“Look, it’s a pterodactyl!” I yell.
The Chop points his walking stick skywards at the plane that’s just taken off from the nearby airport runway and makes the shooting sound we’ve been hearing so much lately.
“I got him,” he says excitedly. “He’s going down.”
The Fairy Princess turns around suddenly. “There’s a T-rex behind us. Run!”
We all hold hands and run up the dirt track, both kids giggling the whole way.
This is the first time I’ve been bushwalking with the kids in ages for various reasons, one being that they’ve started to show more resistance to the idea lately. I don’t want to force them too often or make a big deal out of it. The last thing I want is to put them off it for good.
Today, I needed to go and take GPS readings for a geocache hide I’ve been working on (more on that later), so I decide not to mention ‘bushwalking’ or ‘hiking’ and just tell them that.
We’re at Woodlands Park, and entering the fenced-off conservation area through the double gate has sparked something in their little imaginations. Suddenly we’re in the abandoned Jurassic Park, from the movie of the same name. The walking sticks we’ve picked up along the way become guns and every piece of fallen bark becomes some kind of dinosaur killing bomb. So what else is there to do but play along?
The kidlets looking slightly on edge (with the Fairy Princess in typical hiking attire)
It’s not long before I realise I’ve made an incredibly smart decision. I haven’t seen the kids enjoy a bushwalk this much in a very long time. This game continues throughout our walk. The rabbits we see bounding into the bush as we approach are warning of an approaching dinosaur. The kangaroos are some kind of harmless herbivore. My GPS eventually becomes a radar of some kind. Before we know it, I’ve found the spot I had in mind for the geocache, which is now being referred to as a dinosaur trap.
The kids surround me while I take my GPS readings, warding off dinosaurs with the various weapons nature has provided them. Soon we’re hurrying away back towards the car, taking a different route because we can see some other survivors (bushwalkers) heading toward safety on a track in the distance.
We’ve done a three-kilometre circuit by the time we return to the car, and the kids haven’t even noticed. While I think they’re pretty tuckered out and glad to be heading home, they haven’t mentioned wanting to leave. Not once.
As we’re chased back down Mickleham Road towards the city by various carnivorous creatures, I remember what I’ve told others is the golden rule of hiking with kids – make it fun. I’m proud that today I didn’t even have to do that – they did it for themselves.
How do you make hiking fun for your kids? Let us know by commenting below.
Hi Neil
Thanks for the tips (and great Photoshop work btw :-). I tried this on a recent walk in 30+ degree heat. Sadly, it didn’t cut the mustard – my daughter (6yo) pointed out that there were, in fact, no dinosaurs alive. However, I got them moving again thanks to interactive story telling – where I start a story and ask them for details such as the setting, names of character, how many brothers and sisters there are, etc. It works a treat.
What both methods have in common, however, is imagination: when a child’s imagination is engaged, they barely notice their tired legs or the heat of the day! It’s just a question of which one works for the children in question.
Cheers, J
Hi James,
You nailed it there. It’s definitely all about the imagination. They thought of the Jurassic Park thing themselves, so no doubt that’s why it worked. 🙂 I’ll be trying out your tip next time, though. Thanks for the comment.
Cheers
Neil
Aha! That’s great that they led the imagination charge. That’s another important one: giving children agency, which they don’t always have in a molly-coddled urban environment.
Absolutely!
Love this! I let Harry dress up in what ever clothes he wants (often some kind of superhero shirt). A stick or branch of some sort also help with keeping him occupied. He is also into birds, so he has a little pair of binoculars and we have a bird identification book. He actually getting pretty good at the IDs as he has a sharp eye and good memory. Having healthy snacks on longer walks are essential. He likes to be the leader but after he stood on a snake on the last walk of our last trip I will obviously have to rethink that one! Basically just taking it slow, allowing lots of stops and treating walking like an adventure, which is how it should be really 🙂
Hey Amanda, that’s great that Harry’s into birds! Must make things a bit easier. Not to mention I’d love to have someone with me on my hikes who could tell me what all the birds are off the top of their head. 🙂
He stood on a snake!? Oh dear. Have you managed to poke your heart back into your chest yet?
You’re right about that being how it should be. As I’ve said before, the kids could all teach us a thing or two about how to go hiking!
You made me smile too, Neil! Sounds like a super fun time was had by all. Not actually calling it a hike or bushwalk is a great idea when kids are young and a bit resistant. Kind of like not telling them a new food is a vegetable, perhaps. 🙂 Kids just love adventure and playtime. Giving them a chance to use their imagination like this makes it a much better experience for little ones. Love the pink hiking attire. I think one of mine had a cape and magic staff. I hope you get time for more “non-hikes”. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed, Jane! 🙂 The vegetable analogy is a great one! I actually told them yesterday that we’d walked 3 kilometres and they didn’t believe me haha