through brush. It was a blast. We did near two miles of rocky PA trail. Lunch was held about 20 ft high on a pile of boulders.
I just wanted to share what came naturally as the first rules of hiking for pre-schoolers. The last lesson came as we cleaned up lunch, ...."Leave no trace"
Feral Bill
01-30-2012, 14:17
The first rule of hiking with little kids is, of course, it's all about them, not you. Sounds like you have your's off to a great start.
doritotex
01-30-2012, 14:17
" A good hiker keeps their hands out to stop a fall", ...A good way to break a wrist! If you can, twist and try to land on the side of your shoulder. Never try to brace a fall with your hands, especially with a heavy pack on, the extra weight will definitely snap a bone if you use your hands to brace a fall. Of course use common sense, if it will save you from face planting onto a jagged rock, well.....
Gray Blazer
01-30-2012, 14:20
I don't know about preschoolers, but, I tell my elementary students my first rule is ... don't do anything that will make us call 911 (or Nanny 911).
Captain_Slo
01-30-2012, 14:26
I tell my scouts that I only brought 2 bandaids....
keepinitsimple
01-30-2012, 14:32
At 3 feet tall, a hand out will go a long way to prevent a fall. Most of their trips are from rocks on the ground, and are slow motion- I hate to say it but it is really funny to watch. When we go to Hawk Mtn. We have skate gear we bought at the thrift store with a bike helmet. They never carry a backpack.
We had so much fun I am planning next week's lunch menu already.
wornoutboots
01-30-2012, 14:34
Well Done, on getting them out!! Being a father of 3, my kids never felt so alive & nautral then when in the woods. My wife & I would always say watch them how much they complain about going hiking & then 20 minutes in the woods, they are loving it & are totally stress free.
Keep Up the Good Job!
Good for you for getting out! My now-8 yo grew to like rocks so much that trails in PA aren't rocky enough for her, other than the Thousand Steps on Standing Stone Trail. (She liked Lehigh Gap until coming around to wind exposure, she likes her rocks without wind.)
What I told her was to concentrate on keeping her belly button over her feet. With that simple rule she'll climb any tree she can grab on to, or scramble over any rock pile as long as it doesn't have wind, or ants.
As far as getting her to like hiking, she would if she could do it with other kids. Unfortunately we have failed in identifying or recruiting the "other kids", with only one other even-age family around whose parents are willing to go, they've figured out all the buttons to push with the adults to monkeywrench the works.
I've been told that three or four families together is a critical mass. Work now to find them!
" A good hiker keeps their hands out to stop a fall", ...A good way to break a wrist! If you can, twist and try to land on the side of your shoulder. Never try to brace a fall with your hands, especially with a heavy pack on, the extra weight will definitely snap a bone if you use your hands to brace a fall. Of course use common sense, if it will save you from face planting onto a jagged rock, well.....
I'm going to use my hand. When I extend my arm I am shortening the fall significantly. My wrist and elbow bend and provide a significant amount of shock absorption. I also have better control, if I stop my fall with my shoulder, my head is going to be awful close to the ground or other rocks. And last, don't know for sure, but I think if I end up in the emergency room, a wrist is cheaper to fix than a shoulder or possible head injury. Besides I can carry my pack out with a broken wrist, but not with a shoulder injury.
I don't think I would ever try to go down shoulder first.
mirabela
01-30-2012, 16:35
That's super. Good for you. Yeah ... one of our early ones was that you have to be looking in the direction you are going. Walking forward while looking backward is a great way to trip, crash, etc.
That's awesome. I keep my kids' eyes on the trail by having them look for mushrooms, snakes, salamanders and frogs. They love it and can now spot chanterelles from ten feet away.
canoehead
01-30-2012, 17:14
Teach them "how to stay found & Hug a tree if your lost".
peakbagger
01-31-2012, 08:55
You may want to check out this blog, its about a mother from Waterville Valley NH and her two daughters and how they climbed all the 4000 footers in NH. Trish is writing a book about it. She definitely didnt start out with the goal but her daughters made her do it.
http://trishandalex.blogspot.com/
Teach them "how to stay found & Hug a tree if your lost".
We used to teach this to campers, but we amended it to "stay put near a tree". Hugging a tree could lead to getting poison ivy.
With pre-schoolers, I'd begin with just getting them to like being out in the woods. Pick a day with decent weather, a trail of length and difficulty that they can manage, take snacks, take photos, take frequent breaks. Chat with them and keep them engaged. Ideally there would be a meal, a viewpoint or other destination (waterfall, shelter). Watch for birds, wildflowers, and animals. Make it doable and fun, and then hit the safety stuff. I'd start with "stay with the group" or at least in sight of the group.
This is a timely thread for me, as I plan to introduce my granddaughter to hiking this summer. She'll be almost three.
