Hiking with children in autumn

If the mood sinks despite the many achievements and new experiences, it is important to show full commitment in terms of distraction. The possibilities here are endless and you will no doubt be familiar with many of them from everyday life. For example, how about singing a well-known autumn song together, playing mouse and tiptoeing across the forest floor or simply stopping for a moment, sticking your nose up in the air and sniffing the autumn air in the forest. We are sure that this will immediately arouse the children's curiosity and put them in a good hiking mood.

Our extra tip: 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.

In addition to the right clothing, one thing is particularly important: the right footwear. The shoe must fit well and must not pinch or rub anywhere, otherwise your hiking fun will soon be over. So what is particularly important in autumn?

To fully enjoy your outdoor adventure, your shoes should definitely be weatherproof. The best way to achieve this is to choose shoes with a GORE-TEX membrane. It is also important that the footwear provides children with a good grip thanks to its tread in order to get through wet leaves and muddy paths.

Hiking is beautiful and can be great fun. It is especially exciting for children when there is something to explore or exciting experiences await them during the hike. And what could be better than all the colourful leaves in autumn? Especially after a few dry autumn days, it's wonderful to rustle, run and rustle some more through the leaves. In the blink of an eye, a few hundred metres of the hike are done without the little hikers even noticing.

But of course leaves are not only wonderful for rustling: particularly beautiful leaves as well as acorns or chestnuts can be collected together and then dried or pressed at home. So even the bad weather days in autumn can be filled with craft sessions and reminiscing about adventures in nature together.

As with any other hike, it is important to prepare accordingly for an autumn hike with children. It is particularly important to keep a constant eye on the weather forecast, especially the temperature forecast. The snow line should also not be underestimated and should also be taken into account. If you start your hiking adventure with the right clothing in advance, you should have no problems. On the contrary: the first fresh snow usually puts children in a really good hiking mood. If snowfall is forecast, forest paths are particularly recommended, as the trees offer some protection and this is where the real treasures such as leaves, acorns and the like can be found.

As it gets dark earlier in autumn, especially after the time change, you should always keep an eye on the time during the hike to avoid stress on the way back. It is therefore better to plan slightly shorter hikes, as the walk simply takes longer with children than without them. Very important: stay flexible!

If you are planning a hike with refreshments, you should check in advance whether the hut of your choice is open. The reason for this is that not all huts are open all year round and it would be a shame if the hike ended in tears and hunger in the worst case scenario.

Breaks are always a hiking highlight for children and are of course also very good for adults. A spot in the sun with rocks or tree trunks to sit on is the perfect place for a snack. In autumn, the breaks can also be arranged a little differently: For example, how about warm wieners from a thermos flask and a hot chocolate or tea for dessert? Add a biscuit and the autumn snack is perfect.

Autumn usually offers a pleasant hiking temperature during the day - not too hot and not too cold. However, it can become particularly unpleasant when the sun disappears or a cold wind picks up on the mountain. The onion-skin principle applies here for young and old. If the children are hiking themselves, they are usually quite warm, as their short legs and exploratory tours away from the path mean that they simply move around a lot more. However, sometimes children forget that they are cold. In this case, it is important to always ask and have enough extra layers of clothing in your luggage.