If you’re an outdoor mom like myself, you might be wondering how to get your kids interested in the outdoors and how to raise outdoors-loving kids.
Being out in nature and going on hikes are important to me. I wanted to instill that love for the outdoors in my kids - especially hiking in the mountains. Why? 1.) The mountains are one of my favorite places to be. 2.) Hiking is one of my favorite activities to do. 3.) Being out in nature is healing and so good for cognitive development in both adults and kids. But you might be yelling at your computer screen as you read this, “Lauren, how do I go hiking with kids? It seems impossible.” Luckily, I got you covered with some tried and true parenting tips for hiking with kids that’ll leave your kids begging to get out into the mountains every weekend. Lauren Barrett Writes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy. But first… 
Hiking with Kids Backpacks
If you’re looking to be equipped with the best gear on your hike, here are some Amazon’s best kids backpacks for hikes. *But full transparency - I usually just carry a drawstring backpack right from the closet*
Hiking with Kids Carrier
Once kids reach 2 or older, I firmly believe that they should spend most of the hike - well hiking instead of being carried. But in case they get tired or you reach a dangerous spot, here are some of the best kids carriers from Amazon.
Hiking with kids checklists
Looking to know what to take when hiking with kids, here is my go to checklist of all the essentials I make sure I have when hiking. This is obviously an exhaustive list, and you definitely don’t need to take all of these things every time you go on a hike. Ranked by priority.
4 Useful Parenting Tips for Hiking With Kids in the Mountains:
Now that you have all the appropriate hiking with kids gear packed and ready to go, you might be wondering - “Okay, but how do I actually get them to hike?” Read on for four useful parenting tips when hiking with kids. 
1. Give kids responsibilities
Kids like to feel important, especially younger ones. That's the reason why I suggest giving them a responsibility while hiking - something that makes them feel important. I like to give my son the responsibility of staying on the trail. “Okay, your job is to make sure we are going the right way on the path. This is very important.” A lot of trails, especially in the mountains, have some type of marker to indicate you are going the right way. Maybe it is a colored shape (orange diamond, blue circle) fixated on the trees. It could be a sign with an arrow. It could be the rock formations called cairns (pronounced Care-in). It could be a log drilled into the ground to act as a step. Whatever it is you can tell your child to find the next one to make sure you are going the right way. Really play this up and praise your child for finding the next one every time. “Wow, you found it! I didn’t see it. Thanks to you we aren’t getting lost!” Other responsibilities can be
Establish responsibilities at the beginning of the trip and take them seriously. But obviously if your kids want to abandon ship and just leisurely hike, that is fine too! 
2. Have an incentive
Over time, our goal is to have the hike be incentive enough, but at first, you might need to give your kids an incentive to keep them going. For example, recently we were doing a waterfall loop hike. There were three waterfalls on our hike. I told our son that once we got to a waterfall we would stop to have a cracker. After certain designated checkpoints or time frames, you can offer your child an incentive. Snacks, treats, stickers, or something fun. Phrase the incentive as a first-then statement. “First, we reach the waterfall. Then, we will have a snack.” Adults need to reward themselves too when they exercise. Kids are the same, so offer incentives. 
3. Go at their pace
It’s important to remember to manage your expectations when going on a hike. Keep the hike relatively short and go at your child’s pace. Let your child stop to discover things, touch things, and point out things. All of those things are learning. They are learning about the world and how things work when they throw a rock or leaf into a stream. They are learning about the world when they try to balance on a log. They are learning about the world when they pick up sticks and walk with them. So go at their pace. 
4. Choose the right trail
When hiking with your kids, it is important to choose the right trail for them. Here are some of my criteria I consider when hiking with my son:
Once you have established your criteria, you can choose a trail that is just right for your kids. 
Wrapping Up
Now that you have these useful tips for hiking with your kids, you can now get outdoors and enjoy nature. Please comment below some of your favorite trails to hike with your kids. I’d love to hear all about them.
