How to Make Beginners Love Hiking
Posted by The Piggyback Rider Team on 23rd Nov 2018
We love that the Piggyback Rider gives families a chance to bond and experience the great outdoors together. Everyone has to start somewhere, so it’s important to make sure beginners love the activity. Once your child is packed and prepared for their first hike, the next step is planning the day ahead to be full of fun-filled adventures. Use these tips to make their first outing one they want to repeat every weekend.
Start Small
The Piggyback Rider makes it easier for parents to take their children the extra mile when the trails get rough. Even with that capability, on your child’s first hike make sure you start smaller than usual. Find an easy, local hiking trail that has plenty of places to stop and rest.
Make it a Game
Forget the tablets at home and make your own games for the day! There are plenty of exciting games to plan and play while you’re on the trail. Once your child sees that there’s more to being outdoors than simply walking, they’ll be intrigued and begging to hit the mountain again. Try some of these activities on your next outing:
Show Off Your Photography Skills
Taking pictures helps you hold onto these precious memories, and putting your child in charge of capturing these moments helps them stay engaged during the entire day. You can give older kids the challenge of capturing certain pictures. For instance, five pictures of your state tree, or ten pictures of wild life. They will love looking around for these items and you’ll love having the photos forever.
Give Everyone a Responsibility
Let your child be in charge of something they deem important so they understand that hiking is an activity for everyone. Whether they’re on trash duty or in charge of keeping track of the time, they will love to keep you updated on how their task is going. Everyone loves to be in charge of a task, even our kids, so make them feel like the trip couldn’t happen without them.
Hitting the trails with your family is fun and exciting, especially when you’re just introducing the activity. Make sure you plan ahead and have fun with it. The most important thing to remember is that this is all about family bonding. Make sure you have your Piggyback Rider ready and all the accessories you need to make the day a success.
