Hiking Challenges to Motivate You and Your Family

“I want to go home!” whined my almost 3-year-old as he sat down in a huff on the trail. My usually adventurous little dude had lost his desire to explore, and I couldn’t blame him. It was a hot, humid summer morning in upstate New York, and we were only about a half-mile into our hike. I realized then that I had made a number of mistakes when planning this adventure: 1) I chose a trail that had little shade and no water, 2) We started the hike later than expected and it got hot FAST, and 3) There wasn't enough water. I decided to forgo the rest of the hike, strapped my kiddo on my back in a carrier, and quickly made my way back to the air-conditioned car. I needed to re-think and better prepare for hiking in summer and the weather it brings! Whether you are hiking, camping, playing at the beach or taking in a gorgeous sunset, summer is a wonderful time of year for families to enjoy outdoor fun in the sun. However, as temperatures increase, it can be hard to enjoy the outdoors with the constant “it’s too hot!” complaints coming from our tiniest explorers. Whether you have a baby in a carrier or an older child, here are some tips and tricks from our Hike it Baby community for keeping your kiddos cool on the trail in summer. Location and timing are everything We started doing shorter toddler walking/carrier hikes to alpine lakes where we can take a nice break to cool down! – Shari, Reno-Tahoe, NV I have a 1.5-year-old who is mostly in the carrier. We go early in the morning to beat the bugs and heat, and typically go for a trail with a water source. This time of year, we stay away from the beaches because of tourists, so we cool off in streams and freshwater ponds. – Lauren, Rhode Island We go in the morning and try for shaded trails or trails near a splash pad for the kids to get wet after. I also want to add that kids who wake up at the crack of dawn helps. LOL – Tracy, Louisville, KY Water parks and shorter hikes that begin or end somewhere with A/C, such as a coffee shop. – Jeannie, Kansas City, MO We include water of some sort in most of our hot-weather hikes. Hikes that don't include a water element start earlier. I like to be done or onto the water portion by 10:30 a.m. We wear loose-fitting natural fibers and hats. And of course, we pack plenty of water. We usually fill our water bladder with ice on hot days. – Courtney, Charleston/Lowcountry, SC Peppermint oil on the back of the neck! Hikes near creeks or shaded places. We also tend to hike earlier in the morning, but we are from the land of the midnight sun. So it’s hot all day! – Juliana, Fairbanks, AK Carrier tricks When putting the kids in soft carriers, I tend to strip them down to just shorts (and sunscreen). That way they have fewer layers. Mine get super hot easily and this seems to help. In strollers (if they let me), a muslin blanket helps shade them and keep bugs out. – Tracey, Anchorage, AK A towel wrapped in an ice pack between baby and me while I wear her. – Martha, Annapolis, MD For my son, I 86 the pants and shoes and utilize the sunshade on our pack. I carry a water bladder that we share to keep us hydrated and him entertained. – Lauren, Rhode Island My second child was born in May and she went hiking a lot her first 6 months. I could not have lived without our Luv Bug UPF towel. It is thin and light, has a hood, and is UPF 50+. I'd have baby in a onesie, put her in our wrap, put the towel hood over her head, tie the side corners around my waist, and then tuck the bottom corner under the carrier. Her entire body was protected from the sun and we were both comfy! – Vanessa, San Diego, CA I’d use the Osprey sun shade so she didn’t have to wear a hat.– Sandy, South King County, WA The mesh Lillebaby toddler carrier has helped keep us cool on long hikes. – Cherise, Eugene, OR For carriers, I stick to single layer carries in a cotton or linen woven wrap and ring slings, and my husband uses a Kinderpack with koolknit. While babywearing in the heat, especially with younger babies, dressing them in one less layer of clothing than yourself (often just a diaper) and frequent breaks are the best way to prevent over heating. – Courtney, Charleston/Lowcountry, SC Clothing and accessories to keep you cool Two favorites: misters and umbrellas. I bought this professional hair mister on Amazon. It provides continuous fine mist for 3 seconds each spray. I've found some pretty cool pump misters on lanyards at the county fair; there’s so many misters you can’t just have one. Evapotranspiration baby. Also a rain umbrella shades you and baby WAY better than the hat they will pull off. – Christine, Reno-Tahoe, NV We have been using a Luv Bug towel with a hood. SPF 50 makes me feel like he's protected on the beach and in the sun. When we hike in full sun, we toss it over him. If you get it wet first, it adds a layer of cooling moisture. It's a swimsuit-like material so it's very lightweight. – Kyla, Vancouver, WA Frogg Togg neck coolers, a portable fan that can clip on either stroller, frame carrier and even SSCs. If I can find breathable sunshirts, I try to use those. I keep myself as cool as possible so I’m not sweating on them. I sometimes wear a sun shirt that is very breathable meant for horseback riding. – Keira, Lexington, KY Hats, popsicles, Frogg