Hiking with children can be a complicated undertaking – it helps to follow these ten tips

If you want to hike with children, you shouldn't continue as before. It's no longer about summits and altitude gain. It's about experiencing something together, as a family.

"The trick is to adapt your hiking," says Rémy Kappeler. The father of three wrote the book "Wanderpapa" and runs the magazine "Das Wandern," published by the Swiss Hiking Trail Association. Kappeler says that anyone who wants to hike with children needs to awaken their inner fire and curiosity.

One thing remains unchanged when hiking with children: the route needs to be well-planned. However, you should now pay attention to other things, first and foremost, making sure there are two or three attractions along the way. Kappeler means something like a cave to explore, a stream to dam, or a lake to splash around in.

Elisabeth Hunziker and Rémy Kappeler give advice on how to make hiking fun for children too.

Variety is important for children in general. They don't yet have an eye for the beautiful natural surroundings; whether the Matterhorn looms in the distance may be a highlight for parents. But the children soon forget about it. They are interested in their immediate surroundings.

Elisabeth Hunziker says hiking alone isn't all that exciting for children, because they can already walk. That's why it's important to have something else going on along the way. "Ideally, the children don't even notice they're hiking because they're so busy exploring their surroundings," says Hunziker, who works as an adventure educator, primary school teacher, and hiking guide. Trails that go up and down, that are narrow and wide, with rocks and roots, help with this. And they're "wonderful, natural training for motor skills and balance," says Hunziker.

When Rémy Kappeler plans a hike with his children, he brings it up a few days in advance. Then, over dinner, he talks about how he's found this trail, which leads past a stream and through a magical forest. This is meant to build anticipation.

"It's important to tell a story," says Kappeler, and that's recommended even while on the trail. It can be a story you've made up yourself, or prepared knowledge that's passed on in bite-sized chunks, from the family life of deer to an excursion into the Valais bisses, the historic irrigation canals. If you don't have time to do your own research, the best alternative is a themed trail for children ; these can be found throughout the country.

Anyone who's stressed is already lost before they even begin. A hike with children requires one thing above all: plenty of time, including breaks, of course. Kappeler says he always allows twice as much time as the hiking app or signpost suggests. "It's not about making fast progress, but about having a good time together," he says.

There usually comes a point when children's enthusiasm wanes. They'd rather not run any further. They might even go on a sit-in. However, it can be delayed with clever planning. If the walk is steep uphill or monotonous along a wide path, it's a good idea to provide some distraction. With a game or a snack, for example.

And when the dreaded moment arrives, losing patience is the last thing that helps. "The parents are responsible for the mood," says Kappeler, "and this is especially true when it threatens to tip over." Then it's important to engage with the child, to meet them at eye level. To listen to whether and where the problem lies.

A good recipe for adulthood is to have a few crazy ideas in mind. Kappeler recounts how his daughter once refused to take another step. He threw the child over his shoulder and ran off with her, "playing the clown," as he puts it. And after a few minutes, the tiredness was forgotten. Kappeler says it's better to carry the child for a few meters than to insist that she take every step herself.

A full child's stomach is the foundation for the success of almost any endeavor. This is especially true for a hike. So, it's better to pack one sandwich too many than one too few. Plenty to drink, of course. And yes, sweets are also allowed, says Kappeler. "Hiding gummy bears along the trail, maybe an ice cream or some other reward at the end: That works," he says.

For adults, the case is clear: Hiking is good because you're outside, in the fresh air, and moving. Children, however, are different – ​​they don't really understand such arguments. Elisabeth Hunziker says they need their own "why" and "how" that come from their own lives. "Only when they see meaning in it does true, intrinsic motivation emerge," Hunziker says.

It's crucial that parents don't impose their ideas on children, but rather allow space for their children to find their own ways of approaching nature. When children feel that they are being listened to and that their perspectives matter, genuine interest can develop—for example, when observing small animals with a magnifying glass or balancing on a tree trunk.

Hunziker says that children are increasingly exposed to more stimuli in their daily lives. Digitalization is a key word here. For Hunziker, this entails the risk of losing a sense of self. For the adventure educator, nature is a good place to return to one's roots for a few hours. That takes time. And children should be given that time, says Hunziker.

Children's shoes are expensive, and hiking shoes even more so. Nevertheless, it's worth investing in them, although second-hand models are also suitable. It's important that the shoes are well broken in. Socks should also fit. Hiking pants aren't required, but they should be comfortable. Of course, a suitable sunscreen and a well-stocked first-aid kit—bandages, disinfectant spray, tweezers—should be included in your hiking backpack, which children are happy to carry themselves.

The hike should be varied so that it's fun for children, and also rich in challenges. This naturally brings with it a certain risk of tripping. Elisabeth Hunziker says it's important that parents don't become obsessed with avoiding every stumble and constantly holding their child's hand. Children must, of course, be protected in dangerous places. Otherwise, she encourages parents to "definitely trust their children to do something," because this builds self-confidence, risk-taking skills, and body awareness. A graze may hurt in the moment, but it can soon become a valuable souvenir.

It helps to build anticipation for the hike beforehand. And it's a good idea to plan a highlight or reward at the end. This could be a visit to the swimming pool or a gelateria. "The main thing is that the hike remains a good memory," says Rémy Kappeler.