My daughter is 12 now so I don't remember everything, but I remember learning alot more from her than her from me. I was pretty lucky that she was small for her age, so carrying her was very easy. She held the compass and always wanted to get down for small bridges. She would sleep quite a bit also, and when she was small enough I carried her in front so I could keep an eye on her. As she started walking more and more I learned that whatever my opinion was on the politics of hiking sticks didn't matter, she was for them, so we started making them and carrying them. I've taken a liking to carrying a single hiking stick when I hike with her now, and when its dark, or on ice. She also liked to stop and explore alot, and build tables and chairs out for beach shingle. I found she had no trouble keeping up when she wanted to, and didn't mind me carrying everything as long as she could decide what was for meals. I learned to let her stop and explore and really enjoyed watching her learn stuff on her own. Never thought of it before but even though she is accident prone at home, I can't remember her getting hurt in the woods. Knock on wood.
Enjoy the ride. Wish I could do it all again.
mirabela
01-31-2012, 19:25
Yeah, hug a tree is good. When we started going a little further afield my kids started carrying whistles around their necks. Once my daughter started doing peaks with me in the winter (precocious five-year-old that she was) we would do an occasional drill: what do you do if a piano falls out of the sky and knocks Dad out cold? She learned how to set up a bivy on her own. Lots of fun in its own right.
keepinitsimple
01-31-2012, 20:23
I'm going to use my hand. When I extend my arm I am shortening the fall significantly. My wrist and elbow bend and provide a significant amount of shock absorption. I also have better control, if I stop my fall with my shoulder, my head is going to be awful close to the ground or other rocks. And last, don't know for sure, but I think if I end up in the emergency room, a wrist is cheaper to fix than a shoulder or possible head injury. Besides I can carry my pack out with a broken wrist, but not with a shoulder injury.
I don't think I would ever try to go down shoulder first.
Oh sure, head injury could be fatal, especially with these PA rocks. I tell the youth groups I take to keep theirhands out too- or no prom date for you. For my 3 y/o it's actually like a kick stand- him little. I thought that too but I notice people take stuff personal on this site- so I rarely argue.
kids can do more than you think they can - my daughter is 6 and she can do about an 8-mile backpacking day. I do try to bring some special comfort stuff for her so she (might) end up loving the lifestyle - this stuff can always be weened away - a pillow, stuffed animal, hot chocolate, jiffy-pop - whatever does it. I also have her carry a small (book-bag size) pack - her pillow, water bottle, snacks, rain jacket and maybe the stove or the breakfast food - keeping it super light - this gives her the sense that she is actually contributing toward the hike - I carry her sleeping bag and anything else on the weighty side. Her bag is a North Face kids bag but I add a small home-made down comforter for her - it stuffs down to about the size of a down jacket but really keeps her cozy and warm - if you get a young kid super cold and wet you have problems plus they won't want to come back - by the time they are 9 or 10, they'll know that it it usually super fun but sometimes uncomfortable times exist. Enjoy!
Blissful
02-07-2012, 21:40
Teach them "how to stay found & Hug a tree if your lost".
Yes I'd teach them safety first. Esp about getting lost as they tend to wander after something interesting.
How to Hug-A-Tree1. Hug a Tree once you know you are lost.Once you know you are lost, hug a tree! One of the greatest fears many of us have is being alone. Hugging a tree or other stationary object, and even talking to it, can help calm you down and prevent panic. By staying in one place, you will be found far more quickly, and won’t be injured in a fall.
2. Always carry a trash bag and whistle on a picnic, hike, or camping trip.Whenever you go hiking, you should carry a whistle on a string around your neck and a trash bag. By making a hole in the side of the bag (always make a hole so you don’t suffocate!) for your face, and putting it over your head, it will keep you dry and warm. The whistle can be heard from farther away than your voice, even when you are yelling very loudly, and it takes less energy to use.
3. My parents won't be angry at me.Time and again, children have avoided searchers because they were ashamed of getting lost, and afraid of punishment. Anyone can become lost, even adults! So don’t be ashamed. Just admit it, accept it and take actions to be comfortable while you wait for the searchers to arrive. Your parents will be so happy to see you again, and to know that you are safe. So there’s no need to be frightened or worried about that. And they will be so proud of you for using your head since it is your best survival tool.
4. Make Yourself Big.From a helicopter, people are hard to see when they are standing up, when they are in a group of trees, or wearing dark clothing. Find your tree to hug near a small clearing if possible. Wear a brightly colored jacket (red and orange are easy to see from far away) when you go into the woods or the desert. Lie down when the helicopter flies over. If it is cold and you are rested, make crosses or an “SOS” using broken twigs, branches, rocks or by dragging your foot in the dirt.
5. There are no animals out there that wil hurt you.If you hear a noise at night, yell at it! If it is an animal, it will run away to protect itself. If it is a searcher, you will be found.
6. You have hundreds of friends looking for you.Many children who are lost don’t realize that if they will just sit down and stay put, one of the many searchers will find them. The searchers will be yelling your name, but they are not angry. They are just worried about you and want to find you as quickly as possible. Don’t be afraid to let them know where you are.
i cut and pasted this - sorry for the weirdness
My motto as a young parent was brainwash early and brainwash often.
She still won.
Feral Bill
02-08-2012, 16:29
My motto as a young parent was brainwash early and brainwash often.
She still won. They always do.