Into the wild: hiking with kids

Kids can be noisy...

Where ever I go, kids hardly ever stand out as noisy. How do the parents do that? I don't think I was the quiet type when I was small...

Going somewhere with your kids can put a lot of pressure on you as a parent and the kids as well. I mean, who likes shushing their kids all the time? No one does!

So instead of going to fancy restaurants and bookish libraries, I recommend going on hiking trips instead.

I live an hour by car from the Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park. I pack a small bento style lunch and the kids into the car and off we into the wild. Even if the kids are too small to walk far, there is always so much to explore. There are so many things to find. Cute leaves, beautiful flowers, tiny insects... Even deer poop can be exciting.

When the kids were too little to walk, I would let them play in the dirt. They were thrilled and excited just by squishing the dirt in their little hands. No need to shush or pull or anything the kids. Just happiness.

You don't have to buy any expensive gear if you want to go hiking for the first time. Just make sure you wear suitable shoes for the terrain you are venturing into and check the weather report. If you love hiking with your kids, you can always buy the gear you need when you get confident that it won't go to waste. If you want to walk farther than your kids are able to, a child carrier is the one thing you might want to invest in. For kids, hiking is definitely more about the journey than the destination. Make sure you set your goals accordingly and best stay flexible on top of that. Plan on lots of breaks to let them explore as much as they want.

Don't leave your kid out of your sight. That should be easy if your kid is still very small and not so fast. For bigger and faster kids, a whistle is a great investment. Make sure that your kid understands what to do when they are lost: stay put and blow the whistle...

I live in Kobayashi, near the beautiful Kirishima-Kinkowan National Park. If you do not live near a national park, I can highly recommend making a weekend trip to one that is not too far from you. Especially off season, you can find great bargains for hotels or stay at a mountain lodge for a very reasonable price.