Oh how wonderful it is in nature! The mountains, the sea or just green landscapes. But the beauty of mother earth is not really exciting for children, the little explorers usually need more than green meadows to be enthusiastic about hiking. To keep the little ones on the ball, we have a few tips and interesting tour ideas for families.
Hiking with children: tips for planning
The best time to go hiking in summer starts in April or May and lasts until October. A hike with children requires some planning in advance. What you should have in mind beforehand:
- Children from approx. 4 years can go on a small tour, before that the child, e.g. B. in a baby carrier, or at least over long distances. But: run around and let play at the latest during the breaks.
- Plans short sections of the route and many breaks a! Your children will be exhausted faster than you, so be generous with your schedule.
- As a guide you can remember: Specified walking time x 2. In other words, if a hiking time of 1.5 hours is specified, it is best to calculate about three hours. In the meantime, children tend to stop, discover things, check things up, and romp – and of course they are not as fast as adults anyway.
- How many kilometers does a child cover? As a rough guide, the German Hiking Association states: Age x 1.5. So: A 5-year-old creates about 7.5 kilometers.
- And: If you hike with smaller children, make sure that, for example, B. no steep walls or something similar must be taken. High-altitude hikes are also not a good option, stamina and sure-footedness are not yet guaranteed depending on your age
Hiking with children: 4 tips for motivation
- Children are curious and real explorers! Circular trails are more exciting, because there is always something new to discover there and it is not the same route as on the way there.
- In between, the child overcomes the total Reluctance, take that for all cases Favourite toy with or something to snack on – or something that will lift your spirits again!
- There is also a lot Gamesthat can be played on a hike with family or friends. Think about a few in advance! This can be a hidden object game ("Who first discovers an anthill?") Or form classic games such as word strings or "I pack my suitcase".
- Very important: one target! Simply hiking is rather boring for children. In addition to games, an exciting goal motivates. Even in current corona times, some things are possible again, like visiting one Swimming lakes, a castle tour or an adventure playground – so it remains interesting in any case. Inquire in advance about the current Corona safety precautions for your destination!
Hiking with children: 5 ideas for tours with the little ones
So that children do not get bored while hiking, they need a lot to discover, touch, try and experience! We have put together a few ideas for you.
Pidinger Bee Trail in Berchtesgaden
It is more of a walk than a hiking tour, but especially if you haven't been hiking with children, you should start small. The Pidinger Bee Trail invites you to learn more about bees and how to preserve them. With a guided tour (on request) there is also the option of the Bees at work in the beehive to watch! Interesting for adults too, of course.
Length of the route about 1.2 km
Saxon Switzerland
Saxon Switzerland offers great opportunities for hiking, especially for smaller children. Short day trips are particularly useful here, like the Fairytale path: An idyllic tour of approx. 5 km, also with stroller is passable! Also the Lynx path can be run in about an hour, on which information about lynxes, but real lynxes, can be found!
Fairytale trail: route approx. 5 km
Luchsweg: route approx. 2.3 km
Alpine adventure trail Imberg im Allgäu
The circuit in Westallgäu starts at the mountain station Imbergbahn, leads through the Lanzenbach valley and the moor. There are approx. 47 stations, where young and old can experience the region, Watching animals, milking (no real cows ?) or climbing. If the total distance is too long, you can also take shorter routes of 5.3 or 2.3 km.
Route approx. 6.3 km
Magic trail on the Hasenhorn in the Black Forest
A short story of two elves is told on the Magic Trail hiking tour on the Hasenhorn. For children there is Play stations and interesting sculptures to admire, in the end you may find the magic stone …
Distance 6.9 km
Bears in the Bavarian Forest
The Bear Trail is all about – clearly – bears. In addition to information boards on the route, the children can join Play stations let off steam. At the end there is the highlight: the bear enclosure with real bears!
Total distance about 14 km
Here you will find even more tips for holidays with children, useful information for holidays with children and clever savings tips for family holidays!