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 For my Spring Break this year, I wanted to get out into nature. For starters, nature is very healing. I love hiking. And I'm trying to get to all of the National Parks. We were traveling with our 3-year old son, so I knew that we needed to find some kid-friendly activities to do with him outside. Starting from a young age, I made sure my son had lots of opportunities for outdoor play because it's so good for his cognitive development. I also wanted to instill a love for hiking, nature, and national parks in him. Living in Raleigh for 10 years and still never going to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I knew that we had to go there. In my research, I found Bryson City - home of the Great Smoky Mountains Railroad (GSMR). Bingo. Bryson City was perfect. My son loves trains. The National Park was close by. And there were plenty of kid-friendly activities. After spending 3 days, 4 nights there I came up with 6 of the best outdoor activities to do with kids in Bryson City.  1. Nantahala Brewing I bet you are wondering how a brewing company is one of the best kid-friendly activities in Bryson City but hear me out. We arrived to our AirBNB on Sunday afternoon. After unpacking, we were in walking distance to this brewery located near downtown and right by the train tracks. We were pleasantly surprised to find out how kid-friendly this brewery was. We got a table outside, and our son was free to roam the gigantic green field at his own leisure. There was a fence that prevented him from wandering off. We had an eye on him the whole time. And there were kid bikes and tricycles with which he could play. What's even better that on any given night, you will be sure to find other kids running around and playing. The food was delicious. The beer was refreshing. The atmosphere was perfect. The view was picturesque. And kids could play outside endlessly. So that's why this is one of the best outdoor activities for kids in Bryson City.  2. Deep Creek Waterfall Loop Only about a 7 minute drive from Bryson City, the Deep Creek playground is located right inside of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On a hot, summer day you can swim, tube, and fish in this area. But since we went in the early Spring, it was too cold for all of that, but we did enjoy the Waterfall Loop. The Waterfall Loop is about 2.2 miles and was just on the cusp on how long a 3-year old can hike. But what is nice is that there are 3 waterfall destinations that we used as incentive for our son to keep going. The first waterfall we hiked to was Juney Whank Falls, and it was the steepest hike to get to, which I'm glad we did first. But, in my opinion, the prettiest. The second one was Tom Branch Falls which was relatively flat to hike to. There was a steep-ish decline at one point in the hike. Our son enjoyed hiking crab style during this point. The last falls was Indian Creek Falls. And at this point, we decided to turn around instead of completing the entire loop (.3 miles shorter). Here are some ways that we get our son to hike:
 3. Downtown Bryson City Downtown Bryson City is relatively small, but it's a quaint and good outdoor activity for kids to do. Just walking around and exploring the multiple shops and restaurants is enough for a kid to explore. *There are a lot of ice cream and dessert places* Kids can wander onto the multiple trains and cabooses located throughout downtown. They can walk around Island Park or Riverfront Park which are both right by the Tuckasegee River - close enough for kids to play in the dirt, mud, and river. That's why I think downtown Bryson City is one of the best outdoor activities for kids.  4. Great Smoky Mountain Railroad The Great Smoky Mountain Railroad (GSMR) was the whole reason we came to Bryson City. My son LOVES trains! So technically, you are inside of a train and not outside, but there are many aspects of the train that are outside. We boarded the train at 10 AM and left promptly at 10:30 PM from Bryson City. We opted for the prepackaged lunches which we picked up ahead of time. Our trip was the Nantahala Gorge Excursion. Some details about it:
We did the Coach Class and could open the windows pretty wide, which made us feel like we were outside with the air and breeze whipping in our faces. We had views of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park - mountains, lakes, gorges, rivers, and rocks. Our layover at the Nantahala Gorge was neat. We were right by the river and the rapids (Henry called them bunnies. Rapids=rabbits=bunnies in a toddler's mind). You can go white-water rafting and kayaking there. There was also a tree house adventure for kids and adults ages 3 and up. A lot of those things are closed until warmer weather. During the hour wait, Henry loved throwing rocks into the river while we sipped beers from the nearby restaurant. Overall, we left the train excursion with lots of memories and a souvenir picture (more like $35 lol). Also, getting back to Bryson City, we visited the train museum which had model train displays - so cool! Henry wanted to buy all the trains, but wow, they costs like $200+ a piece! I definitely recommend this adventure for kids.  5. Clingmans Dome The highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Clingmans Dome is a .5 incline to the top. We drove an hour from Bryson City to the parking lot. Thank goodness for the Visitor's Store where we bought like $100 of warm clothes because we didn't realize the temperature would drop so much. Call me crazy, but we opted against the odds to push Henry up in the stroller. I had seen mixed reviews of people saying it was doable vs. not doable. I did it. It was hard. But I did it. I think it was manageable because I knew it was only .5 miles. We got to the top and the fog blocked most of the views, but it was still cool and a feat I'm glad I accomplished. Henry walked the way down which was good because it was so steep and a little slippery. We walked on part of the Appalachian Trail and did another short hike. This is such a good outdoor activity because of its access to multiple trails and challenge to the top.  6. The Road to Nowhere The Road to Nowhere is literally that. Read about its history here. Located about 15 minutes from Bryson City in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park, we drove until we reached the tunnel - that's where the road ends. You can park in the nearby parking lot. We brought Henry's bike, and he had fun riding his bike through the tunnel until the road ended. You don't have to worry about any cars. There are trails and hikes you can do in the area too. Plus overlooks of Fontana Lake. I recommend bringing training bikes or tricyles if you have toddlers or preschoolers. It's a perfect place to practice riding. Overall, Bryson City is a great place to bring kids to do outdoor activities and explore nature. I'm really glad we went.
