Introduce the Grandies to the Big Outdoors!

Recreational shopping is fast becoming the norm, even for children. But in a country where the big outdoors is accessible to almost everyone (and affordable when you know how), there’s a wealth of fun to be had when you hike. Also, it’s a whole lot healthier than a weekend spent at the mall! If you’re not a hiker already, join a reputable tramping club with your grandies, and gain the experience you require from others. If you’re already a hiker, and want to enthuse your grandchildren about tramping with you, the tips below can be helpful to get them started.

Practise makes perfect

Start small with short day hikes but get each child to carry their own day pack. Be patient in helping them adjust their pack to suit their comfort, and be sure to praise them enroute. Before you leave home, get the children to make a checklist of what they’ll need to carry, and have them check each other’s pack to make sure nothing vital has been left out. This is the beginning of learning about safety in the outdoors.

Comfort counts

Gone are the days where tramping boots were essential for a hike. Comfort is what counts, especially for children. Use birthdays and Christmas gifts as opportunities to kit out your grandchildren with quality, comfortable hiking footwear, rain jackets, over-trou, sleeping bags, and packs. Get the grandies to help you look for these sorts of items second-hand, too, on sites such as Facebook marketplace and Trade Me.

Planning makes perfect

Children love happy anticipation so involve them in everything to do with a hike – from the destination, to accommodation, food, and sight-seeing. Sites such as DOC huts and home-made hiking snacks are great places to start! Let them plan the menu, too, then discuss how you can make the ingredients as light-weight as possible (if you have, or can borrow, a home dehydrator, you can even cook in advance!).

Chief of  … almost anything!

Kids love being given responsibility and on a hike, there’s an opportunity for everyone to take the lead. Before you leave, designate one child to be in charge of snack breaks, another to record the trip on a phone camera, one to know about sights to see enroute, and another to have marching songs to keep up spirits. Be sure to include a weather forecaster as part of your team (with adult supervision, of course).

Awards

Keep a stash of small certificates in your pack, and allocate them each evening to your young trampers for showing excellence in areas such as: recognising wildlife (such as a bird or tree), encouraging others, first aid, meal preparation, singing, patience and perseverance (the sky’s the limit!).

Nights are long

While younger children will have no trouble falling asleep at the end of a hiking day, older children may find evenings long. Pack cards, or have games ready to play, or better still, ask the grandies to supply these!

Base camp

One of the hardest parts of hiking is carrying a pack – especially if your grandchild isn’t used to it. Get around the difficulty by hiking a short distance to a destination that can be your base camp. Whether it’s a hut or a tent site, you can leave the bulk of your belongings there while you take side-trips each day to explore the surrounding area.

It’s not a hike – it’s a holiday!

Some children who are not hikers can easily be put off by the thought of walking with a pack. If this sounds like your crew, skip the ‘hiking’ term, and call the tramp a ‘holiday.’ The language you use to enthuse can make all difference!

Hiking is part of our national heritage. Make it a priority to introduce your grandies to their own outdoors backyard!