Child's Play

Staying Active Outdoors with Kids

By Randy Edwards

It wasn’t exactly wilderness, but it was a long way from the bathroom. My 4-year-old daughter and I were hiking an easy stretch of forest trail at a local metro park when she was suddenly gripped by an overwhelming urge to use the toilet – at least a 30-minute walk away at her pace.

She’d been on hikes since she was an infant, but this was the first time that a juice box had pushed her over the edge so quickly. There was no choice but to find a private place off the trail, but I was ill-equipped to give advice on, well, on anything. Still, we seemed to be figuring out the proper posture, and yet she hesitated. Finally she tearfully explained her reticence. “Daddy, I don’t want to pee on nature.”

After I explained that everything else in the woods did exactly the same, we got past that crisis and finished our hike. But the event helped me realize that maintaining an active outdoor life with my daughter at my side would take a bit more planning and preparation than I might have imagined. Indeed, staying active outdoors while raising young children takes careful thought, an abundance of patience and a commitment to compromise. Here are some thoughts on how to make it easier.

Stay in your own comfort zone. It’s foolish to push the limits of your children when you’re beyond your own abilities. “On our first family camping trip, we realized that even familiar stomping grounds … could feel like uncharted territory with kids in tow,” explains Jennifer Bové, a former field biologist, author and mother of three who is working on a new book titled Wild with Child: Adventures of Families in the Field.

Know your child’s limits. There’s no magic age that determines a child’s readiness for a specific activity. But if possible, it’s best to start them early and start out small. That’s the advice from Karly Beaven, who teaches water sports and rock-climbing to young Girl Scouts at the Kentuckiana Council’s Bear Creek Aquatic Camp in Benton, KY. No matter their age, Girl Scout novices start with sit-on-top kayaks and flat water, Karly explains. By the end of the week, many are paddling solo kayaks for miles. “(Starting small) builds their self-confidence and makes them comfortable,” she says. “If you push them too hard to begin with and they have a bad experience they may never try it again.”

Lower your expectations. We know you’ve circumnavigated the 1,400-mile Buckeye Trail and spent your last birthday kayaking the Gauley River. Guess what? Your best bet for a first outing with your kids might be car camping at a state park, where the family in the next campsite is watching American Idol on their portable television.

Get help. After several hours of trying to wrestle small children on a tow rope, my wife and I turned to the pros at the ski school and never looked back. And it doesn’t always have to involve pricey private instruction – in another instance, our daughter learned basic paddle strokes and overcame her fear of tipping over (by intentionally flipping her boat) during an inexpensive family kayak program offered by a local outdoor club.

Nothing makes children crankier than being hungry, tired or wet. Make sure they have a dry, comfortable sleeping bag and bring along plenty of snacks. Infants in backpacks or other secure devices will need warmer clothing than toddlers who are active and moving around. Make sure you have dry clothing.

Expect them to get dirty. “It took me about 36 hours of relentless nagging, trying to keep the girls clean, before I gave up,” says Jennifer. “They were dirty, yes. Blotches of pine sap had glued crud to their hands, and twigs poked from tangled clumps of their hair. But they weren’t puking or feverish or missing any limbs. They were alive, really alive. And it suddenly made sense that there was no better time or place to let them go wild.”

Slow Down. Let the kids lead. They’ll have more fun if they turn over their own rocks and create their own adventure. And you’ll see the world through a fresh set of eyes as they marvel at each new discovery.

Accept that there will be fears. The first time you hear one at night, a barred owl can sound like a deranged cannibal outside your tent. Buy or borrow a CD of animal sounds to review before the trip. Then make a game of identifying each sound.

Set a good example, especially when it comes to safety and outdoor ethics. If you don’t tuck your jeans in your socks in tick season, if you’re careless around a campfire or you leave your campsite trashed, no amount of talking on your part is going to persuade your child to act differently.

Learn some First Aid. Most people (happily) won’t need anything advanced. But even if you have the know how and tools to properly remove a splinter or a tick, treat sunburn or get a speck out of an eye, your young campers will have more confidence in you and your ability to lead them.