Toggs! – Mindy, Myrtle Beach/Conway, SC I've been known to soak the hat before putting it on to keep my 3-year-old cool. Also, use bandanas you can get wet and wear around your neck. It's not heat-related exactly but I also prefer using a zinc stick sunscreen on my kids' faces (mine too). I've found it runs less with sweat than other options even if they do look like Casper when I put it on. – Jeannie, Kansas City, MO Cold snacks End with getting ice cream! – Juliana, Fairbanks, AK Cold, juicy fruits to snack on. – Martha, Annapolis, MD Frozen yogurt tubes are our go-to summer snack. While on the trail they melt a bit but still end up being a cool snack. – Jennifer, Houston, TX Frozen grapes! – Lacey, Kanai Peninsula, AK Be prepared I’d carry 3+ liters of water for a day hike, 2 liters in a bladder and the other in a water bottle. Leave a couple hydroflasks in the car full of ice water for a refreshing drink when you get back to the trailhead! Hike to lakes so you can all cool off when you have lunch and bring extra socks for yourself, putting sweaty wool socks back on is terrible. – Sandy, South King County, WA We like to freeze small Gatorade bottles and take them with us to enjoy in the middle of the hike or at the top of a peak. They are super refreshing! We also try to keep a small cooler with colder drinks and snacks in the car to enjoy a picnic after the hike. Be sure to know the signs of heat exhaustion and how to treat it just in case. – Becca, Kistsap Peninsula, WA How do you keep your little explorers cool on the trail in summer? Let us know in the comments below! Read more: Benefits and Tips for Enjoying Water Play this Summer 10 Fun Ways to Keep Cool this Summer How to pack trail snacks for hiking in summer Photos by Kyla Phillips and Arika Bauer. ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org    EDITORS NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach

In partnership with our friends at Retrospec What is Earth Day? Earth Day found its start in 1970 as a call for increased protection for our planet. It grew to be a global movement in 1990, mobilizing 200 million people in 141 countries. Today, this movement has grown tremendously, mobilizing 1 billion individuals for action every Earth Day. This is mainly due to increased digital and social media bringing these conversations and concerns for a cleaner planet to a global audience. However, living in an age of rapidly growing technology can be both a blessing and a curse. While we can now see the scientific evidence and repercussions of a warming planet, we have also become more disconnected from experiencing and enjoying this planet. One of our mottoes here at Hike it Baby is “Together, we are raising a generation to love the outdoors and each other.” We do this by providing opportunities for all families to get out in nature. When we instill a love of the environment into our children from a young age, they are more likely to protect that environment. The ”Unplugged” Challenge It's time we take a lesson from our pint-sized explorers and put down the screens to enjoy what is right in front of us. In order to help our planet, we have to learn to fully appreciate it. From the worms that aerate our soil, to the trees and plants that provide us with oxygen. The best way to accomplish this is by fully experiencing it. Not with a screen, but with our own senses. Enter the “Unplugged” family challenge. We recruited five Hike it Baby Community members (including myself) to get outside, unplugged, with their families for at least an hour. Here are their experiences: Vanessa Wright: "Every month my family goes on a weekend camping trip and each time we try to completely unplug the entire weekend. Instead of being glued to our phones and tablets, we hike, explore outside, read books, play games, tell stories around the fire, snuggle, and have tons of family bonding time! Those unplugged weekends are such a breath of fresh air for our mental health. We get to cut out all the stuff that doesn't matter on social media and instead focus on what's really important, creating memories with our family." Norma Salcedo: “We arrived at the Houston Arboretum and I tell my little one that we are about to go on an adventure. I put my phone on silent and in my backpack and we take the trail at 4:15 p.m. To be honest, I didn’t know what to do at first, I’m so used to taking photos of her that this time around I was just observing her. It felt weird not having my camera but after a while, I forgot it and was able to be fully present with her. She was so excited that I was letting her lead the way, she would point at the arrow and say let’s go this way. I had the opportunity to contemplate as we walked on a windy yet beautiful day. I thought about how being outdoors in the moment is very therapeutic. I loved everything about it. My little one would stop and pick up acorns and cover them with loose sticks saying she was making a home for them. Time seemed to be at a standstill, we started walking back to the entrance to the Playscape that has a sandpit and other things kids can explore. The little one enjoyed playing in the sand. And I just sat and enjoyed the breeze. It was 5:20 when I pulled my phone back out and thought about how relaxing it was to not have it out. I was able to be fully present with my little