The weather is warming up in Australia, daylight savings is nearly here!

It’s a great time of the year to go on some day hikes with the kids!

Here’s is my top 5 essentials to keep the kids safe and entertained while on the trail!

Snacks!!!

My number one essential is snacks, as much as you can carry! You can guarantee that as soon as we get a short way down the track, someone will say that they are hungry. I pack fruit, sandwiches, biscuits, popcorn and a bit of chocolate to keep them going! To go with snacks is the essential water bottle, make sure you have plenty of H2O, as well, as kids dehydrate quickly!

First aid kit

Always pack a small first aid kit, pack items that will help along the way if one of the kids hurt themselves. Bandaids, tissues and Paw Paw cream can help you with those inevitable scratches and blisters while a wide thick bandage will help in a snake bite situation, brush up on your first aid on this or for a sprained angle. Sunscreen is also a very important item in the first aid kit to avoid sunburn on the kids and yourself.

Cameras / binoculars

To keep the kids entertained while walking they each carry a camera and/ or binoculars. While I’m busy taking photos of the surrounds they too can capture what interests them or look out to the view to see what they can spot. It’s very interesting to see what grabs their attention and to view the world through their perspective.

Hike boots / joggers.

A good, sturdy pair of shoes makes the hiking experience so much more fun for the kids. Make sure they have worn them in before you go on any big hikes to avoid causing blisters. Hiking boots have great soles specifically for hiking and are waterproof so that they can jump in puddles without getting their feet wet!

Walking poles

While these aren’t necessarily essential, they can help encourage the kids and help them with the hike. My kids got their poles for Easter this year and love them! They are adjustable so even though they are techniquely “kids” poles I can use them as well! I purchased them from Macpac, (they are on clearance at the moment!!!!) the best and cheapest I could find at the time and came in pairs so I just gave them one each!

That wraps up my essentials for hiking with Kids.

Do you have any other tips that you would like to share on essentials for when you go hiking with the kids?

Safe Travels!

Kerrie

Please share!!!