Have you ever had mom guilt for going on vacation?
If you have, you are definitely not alone. I would venture to say that almost 100% of moms have experienced mom guilt at some point. And that number probably hovers around the same when we, moms, decide to indulge in some much needed self care and go on vacation. I remember the first time my husband and I went on vacation and left my son with his grandparents. We were flying to San Francisco for a few days to go to a friend’s wedding and sightsee. Dr. Becky often says that two things are true. And that was certainly true in my case. I was very much ready to have some self care as a working mom. A chance to travel uninhibited with my husband and hang out with other adults without worrying about nap and feeding schedules. But I also had mom guilt. Mom guilt for leaving my son. How would he do without me? Working mom guilt. I just started back to work full-time. I felt bad for not spending enough time with him. Mom guilt for going on vacation. Why did I deserve a break? Many moms don’t get this chance to get up and leave like this. Breastfeeding mom guilt. Would I be able to pump? Did I leave enough of a supply for my son? Would he take a bottle? My son is now three years old, and I have taken more trips and weekend getaways since. My mom guilt still creeps up every now and then, but I have developed some game-changing steps on how to overcome mom guilt for going on vacation. Now, I can take trips that leave me feeling relaxed, rested, and recharged. Just as they should be. But first… 
What is Mom Guilt?
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Lauren Barrett is a multi-passionate mom working to help all parents become their best selves and build positive relationships with their kids through mindful parenting. She has a degree in deaf education and a Master’s in Reading Education. She is a high school teacher of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing by day, a cross country coach by the afternoon, a writer/author by her son's nap times, and a full time mom to an amazing toddler. Lauren is a 2x author of the Add One-A-Day 30 Day Challenge and children's book, Henry's Hiccups, a blogger at Lauren Barrett Writes, and has been published on sites like A Fine Parent, Pregnant Chicken, Pop Sugar, Her View From Home, and Scary Mommy. She loves her faith, running, visiting MLB stadiums with her husband, chocolate, scrapbooking, pretending she would actually do well on the Amazing Race, re-watching The Office, listening to Bobby Bones, and helping out all moms. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, James, and son, Henry. Follow her on Instagram and get her free parenting checklists.
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Taking my son to church is important to us as a family. We wanted him to be exposed to the mass from a young age.
However….
It hasn’t been easy.
My toddler, like most toddlers, is playful, full of energy, and unaware of the societal norms of sitting quietly for long periods of time while someone else talks. It was hard to get him to be quiet at church and learn to behave.
We tried different quiet church activities such as toys, books, and snacks that we could drag out for as long as possible; however, these things would only last for roughly the first half of church.
He would then convert to a restless, loud toddler who would demand to leave our seat, pew, or even the entire building.
I didn’t want my toddler to build up a hatred each week for going to church, so I dug into my toolkit of positive parenting strategies and put them to use to see what works for parents who want their kids to behave at church.
What I found were three quick and easy parenting tips that can work with any parents who want their kids to be quiet at church (at least for most of the time).
Lauren Barrett Writes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.
However….
It hasn’t been easy.
My toddler, like most toddlers, is playful, full of energy, and unaware of the societal norms of sitting quietly for long periods of time while someone else talks. It was hard to get him to be quiet at church and learn to behave.
We tried different quiet church activities such as toys, books, and snacks that we could drag out for as long as possible; however, these things would only last for roughly the first half of church.
He would then convert to a restless, loud toddler who would demand to leave our seat, pew, or even the entire building.
I didn’t want my toddler to build up a hatred each week for going to church, so I dug into my toolkit of positive parenting strategies and put them to use to see what works for parents who want their kids to behave at church.
What I found were three quick and easy parenting tips that can work with any parents who want their kids to be quiet at church (at least for most of the time).
