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Hiking with Children

Planning a Hiking Trip With Children

Tips and ideas on how to organize your next out on the trail trip with your children...

Prepare for a positive and enriching experience...

Recipes to take along on your hike

Games to play on the trail

Marching songs kids will enjoy!

Craft activities to help kids learn about nature

Tips:
Get them involved in the planning of the trip.
Get a discussion going about "Nature Trail"

Animals they might see in the woods

Types of trees and plants you can find there

Safety in the woods

Hiking with Children Arts and Crafts

Nature Folder

Supplies: large file folder,nature magazines tape, crayons or marker

Cut out pictures of animals, flowers,trees ,and plants that you find in the woods.

Tape the folder on each side to form a large envelope.

Let them decorate their folders with pictures they cut out from the magazine.

Bring them to the nearest Nature Trail or at Neighborhood Park.

Ask them to collect various seeds, flower petals, little stones and put them in their Nature Folders.

Nature Journal

Supplies: various coloured construction paper 8"x 10", labels and a glue stick

Staple 10 to 12 coloured construction paper together to form a booklet.

Binoculars

Supplies: Two empty rolls of toilet paper, hole puncher, markers, strings of wool.

Have the kids color two empty rolls.

Glue the rolls together to form binoculars.

Punch a hole in each outside top of the roll.
Kids are now ready to go birdwatching.

Hiking with Children Games

Scavenger HuntSupplies: large cardboard, markers, colorful stickers

Draw a 10 squares graph on a cardboard and draw a picture of items you find in nature in each square (bird, squirrel, flower, tree, leaf, ant, bee, spider web….)

On the hiking trail the kids have to look for these items.

When they find one give them a sticker that they can place on that square.

What a fun way to develop their observation skills!

You can use Ink Stamps istead of stickers.

Bird Watching

Introduce your kids to birdwatching!Supplies: Binoculars, books on birds, cd on bird songs.

Start simple with the most popular and recognisable birds such as Crows, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Seagulls and Woodpeckers

Help them match the song to the bird.
Bring a few pictures of these birds while you go hiking with children

Hiking with Children Songs

The Ants Came Marching One By One

The ants came marching one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah!The ants came marching one by one, Hurrah! Hurrah!The ants came marching one by oneThe little one stopped to suck his thumb.They all go marching down around the town.Boom, Boom, Boom.

The ants came marching two by two, Hurrah! Hurrah!The ants came marching two by two, Hurrah! Hurrah!The ants came marching two by twoThe little one stopped to tie his shoe.They all go marching down around the town.Boom, Boom, Boom.

The ants came marching three by three...The little one stopped to climb a tree.The ants came marching four by four....The little one stopped to shut the door....The ants came marching five by five...The little one stopped to take a dive...The ants came marching six by six....The little one stopped to pick up sticks....The ants came marching seven by seven....The little one stopped to say 'my heaven'...The ants came marching eight by eight...The little one stopped to shut the gate...The ants came marching nine by nine...The little one stopped to scratch his spine...The ants came marching ten by tenThe little one stopped to say THE END!

The Bear Went Over the Mountain

(Sing to the tune of "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow")

The bear went over the mountain,The bear went over the mountain,The bear went over the mountain,To see what he could seeTo see what he could see,To see what he could see

The other side of the mountain,The other side of the mountain,The other side of the mountain,Was all that he could seeWas all that he could see,Was all that he could see,The other side of the mountain,Was all that he could see!

Tip: Great hiking with children songs for marching in line!

A-Hiking we will go
(Sing to the tune of "A Farmer in the Dell")

A hiking we will go
A hiking we will go
On the trail and ready to go
A hiking we will go

Hiking with Children Recipes

Ants on a Log

You need: celery, cream cheese, peanut butter, dried cranberries, dried raisins

Cut celery branches in three pieces not sticks.Spread some with cream cheese and sprinkle with dried cranberries.(red ants)Spread some with peanut butter and sprinkle with dried raisins (black ants)

Tip: Don't forget to sing "The Ants Came Marching One by One" on your hike before you eat these!

Back Pack Snack

You need: granola cluster cereal, candy coated chocolate pieces, dried cranberries, dried raisins

3 cups of granola clusters cereal
1/4 cup of candy coated chocolate pieces
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
1/4 cup of dried raisins

Mix together and fill a tightly covered glass jar.

Tip: Fill small plastic container for kids to put in their back packs Happy Hiking with Children!

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SBI!