I love hiking and here are the top 5 reasons to go hiking with kids.  My personal reasons for taking my kids hiking range from seeking exercise and happiness, to looking for hiking partners.

Over time I have come to realize that one of my all time favorite joys in life is to go for a hike with my kids.  Back when they were babies getting out on the trails was more for my wife’s and my benefit.  However, now that they are older there are benefits for all of us.  After doing some thinking about it, I have come up with the top 5 reasons to go hiking with my kids and why you should do it too.

5 Reasons To Go Hiking With Your Kids

It Is Fun And Good Exercise

Hiking is a great way to get outside and get some exercise.  Adults could choose to go to the gym on the weekend or after work and spend a half hour or hour on the treadmill, but that becomes boring.  Instead, you can get outside, breathe in fresh air and work up a sweat as you walk along trails and climb peaks.

In addition to being good exercise, hiking is also fun.  Every time you step outdoors and walk on a trail you never know what you will find.  You may see some birds or other wildlife.  Or you may stumble across some beautiful flowers blooming along the side of the trail.  Or perhaps you will wander into some crazy rock formations!  It is fun to wander along, explore, and see what you can discover.

It Is Great Family Bonding Time

Hiking with your kids on the trail is a great way to spend time together as a family.  You will be outside together with no distractions or devices (I make sure none of us have a device).  This means you have lots of time to talk, tell stories, and be together.  You will be creating memories together to talk and laugh about in the future.

Over the time that we have spent on trails with our kids we have heard all kinds of stories from them.  Shockingly, and also luckily for us, they have asked for all sorts of funny stories from our past.  Time on the trails has become a chance for us to pass on our personal traditions and stories while we make new ones.

Your Children Will Develop An Appreciation Of The Natural World

The more time you spend outside the more your children will learn about the natural world.  They will watch eagles soaring in the sky, see a praying mantis on a branch, or stare at a squirrel scampering around on the ground.  All of those memories will add up and help them appreciate the natural world and understand their place in it.

I Want Them To Grow Up To Become Hikers

Admittedly, this is a purely selfish reason that I take my kids hiking, but it is one of the reasons I do it.  My hope is that if we do lots of hiking as they grow up they will learn to love it as I do.  Then when they are older we can go hiking and backpacking together.

Spending Time In Nature Leads To Happiness

I have done a bit of research into what it takes to be happy and it turns out that spending time outside in nature is something that can lead to happiness. It is important to get our young kids outside as often as we can just to be away from screens and the indoors.  We all want to be happier and don’t you want to do everything you can to give your children the greatest chance to be happy that they can?