An older woman and man hiking with two children on a boardwalk in the mountains.

Hiking with children

Hiking with children is an easy way to discover nature together. With playful breaks, shorter stages and little adventures along the way, the journey becomes at least as memorable as the destination. Here are the tips that make hiking with children both fun and safe.

How far can you hike with children?

Children love to hike! If you plan the walk in a fun way, they can go almost any distance. That said, it is usually most enjoyable if you slow the pace down. You may not get as far as you are used to on your own. Instead, you can discover nature with the children’s love of play as your starting point. It’s worth setting aside extra time to explore unexpected discoveries, perhaps with the help of a bird book, plant guide, binoculars or a magnifying glass.

A fit and lively eight-year-old can usually manage a day’s stage of up to 15 kilometres, which is, for example, the distance between many of STF’s mountain cabins. The terrain may have trickier passages and changes in elevation, which are both fun and challenging for children. So stop often and take longer breaks. Sometimes a café open for the summer, a campsite with ice cream, or an exciting cave can put a spring back into tired little feet.

Not sure where it’s suitable to go on a hike with children? Then we recommend our Signature trails.

A man and boy walking hand in hand in the forest.

Carry small children in a sling or child carrier

Very small children, up to around one year old, are carried in a sling on your front. A sling should give good support for the head and neck. When you hike with a sling, you can often carry a rucksack yourself as well.

Children over one year old can be carried in a child carrier on your back. A child carrier works well once the child sits stably, and up until they weigh 15 to 20 kilos, when they can walk by themselves. Bear in mind that the carrier should be comfortable for both the child and you as the carrier. With a child on your back and extra bits and pieces in your pack, though, there is less room for your own equipment. You’ll need companions who can carry your gear as well as their own.

When you carry a child on your front or back, it’s best to err on the side of caution. So avoid summit climbs, scree and slippery areas. In both the sling and the carrier, you also need to make sure the blood flow to the child’s arms and legs is good. Stop often and see to it that the child changes position, walks on the ground a little and moves about. Because you are moving while your child sits still, they can get a bit colder than you, especially in spring and autumn. On warm summer days, the opposite applies – keep an eye out so the children don’t get too hot. It’s worth bringing a good hat, or going for a carrier with a built-in sunshade that folds up.

From the age of five, children can walk by themselves

From five to six years of age, children can usually manage to walk by themselves. How far and how fast they go is, of course, entirely individual, but reckon on anywhere from one to fifteen kilometres depending on age and mood. Without any pressure over distances, you learn to be outdoors together. On a bad day – with hunger, poor weather, a cold and mosquito bites – it goes more slowly. So spend plenty of time on play! Along the way you can have a barbecue, build your own windshelter, or take the chance to swim in a tarn or off an archipelago rock. Make sure the children only carry a small rucksack with a light load.

A woman, man and two children having a barbecue in the forest.

Food and drink on the hike

The food you’re used to at home can often be made outdoors. Mashed potato, pasta, rice and sauces are available in dried form even in ordinary supermarkets. Remember to bring spices and other bits that give the food more flavour. You can strip away all the unnecessary packaging, measure out portions and write instructions straight onto the bags – that way you avoid both litter and weight.

Ease up on strict rules about a balanced diet and instead make sure there are safe bets that give the children energy. Snacks, nibbles and mood-lifters matter. Bring nuts, raisins, biscuits or chocolate. You get through more when you’re on the move. Flavoured squash or effervescent tablets are handy to keep in your bag. If you hike without taps nearby, you may need to purify water along the way. Ordinary outdoor shops stock clever, lightweight water-purification solutions, such as tablets.

Accommodation for families

Make it easy for yourself by doing day hikes from a tent, cabin or hostel. If you have a base camp, you avoid packing up every morning and only need to carry a day pack. Perfect if you’re not used to hiking with a full load for several days. At our family-friendly accommodations you often get access to a guest kitchen, common room and a range of other comforts that make the hiking adventure really smooth.

If you prefer to hike and camp with the family, that’s of course a wonderful experience too. Then you can head off into rather different natural areas, off the beaten track. You can read more about hiking with a tent here.