Encouraging children to go on walks - any tips?

[halster]

Have just got back from another walk with the kids - as per usual there was much moaning, wingeing, tears, cries of "my legs are tired". We did not go far at all. They are 3 and 6, I understand that the 3 year old will get tired easily, but the 6 year old? I would love to take them on lovely country walks regulary but it is so stressful!! I try to make the walks as interesting as possible. And bribing them doesn't work either.

Do your kids happily go for walks? What is your secret?
My MIL maintains that my dh walked the Pennine Way when he was 4 (carrying his clothes in a rucksack).

if it's stressful, and your children are miserable, it's not a lovely country walk at all, is it? Why are you bothering? It's very cold out there, and I wouldn't take kindly to being dragged around the countryside by someone much bigger than me, purely on a whim.

I don't take my children for 'walks'. We walk everywhere, we don't need to make walking special. My children find it tedious, and i agree with them - they are also energetic 3 and 6 year olds.

Yep, bikes are great. Our 3 and 4 y-o go miles further on bikes than walking, so long as the paths are easy enough for bikes (not great in this weather though).

My cousin's 2 climbed stac pollaidh when they were 3 and 5; I still don't know how they managed it! I'll have to get some tips from them

It depends on your family and the nature of the children. We are an outdoorsy family, we also have a springer who needs a few hours a day. On top of that we live in the middle of beautiful walking countryside.

DD has always enjoyed being outside but children need training to walk at a distance.
My dd now adores walking.

We do geocaching and it is great fun. You often dont need a GPS for the caches graded 1 or 1.5. we were lucky on first trip out as we found 4 out of 5 we looked for - DD was a REAL grumps about not finding the 5th though, but we managed to laugh it off and as its local thats our "challenge"

If they get the geocaching bug, look at getting them geocoins as birthday (or maybe walk incentive) presents. I got one for DD when she turned 8 on our Hols in August - she loved the thrill of hiding it in Gran canaria and the e.mail updates we get when somebody finds and relocate it - its currently working its way around the netherlands

Another vote for geocaching here.

DD loves tracking them on google earth. WE are out geocaching tomorrow.

We bribbe ours with hot chocolate - bad mother emoticon.

We play dogs - each child finds a stick and I just keep throwing it - they race ahead and chase their stick. I give them dog names and talk in a high-pitched dog banter. This goes on for HOURS.

lol morningpaper.

Does that work with teenagers too?

It is a bit embarassing TBH

"Ooooh good girl! Drop it! DROP IT!!! Ooooh well done. Go Spot, run! Run Spot!"

Where we are is on a rambling track, dd often sits in the garden and often offers hot drinks and snacks to passing ramblers. We are starting to get a few regulars

love it MP . I am ging to try that forthwith. My two are often to be found being rather languid cats, so perhaps a new year change to bouncy dogs is in order.

You could even take Doggie Treats (Cheerios) in your pocket for Good Doggies

MP

years ago I remember seeing a TINY child being walked along the longest moroccan road and thinking right, my kids are going to be walkers. they're older now, but at your kids age what worked was a tube of smarties, to be distributed at the next lamppost/hedge/cowpat etc. I still always forget though, how important being properly warm is. the promise of hot chocolate/a flask of hc works for the final furlong.

I am a childminder and encourage the children to walk as much as possible.
One thing i have found that really helps is to give each child a small bucket and get them to collect things they find in it and then use these things to make a picture/collage when we get back.
The children love it and will walk for ages happily collecting leaves, conkers, pine cones, sticks, feathers, small pebbles etc!

With the geocaching that doesn't require a gps, do you print a map or something? How do you locate it?

I have to admit the only time I have tried without a gps I have failed miserably.

I found that DD moaned less the more walks we went on.

I also instituted a policy of "less than 2 miles...we walk!"

So we now walk to the local shops and the dentist and drama class.

It is now natural to walk along. DD invariably collects leaves and twigs. When I took her and her friend along to the park, her friend moaned, whined and bitched most of the way, until DD got a stick to measure how deep the stream was, then she joined in.

I think another thing is that we have just always expected them to walk, from tiny, so they've just got on with it. We have a 'friend' who whenever her daughter used to moan about walking would give her chocolate, or turn round, or say she'd get the car or whatever - result = one child who won't walk anywhere and is v overweight. Same parent kept the child in a buggy for ages too.

Trying not to be judgemental but I do think that must have an effect. Clearly OP, this is not the case in your situation. I think it's just a matter of keeping doing it, perhaps upping the distance slightly each time.

Nowadays, the one who moans the most on walks is me!

There is a difference as well between going for a walk to the shops or on a chore. We rarely do this as there is nothing within walking distance.

Walking to enjoy scenery or as a challenge is something dd adores.

My kids are happy to walk for miles.

You can make it interesting by having a dog, feeding the ducks, going on a treasure hunt.

Our kids are reasonably self-motivated about walking so I don't have to do this, but think of making a list for a treasure hunt. Give then 10/20 things to find and a little bag to put them in. You can really develop a lot of skills and interest, as well as getting them some exercise and fresh air.

Another idea is to give them a digital camera and get them to take interesting pictures. You can then fuss over downloading them when you get home and really 'value' their creativity.