one and enjoy the moment. Thank you Hike it Baby for this idea and I hope I’m able to do this with my husband and baby as well!" Elicia Giffin: "Leaving our phones at home meant no pictures of a family walk to the neighborhood park for a picnic and play, but made space for (less) distracted conversation and taking turns napping in the sunshine before a quick dash home when it started to rain. Overall, a great choice and something our family is committed to doing more!" Different day, same park, but some swinging joy to share! Georgia Abrahamson: "We went outside for a 3-hour chunk of time and fixed fence for spring pasture for the cattle. Miss 2.5 always loves the outdoors and mostly followed along with a song in her heart once she decided she didn't need help at every step. She even enjoyed plowing through the snow when she fell through toward the end, convincing me we need a few more opportunities to weather some hardships and gain age-appropriate confidence/independence. We were unplugged for about 1.5 hours before I checked my phone, which I carried for safety but had on silent. I noticed I wanted to check it every 45-60 minutes for incoming messages. I would feel vulnerable and unsafe without my phone on me and a toddler with me since the mama cows can be unpredictable and while it's uncommon, hibernating animals can be dangerous and are starting to come out for the spring. I would absolutely do it again and appreciate the refreshment it brings to my personal mental health to unplug, especially from social media and text messages. I slow down better and am more present in the moment when my phone is untouched, and I feel more fulfilled. It was tough to realize I'm checking for messages without actually expecting anything, wanting to interact with people this way even though I recognize that it's an overall drain on my energy. I'd like to be more intentional to put the phone in my pocket and leave it there throughout my day, and especially outside to enjoy living a bit more in the moment with my daughter instead of capturing memories or passing time as she plays. I may not go totally without that helpline in case of emergency though." Rebecca Hosley: "My husband and I decided to unplug during a family hike with our two boys. I am the worst culprit for using my phone on hikes (mostly for taking photos and tracking our route), so I left my phone in the car. We turned his phone off and stuffed it into the bottom of our hiking pack for emergencies. At first, I found myself constantly reaching for my pocket where my phone usually is. After about 20 minutes into the hike, I finally started to really experience our hike. It was like seeing nature through the eyes of a child again. I noticed more around me; the smells, the sounds, the tiny critters and plants I would otherwise have missed, etc. My boys caught on as well, and started saying things like “Mommy, Daddy, look at this!” and “Ooh, let’s explore that log” once they noticed they had our full attention. We bonded more as a family and made some fun memories. While I don’t think we will go completely without technology on our hikes (in case of emergency), this experience convinced me to enjoy nature in the moment rather than through a photo I may look at a handful of times and easily forget." Celebrate our Earth This Earth Day, let’s take the time to actually appreciate our Earth. Not through a lens or a photo, but with our own eyes. Or better yet, with ALL of our senses. Let’s try to emulate the curiosity and wonder that our children experience. Stop to smell the flowers or observe the creatures in a puddle. Close your eyes and listen to all the wonderful sounds in nature. Taste fresh, wild blackberries or feel the moss growing on a nurse log. Take it all in and trust that your memory will capture it better than any photo you take with your phone. Because our kids are only young once and we only have one Earth. It’s time we fully experience and appreciate both.   Now it’s your turn. We challenge you to take the “Unplugged” challenge with your family. Let us know how it goes in the comments below.     ABOUT OUTGROWN OutGrown is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that works to create a world where everyone can enjoy the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. We are focused on creating opportunities and removing barriers to access so families with babies and young children can take their first steps outside. We believe all families have the right to connect with nature, benefit from spending time outdoors and be inspired to a lifelong love of nature. Since its grassroots inception in 2013, OutGrown is a growing community of 280,000 families and over 300 volunteer Branch Ambassadors. More information on all of our programs can be found at WeAreOutGrown.org    EDITORS NOTE: We hope you enjoyed reading this article from OutGrown. We’re working hard to provide our community with content and resources that inform, inspire, and entertain you. But content is not free. It’s built on the hard work and dedication of writers, editors, and volunteers. We make an investment in developing premium content to make it easier for families with young children to connect with nature and each other. We do not ask this lightly, but if you can, please make a contribution and help us extend our reach.