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Original poster

How far can your 6 year old walk?

40 replies

KindergartenKop · 14/02/2021 18:04

6 year old DS was very resistant to our fun filled walk this afternoon. Am I pushing him too hard? We walked 5.6 km. The park we walk in is probably 2km away so we have to go that far in order to get the nice bit and of the walk iyswim. I'm feeling a bit down because he was sad but I desperately want to walk more and go further! Argh terrible lockdown!

OP posts:
MrPickles73 · 14/02/2021 18:06

No. Our 7 yo can do 7 miles.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 14/02/2021 18:08

Depends what's in it for them. Walking for walking sakes... A few minutes. Walking to the ice cream shop... A few hours.

TeenMinusTests · 14/02/2021 18:10

With distances, it depends what they are used to doing, the weather, and the interest.
A sunny walk with animals to look at DD could go quite a long way at that age.
Rainy weather and roads would be another matter.

OP - games, goals, bribes & rewards. Or a scooter / bike depending on type of path.

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Bubbinsmakesthree · 14/02/2021 18:10

On a good day we’ve done 6 miles in the Peak District (with our 3 year old walking too otherwise could have been more ambitious). Made a day of it with lots of snack stops, picnic lunch.

But yesterday he walked 2 miles with DH and they then had to get the bus home as he was cold and getting hungry and tired.

On a cold Feb lockdown day 5.6km seems pretty decent!

Camomila · 14/02/2021 18:11

5.6k is fine for a 6 year old I think. I regularly do 4 or 5k with DS1 (nearly 5).
Were you going anywhere or just walking? DS1 moans a lot less if there is 'a point' to the walking...recent successes have been 'can we get as far as the big asda' and 'lets do a loop of the park and get takeaway hot chocolate'.

I'm working up to 'lets get as far as the beach' (45 minutes adult pace) DH can pick us up on the way back from the supermarket.

SarBear1980 · 14/02/2021 18:11

Ours will happily walk 10km - encouraged by his ability to collect a stick en route and a snack being in his pocket!!

IdesMarchof · 14/02/2021 18:12

Mine has done 7 miles - we worked up to it slowly though from 4 mile routes

Invisimamma · 14/02/2021 18:13

Depends what mood he's in, but about 5km would be an average Sunday walk, any further would be a big, long walk for him. I often want to go further or longer but need to remember he's only got little legs and me and do will take turns at going out for a longer walk alone.

Camomila · 14/02/2021 18:14

Oh, have you got a step counter on your phone - DS1 likes it if we reach the target (6000 steps on my phone).

TheMandalorian · 14/02/2021 18:14

My 4yo and 6yo boys can easily do 6-7km in the peak district. But somedays they don't want to. We did 10k last summer nonstop but that was slightly too far without a break (parking was about to run out).
I offer a choice walk in the woods, along a river or find some rocks. Sometimes they pretend to be monster trucks.
Sometimes I offer a snack/ sweets to make it to the top of a hill. But this can set up expectations of a treat.
Sometimes I print off a scavenger hunt or we go to jump in puddles or crack ice. Or find a stick to float in the river. In summer we paddled in streams. Make it fun but the choices are different types of adventure walks.
Most of the time they love a good walk though.

TheMandalorian · 14/02/2021 18:16

Oh yes and I always make sure I do a circular route which starts uphill and finishes downhill.

InsideNumberNine · 14/02/2021 18:18

My four year old, if promised a treat at the end, can easily walk 10k. Yesterday, in zero degrees weather, he did 30 mins...

fedup2017 · 14/02/2021 18:18

Pre-covid our then 6 year old walked 7 miles in the Alps with a promise of a Macdonald's at the end.
On other occasions he has had tired legs walking the 400m to school......

DavidsSchitt · 14/02/2021 18:20

6 year old can do 7 miles

DavidsSchitt · 14/02/2021 18:21

But isn't always willing to Grin

ParkheadParadise · 14/02/2021 18:21

My dd(5) is the same as @Aroundtheworldin80moves

ThatDamnKrampus · 14/02/2021 18:25

Dd2(5.5) walked 3 miles, school day and then 3 miles home in September and October as we didn't have a car and I didn't want to use public transport.

She will happily walk 4 miles without any issues now. We don't do it very often though.

TierFourTears · 14/02/2021 18:26

We are older now, but its freezing, damp and sloppy underfoot here today. We turned round and did just 30 mins.
But they will go for miles if it is somewhere interesting and/or with an end goal.

LizBennet · 14/02/2021 18:29

My 6 year old has autism, he can manage about 6 miles (he loves walking).

RestingPandaFace · 14/02/2021 18:30

My 4 year old starts getting tired legs at the 5K point, but was able to walk further before lockdown. He walks further with a target in mind other than the park.

3JsMa · 14/02/2021 18:33

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

Depends what's in it for them. Walking for walking sakes... A few minutes. Walking to the ice cream shop... A few hours.
GrinGrinGrin Made me chuckle but it's 100% true.
Frazzled2207 · 14/02/2021 18:34

5k is good in winter. Mine probably has a limit of about 3k in the cold but we’ve done 10k ish last summer with lots of breaks and treats along the way.
A 6 yo I know does 10k almost daily with her mum. (Mum is a very keen Walker so she’s grown up with it)
What he can do and what he will do are entirely different

LeroyJenkinssss · 14/02/2021 18:37

It totally depends on the route - my DSs (10 and 5) can do 10 miles if its interesting (and with the eldest that means not fully pathed, some scrambling) but 10 metres if its dull!

Gibbonsgibbonsgibbons · 14/02/2021 18:39

5 yr old regularly does 5miles but will go much further if there is a snack Grin

Whoateallthechocolate · 14/02/2021 18:54

It depends on the circumstances! At 6, DH did 22,000 steps one day and DS must have done significantly more than that as he was only 6 and was often running ahead and doubling backed. The reason for DS's enthusiasm? We were at DisneyWorld! A year later, at the beginning of lockdown 1, a walk of 3km had him whinging. We've since learned a few tricks ... they have proper walking boots, we take a snack and water, we take a football and we often drive to the other end of the village where the countryside really starts as otherwise we "waste" 2km of DS' patience and energy trudging along pavements which we have walked endless times. So today we did 6km through the countryside but wouldn't have managed the same loop had we started at our front door. Could you drive to the park and walk from there?