Nature adventures are an important part of our homeschool culture. We’ve been active in a homeschool nature group for over 7 years now and it is a highlight of our week to go out on nature hikes with our friends. As our kids have gotten older, we’ve transitioned from letting them roam in a mountain meadow to going on longer hikes to explore hidden areas. Dropping our stuff at a picnic spot is much different than carrying supplies for a hike that takes 2-3+ hours. We’ve had to look closely at what is truly needed for each nature adventure. The biggest change has been my kids taking responsibility for their own hiking backpacks and supplies. Here are some tips we’ve learned along the way about what to bring hiking with kids.
What to Bring Hiking with Kids
At some point, your kids should be carrying their own backpacks and water bottles. When that transition happens depends on many factors. Getting them their own special hiking backpack and tools will encourage them to take responsibility for what they need (or want) to bring on a nature adventure.
Our biggest obstacle in making that transition was just finding the backpack. You’ll want something that can hold what is needed, but not too big that your kids want pack a bunch of unnecessary things. (Although, it is good to let them over pack just once so they understand what it’s like to carry excess stuff around.) Make a list of what you want each of your kids to carry and what shared items you can carry. You’ll want bigger backpacks if you want them to bring nature journals and supplies for sketching. We stopped bringing our natural journals on hikes simply because they add quite a bit of weight and take up too much space in our backpacks. Often times, our kids were too distracted with all there is to explore to draw anyway.
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Kid’s Hiking Backpack Supply List
- binoculars – kid sized auto-focus ones are easy to use
- compass – great for exploring even if you’re in an area where you won’t get lost
- small first aid kit – one per family is fine
- baggies or small container for collecting nature items
- handheld microscope
- small flashlight – if heading out in the evening or camping
- whistle – in case of separation
- camera – My dad (a photographer) got these for my kids and we love them! Great pictures plus it’s waterproof, shock proof (up to a 5′ drop), and it compensates for hand shaking. Perfect for kids on the go!
- hat
- snack
- natural journals and drawing supplies – if space and weight allow
- water bottle – Insulated is best if you live in a hot area. I make them carry their own but I also bring extra water for longer hikes.
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Adult’s Hiking Backpack Supply List
- binoculars
- compass
- first aid kit – My kids like to each carry their own, but only one per family is needed.
- plant and animal identification guides – make sure you get ones specific to your location
- travel pack of baby wipes – handy even if your kids are past the baby/toddler stage
- pocket knife – Older kids, who know knife safety, can bring their own.
- small trash bag – for your trash and picking up after others if necessary
- whistle – in case of separation
- snack
- water bottle
- hat
- sunscreen and insect repellent – Apply before heading out and while out hiking if needed.
- phone
- camera – I bring a water proof camera if I’m going to be around water so that I can keep my phone safe from dropping in a stream.
- print out of trail map (handy if trail isn’t well marked)
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A few more ideas…
- change of clothes for the kids if they’ll get wet and not be happy about it
- frozen water bottles in car (will thaw during hike so you’ll have chilled water on the way home)
- jackets or other layers
Tips for Hiking with Kids
If you have more than one kid, you may be able to have just one kid’s backpack which is shared between the kids. This can save you from having multiples of most items and they can take turns carrying it. I only have two kids so it was easy for them to have their own. I tried to convince them to share binoculars but they often argued over who got to use them. So, they each have their own supplies, but they have to carry it themselves.
Younger kids should start out with very little in their backpacks. You’ll probably end up carrying it at some point, but they can slowly get used to taking care of their own things.
It’s okay to let older kids over-pack for a hike so that they can learn to make better choices. I still double check my kids’ backpacks before we go to make sure they have the basics. We’ve shown up on hikes where some kids are allowed to pack their own and they ended up forgetting snacks. No snacks on any length of nature adventure is a sure-fire way to end the day early with crabby kids. Make sure you’re okay if they forget something important before not checking their backpacks. Snack and water are things I always check for because I’m not okay with cutting a day short because of forgetting those items.
I keep our backpacks filled with all of our supplies and take out items that we may not need on that day’s adventure. When we get home, I’ll add back in those items so that everything is kept together.
When first asking kids to carry their own stuff, make sure you’re not heading out on a hike that will be long or challenging for your kids. You will most likely end up carrying their backpacks at some point. Start slow and easy into this transition, but don’t wait until they’re older, or you’ll be carrying water bottles and snacks for teenagers!
Happy hiking!
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