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).

Does anyone else feel like their child's walking ability is seen as a reflection of your parenting abilities? DD is 2.5 and is sometimes an ok walker. 6 months ago we were camping in the Peak District with a bunch of people and she walked for miles on an impromptu walk, yet recently I have taken to buggying it everywhere as even on short walks she begs to be carried and will collapse on the floor in a sobbing heap. I think it is more about being two rather than actually being tired but it is very annoying.

Makes me feel a bit though when people go on about their children being such good walkers as if it it makes them such fantastic parents not meaning people on this thread or anything...

Why don't you bribe them with sweets,works for me.And if they're really stubborn,I threaten to leave them behind,and remind them of the bears in the woods.Works every time!

We are going geocaching tomorrow - I had never heard of it before - but there are LOADS near us.

Thankyou to all you who have suggested it, will keep us busy for ages.

Provided we can get the cranky old GPS thing working and dig out some maps.

I can't read maps. Hope that won't be too much of a problem.

Twinset... if you have finished licking your bollocks, can you please link to the website of simple walks with photo guides that you mentioned at the start of the thread? Just posted on FB then it occurred to me that I could ask here

Oh yes I had forgotten that - find your nearest Dog's Home or Animal shelter and just borrow a dog to walk.

My mum used to do this with a friend of hers when we were kids and I remember getting all excited that the dog had done a green poo

Don't get how this Geocaching thing works. Going to Marwell Zoo tomorrow, so thought I'd see if there was a thingy near it... there is... but you need to solve a clue first, and my solved location isn't right! Anyone want to solve it? Marwell, Thompsons Lane The animal is Okapi - do you agree?
But this N 50 °58.985 W001°15.616 is wrong. Why can't they just give the location? Are they all this tricky!

I have been sitting here almost orgasmic about geocaching, DP seems decidedly underwhelmed. There are four locally, but DD doesn't do mud at the moment

To do geocaching without GPS iwould strongly advise that at first you stick to the ones graded 1 or 1.5/2, read all the clues including the encrypted ones (you have to register to do this but it is free and they dont bother you!) many caches have photos folks have taken so look at those (sod the spoilers warning, you are trying to avoid disappointed kids)

I print off the info i think will be helpful (like location and best clues) I also check location on google earth and zoom in as far as i possible can so I almost know which tree is under oh anf then zoom out a bit to nearest path/landmark as i have gone out and then lost bearings

This has helped us find alot but not every single one locally (theres loads in Crystal palace if anyones near there btw )

If you are at all worried about child being devastated they wont find it might be sensible to send oh ahead to locate and guide appropriately when you meet up again.

when you find cache you sign logbook and then log find on the geocaching.com website - this is great for kids and also respectful to cache owners who enjoy seeing who has visited the caches they have placed.

Incidentially for those in central London. The Royal Parks have recently refused permission for cache placement in any of the Royal Parks due to terrorism concerns so any caches listed in these places are likely to be in the process of being removed.

And here are some good links for planning walks (non geocaching unless you plan based around them )

urban areas

nationwide

thanks for that dobby, i think my DD is a bit too young just now - but im definately going to be looking for the local ones when she is back at school on monday - get used to looking then i think it could be good for summer - picnic, geocache what more could one need?

Imagination from children: we end up prentending...

to fly on a magic carpet
ride horses
skateboarding
skiing
roller skating
hopping/jumping/skipping
on a train/boat/aeroplane/bus

(all with sound affects and destinations)

also, act adventure stories out.

Splash walks
Umberella walks
Bug walks
Tree spotting walks
Flower spotting walks
Leaf walk
Windy walks
Choose a colour, 1st to spot objects/transport

Take a plastic carrier, see what they can find along their way. Look at things with magnifying glass.

The list goes on
Enjoy

We go geocaching treasure hunting and it is great. There weren't any caches treasure boxes close enough for an 18 month and 3 yr old to walk to, so I set up 5 of our own in a circular walk. They love going to check the contents, and we always swap items everytime we walk past them. Somedays we visit all 5, usually we visit one or two.
The best thing so far has been coming across other people trying to find them.

Oh and another tip for geocaching. Remember all those crap plastic things your DCs kept from the christmas crackers? Well they make great things to pop into the cache boxes - the etiquette is that you can take summat out of them as long as you replace with an item of similiar value - we have a sandwich bag full of rubbers/plastic tat, key rings and similiar crap "treasures" that DD takes with her and we use for swapsies with the crap "treasure" in these caches

Whoops i meant to strikethrough not underline crap Oh dearie me

Ds1 (4) walks for miles because DH had no concept that he might not be able to.
Ds2 (2) walks too because in his opinion there is NO WAY he is going to be seen dead in a pushchair. He is convinced he is a big boy like ds1, sadly his actual dimensions let him down from time to time. Also we go everywhere in that special zigzag manner that toddlers specialise in...
I like the idea of a collection bucket. Our dc have been bringing a small twig each home from their walks (their idea) and insist on carefully arranging them all in a pile outside the front door. Will try tomorrow if weather is OK.

I've spotted a geocache located about 600 metres from my house, will try it tomorrow morning, so I can see if I can work out how to use the GPS nav option on my Nokia E71.
Have got right location for the Marwell one now (letter E should be a 6, I had it as 5). No idea what the Cache clue means, maybe it's the colour of the box.
With luck if I can get the hang of this it will make walks a bit more fun.

WrigglingAndJiggling - great idea to locate 5 of your own.

Our local market sells old coins, we buy a ob lot and put them in geocaches. Cracker toys are also good as said above and we pick up bits in charity shops.

I used to make a list of things, (or pictures of things) that we had to look for on the walk. (ie blue bird, black dog, amn in hat)
EVERYTHING's fun when there's a clipboard involved

You sound terrifying, purple, is your name Marjorie Dawes out of the League of Gentlemen by any chance?

Organised Fun Will Happen And You Will All Jolly Well Take Part And Appreciate It!

OK all you seasoned walkers, what do your children wear (esp on their feet) on your long country walks?

DD tends to wear wellies as if there is a puddle, steam, lake , ocean she will get into it.

oh im likeing idea of geocaches but will be limited to where can go as to much mud and ds wheelchair not mix well though ds and mud seems to

4 year old seemed happiest wearing wellies. 18 month old would just wear his usual shoes (he would get backpacked most of the way, though did walk up 1/2 of Box Hill a few months back).

Phoenix - you want wheelchair friendly Geocaches... hmm, sounds a good idea. Do you have local country park/woodland with wheelchair friendly paths? If so, perhaps suggest Geocaching to the park ranger, maybe they would create some wheelchair accessible geocaches (or let you create some).

Found my first Geocache was trickier than I imagined, was hidden under some bits of tree bark.

Itneverrainsbut - mine have got walking boots, thick socks, and waterproofs (including trousers, because they like to sit on the floor).

Don't call it a walk, this is where you are going wrong?

Do you want to go on an adventure? Will get a different response to Do you want to go on a walk?