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Original poster

Hiking with kids?

12 replies

NotQuiteCockney · 19/02/2006 09:14

Anyone else do hiking near London? Are there any group hikes for people with kids?

We were planning to stick DS2 in a backpack (mostly) and get DS1 to walk. We used to do the Time Out London hikes, and there was something at the front about organised days for people to do them, including ones for families ... do any families go to these, or similar?

OP posts:
roisin · 19/02/2006 09:23

I'm not sure if this post is going to make me sound incredibly antisocial - but here goes anyway:

For us the joy of family hiking is not going with other people; and just enjoying the space and peace and quiet. Also going with a group might encourage your kids and make them think it's fun; but it might also put them off if they have to keep going at a point when they would rather stop and have a break. My boys are now 6 and 8, but we still find that we need some flexibility when we are out walking: to shorten our route when we realise they've had enough; to stop and spend 20 min examining something they're interested in; or to stop for lunch half an hour earlier than planned ...

Anyway - whatever you do have fun! It's a glorious day here: blue sky and sunshine so I think we'll head off up to the Lakes after church for a short walk.

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 19/02/2006 09:25

Hmm, good point. DH and I never considered hiking in a group on our own, we liked hiking without other people, hence our ignorance of these things.

Maybe we'll just have a go.

Our DS1 is 4, and can walk a few miles, I think. Maybe we'll just pick a short circular route somewhere down near the coast.

OP posts:
roisin · 19/02/2006 09:30

Sometimes mine are reluctant at first (even though they always love it once we're out and we have a fabulous time).

In terms of motivating kids, we've found the best thing is to have a 'target'; so for instance going for a walk to:
a waterfall
a stone circle
the remains of a roman villa ...

roisin · 19/02/2006 09:31

Sorry - that doesn't quite make sense. What I mean is we plan the walk we want to do, and then pick out something from the map of "interest" and tell the boys that's the "target" - even though it isn't really!

tigermoth · 19/02/2006 09:34

lucky you, roisin - it's grey and dreary today in London!

Notquitecockney - you could combine hiking with a youth hostel stay in a family roon - IME hostels attract lots of families who walk or cycle and are often sited near good walks.

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 19/02/2006 11:56

I don't think I'd survive sharing a room with my kids. But yeah, we might try for walking-oriented holidays, but a daytrip sounds safer, to start with.

It's pretty horrid in London today, but we're all dying of jetlag today anyway, so I don't see us gallivanting off anywhere now.

Your plan makes total sense, roisin, I probably would default to "pub lunch" as the destination, but that makes the walk itself not the fun, I guess.

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LIZS · 19/02/2006 12:12

In the past we've used some of the Ordnance Survey walk books to gvie us a circuit, sometimes with longer and shorter options. Depending how far you can get out of London there are some which take in Bocketts Farm at Leatherhead, the North and South Downs, canals and rivers, Ashdown forest (Pooh Bridge is a nice one for kids) or you could go to a NT type property such as Chartwell where you can walk on trails through the grounds.

LIZS · 19/02/2006 12:18

There are some organised walks, with a special category for families with young kids here

roisin · 19/02/2006 20:01

Thanks for the inspiration NQC anyway. We hadn't made definite plans today, but after this thread this morning we rushed back from church and made a picnic, and had a fantastic walk this afternoon
It was stunning day
and now I'm shattered!

KBear · 19/02/2006 20:15

NQC - some ideas here perhaps?

Walks in Kent

Original poster
NotQuiteCockney · 19/02/2006 21:32

Oh, LIZS, thanks for the link. We're actually Ramblers members, or have been, anyway, and we get the local newsletter, but it's never got anything kid-oriented in it. But they do seem to have some useful walks there.

Kent may also be an option. Maybe we'll try a group walk and a solo walk and see what suits.

OP posts:
DanielMummy · 20/06/2006 21:42

Only just found this thread. The ramblers groups are starting to do family walks now. We went on one in Richmond Park last month.

Here's a couple of links.
\link{http://www.innerlondonramblers.org.uk/families.html\London}
\link{http://www.ramblers.co.uk/walksfinder/walkInfo.php?id=84007\Buckinghamshire}

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