Introducing your children to the outdoors is a great thing to do, and will hopefully develop into a great activity that yourself and your kids continue to enjoy together.

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When you’re assessing how to start hiking with your child – and the difficulty of the hike – make sure that you also assess your own fitness levels, bearing in mind that you may have to carry or push your young child at certain points, which can be more difficult than you think – especially if you haven’t walked long distances in a while.

Whilst hiking, many parents carry their children on their front, which of course will limit your vision, in particular what is below you. One way to help with this is instead of walking a full route, proceed to the halfway mark and return the same way. Take some mental notes of any potential hazards during your trip, which will allow you to be fully prepared during your return journey.

As we all know only too well, weather conditions can change drastically and quickly, so ensuring that forecasts are checked and suitable items of clothing are therefore packed is important.

At different ages, the amount of exercise that your child has the ability to undertake will differentiate quite substantially. Infants will need to be carried during the hike, whilst crawlers won’t be able to walk of course, but you should take the chance to let them stretch their legs where possible.

After around 18 months or so, when your child has become a little more comfortable walking, tackling some small, flat trails is a good option and will allow them some time to roam, explore and hopefully fall in love with nature. As time progresses and the amount of experience is increased, slowly increase the distances. Continue to hike on quieter days, giving your child more room to explore freely and without too much worry of fellow walkers.

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