When you take children out on a hike, the goal is for everyone to
have an enjoyable experience. The challenge is that age often
determines what is enjoyable. Children between the ages of three
and five want to touch everything they see. They are not interested
in a beautiful view. Touching a moss covered rock is far more
satisfying. Teach them to explore and touch, but not to destroy
or collect. As children get older, they still enjoy touching but
getting someplace often takes precedence. Children between six
and ten years old are capable of strenuous hikes. They want to
see things and reach a destination, but often don't comprehend
the beauty of a spectacular view. Their experience with nature
is too limited for them to know comparatively, what is unique or
rare.
The challenge of keeping the hiking experience enjoyable for all
increases with groups of mixed ages. Try these verbal games to
engage their minds as well as their bodies.
Sing a Song: Learn a song and sing it while you hike. If you're
walking an abandoned railroad bed try "I've Been Working on the
Railroad." Find a spider web and sing "Itsy Bitsy Spider." The song
doesn't have to pertain to the hike, any song is fun while you
hike.
Blindfolded Walk: If you're on a relatively flat, safe trail such
as
an abandoned railroad bed, blindfold one member of the group and
have others give verbal instructions.
Identification: Have someone close his or her eyes. Place an object
in their hands and ask them to identify what it is.
I Spy: One person thinks of something that everyone can see and gives
a clue such as "I spy something round and hard." The others try to
guess what it is. The winner then gets to choose the next "I Spy."
Twenty Questions: A person thinks of some object or person. The other
players ask yes-or-no questions to discover the identity of the
object
or person.
Where Was That? After walking for several minutes, ask children about
the order of things you passed. How much do they remember?
How Far? Have each person guess how far he or she has hiked. For
older
children, show them how to orient the map and locate your position.
Cloud Pictures: Take a break. Look into the sky and describe to each
other what you see in the clouds.
Chain Story: One person starts a story, but stops in the middle of a
sentence or idea. The next person must continue the story then break
to let the next person continue, and so forth.
Yes or No: A person can ask any question of any other person, but the
words "yes" or "no" cannot be used in any answers. Actually any words
can be prohibited. It makes children think before they speak.
Name a Class: Have a person name all the presidents of the U.S. that
they can think of, or all the baseball players, etc.
About the Author
Sue Freeman is the author of 8 guidebooks to family fun outdoors in
New York State and Ontario, Canada. Visit her at FootPrintPress.com