Lauren Barrett Writes is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.
Effective Strategies to Teach Your Kids to Behave at Church
1. Prep
Kids, especially toddlers, like predictability and when they can know what to expect. Therefore, the more prep we can do ahead of time for church, the more likely our son is to know how to behave there.
Parents can prep by doing a number of things…
Kids, especially toddlers, like predictability and when they can know what to expect. Therefore, the more prep we can do ahead of time for church, the more likely our son is to know how to behave there.
Parents can prep by doing a number of things…
- They can read books about church.
- They can mark on a calendar when church is and point it out regularly or even by doing a countdown.
- They can talk about church consistently.
- They can role play with stuffed animals and dolls about what to do at church. They can model appropriate and inappropriate behaviors, like how to be quiet a church, with the stuffed animals.
2. Check marks
Check marks on the hand are a big hit with kids. They feel proud of themselves when they get them.
We divide the mass into 5 parts. If our toddler meets expectations, he gets a checkmark after each part. We talk about the check marks before and after church and compare them week to week.
Check marks on the hand are a big hit with kids. They feel proud of themselves when they get them.
We divide the mass into 5 parts. If our toddler meets expectations, he gets a checkmark after each part. We talk about the check marks before and after church and compare them week to week.
3. Gossip
Not all gossip is bad, especially when it comes to your kids'. After church you’re going to call some of your kids’ favorite characters (Trash Truck and Pete the Cat for my son), especially if they got 4-5 check marks, and “gossip” about your toddler at church.
The key is to pretend that you don’t know your kid is listening and to be as dramatic as possible with your gossiping - dramatic whisper and trying to hide your face.
“Pssttt….hey Trash Truck! I’m just calling to tell you about *son’s name.* He did so well at church. He prayed to Jesus. He listened to the priest. He shared his toys. He got 5 check marks. Can you believe that?”
Your little one will eat this up and want you to continue to have you gossip to his friends every week after church.
Not all gossip is bad, especially when it comes to your kids'. After church you’re going to call some of your kids’ favorite characters (Trash Truck and Pete the Cat for my son), especially if they got 4-5 check marks, and “gossip” about your toddler at church.
The key is to pretend that you don’t know your kid is listening and to be as dramatic as possible with your gossiping - dramatic whisper and trying to hide your face.
“Pssttt….hey Trash Truck! I’m just calling to tell you about *son’s name.* He did so well at church. He prayed to Jesus. He listened to the priest. He shared his toys. He got 5 check marks. Can you believe that?”
Your little one will eat this up and want you to continue to have you gossip to his friends every week after church.
7 Best Toys to Take to Church That are (Semi) Quiet
1. Magnatiles
2. Magnetic church
3. Interactive church book
4. Activity books
5. Whiteboard and markers
6. Sticker book
7. Paint with water
2. Magnetic church
3. Interactive church book
4. Activity books
5. Whiteboard and markers
6. Sticker book
7. Paint with water
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Wrapping It Up
We want our kids to have a positive experience going to church and to continue growing in their relationship with God.
These easy parenting tips are just a few for parents to try to help their toddlers feel excited to go to church and be quiet.
Sign up to get my positive parenting checklists for free and check out my parenting guide, Now What?, for 70+ strategies.
We want our kids to have a positive experience going to church and to continue growing in their relationship with God.
These easy parenting tips are just a few for parents to try to help their toddlers feel excited to go to church and be quiet.
Sign up to get my positive parenting checklists for free and check out my parenting guide, Now What?, for 70+ strategies.
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Lauren Barrett is a mult-ipassionate mom working to help all parents become their best selves and build positive relationships with their kids through mindful parenting. She has a degree in deaf education and a Master’s in Reading Education. She is a high school teacher of the Deaf and hard-of-hearing by day, a cross country coach by the afternoon, a writer/author by her son's nap times, and a full time mom to an amazing toddler. Lauren is a 2x author of the Add One-A-Day 30 Day Challenge and children's book, Henry's Hiccups, a blogger at Lauren Barrett Writes, and has been published on sites like A Fine Parent, Pregnant Chicken, Pop Sugar, Her View From Home, and Scary Mommy. She loves her faith, running, visiting MLB stadiums with her husband, chocolate, scrapbooking, pretending she would actually do well on the Amazing Race, re-watching The Office, listening to Bobby Bones, and helping out all moms. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, James, and son, Henry. Follow her on Instagram and get her free parenting checklists.
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