Hiking with children

Sounds pretty logical at first, doesn't it? But sometimes it's not that easy. Especially when the children are still very young and often don't walk much themselves. But even if the child is sitting in a carrier backpack, not every tour has to be completed and every summit reached. If you try to give your child time, you will often arrive much happier at the end of the day.

But: How much can my toddler actually walk themselves?

There is of course no golden rule here, as every child is different. The important thing here is not to compare your own child with others. While some children can already manage three kilometres with several metres of elevation gain at the age of two, for others a distance of one kilometre without any elevation gain is already a challenge. If the toddler is to walk as much as possible on their own, this naturally takes time. In this case, considerably more breaks need to be planned. But no matter what age the children are, parents should never forget one thing: the child's legs are much shorter than their own.

Hiking is beautiful and can be really fun. Especially when there is something to explore or exciting things waiting for the children along the way. This usually doesn't even have to be the big adventure trail. From recognising leaves to building stone towers - many things in nature can simply be used for play. Find a walking stick together, balance on tree trunks or hide in the undergrowth. There are no limits to your creativity. Classic games or songs such as "I see something you don't ..." or "A hat, a stick, an umbrella ..." can also provide variety.

LOWA publishes the "LO & WA Adventure Handbook" twice a year to help parents and children have fun and enjoy nature. Each of these booklets is dedicated to a specific country or region. In addition to an adventure that the siblings LO and WA experience together with their feathered friend LOWINGO in the respective country, there is plenty of reading material, puzzles and tips and tricks for your own craft ideas. Together with the fluffy peregrine falcon LOWINGO, the adventures can also be acted out during the tour or in the breaks on the hiking tour.

Just as friends motivate us, so it is with children. Hiking together with other children can significantly increase the fun of the tour. From races and climbing games to snacks - it's twice as much fun together. If you don't have any hiking-enthusiastic families with children of the same age in your circle of friends, hiking clubs or online social media channels are often a good place to start.

It goes without saying that breaks are important when hiking. For adults, the summit or a hut are often popular places to take a break. With this goal in mind, even the last few metres of altitude can be easily mastered. Children feel the same way. Even if the mountain view or the summit experience are not really important to them yet. But the breaks are important. They should therefore be planned in such a way that they are attractive for children. A hut and the prospect of a tasty juice spritzer or a piece of cake will certainly help. If there are animals or a playground near the hut, then that's even better. But be careful: this could delay the onward hike a little.

But it doesn't always have to be a hut. A beautiful spot by the lake, an alpine meadow with flowers or a stream will do just as well. Add a little culinary surprise in your luggage (chocolate biscuits, a wiener, a muesli bar, etc.) and the children are usually happy.

Naturally, parents often worry about whether they have packed everything and whether their child is properly dressed before a hiking tour. Especially in the changeable transitional seasons, it is important to make sure that the child does not get too cold while hiking. The same principle applies here as for adults: plan different layers in an onion system. This allows you to put on and take off different layers depending on the temperature.

In addition to the right clothing, it is also important to ensure that you use sun protection. Sufficient sun cream (especially on the back of the neck) is a must on every hiking tour. A sun hat or multifunctional scarf is also good protection and should not be missing from your rucksack.

To avoid niggles and support the natural development of the foot, it's also worth having a good children's hiking boot. Children's feet are not just the small version of "adult" feet, they are much more demanding. Around a quarter of human bones are found in the feet. In children, however, this bone tissue is not yet fully developed. In addition, the ligaments are still much more elastic and the sensation of pain is less well developed. That's why children can't tell whether a shoe fits or not in the shoe shop: they can curl their toes together without feeling any discomfort. But how can you find the right size? A relatively safe method is to remove the insole, which is always possible with LOWA shoes. This not only allows you to see the length of the sole, but also whether the width of the shoe fits.