Get Your Kids Hiking: How to Start Them Young and Keep it Fun!

by Jeff Alt

Hiking is a great way to relax, connect with nature, and enjoy time with your family. Bringing your kids along can be rewarding for you and for them, but it can also add new challenges and concerns to your trip.i Get Your Kids Hiking iis loaded with everything you need to know to hit the trail with kids; from gear to simple proven techniques that will make your hike safe and fun.iWritten with both the novice and the seasoned hiker in mind, Jeff Alt provides all the information you need to take your child out on the trail.i This books i-Age-appropriate ways to include your child in all aspects of the hike-Checklists of what to pack for any type of hike-Kid-friendly menus-Advice for hiking with a special needs child Get Your Kids Hikingi is the playbook to inspire an appreciation for the great outdoors in your children and keep your young child or teenager interested in a family hiking trip."

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting, Travel

257 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 7, 2013

About the author

www.jeffalt.com

Jeff Alt's adventures, books, and advice have been featured on ESPN, Discovery Channel.com, Hallmark Channel, in Backpacker Magazine, the AP, Fitness RX for Men, LA Times, Women's Health, Shape, Scholastic Parent & Child, and more. Alt is a celebrated author and a talented speaker. Alt's book, A Walk for Sunshine, won the Gold "Book of the Year" awards sponsored by Foreword Reviews, it took first place winner in the National Best Books Awards Sponsored by USA Book News and won a Bronze in the Living Now Book Awards. Alt's book, Get Your Kids Hiking, won the bronze in both the Living Now Book Awards and the IndieFab Award in Family and Relationships. Alt has now created an award-winning children's National Park series, The Adventures of Bubba Jones. The fourth book in the series released in 2020 and the fifth book will release in 2023. He is a member of the Outdoor Writers Association of America (OWAA). Alt has walked the Appalachian Trail, the John Muir Trail with his wife, and he carried his 21-month old daughter across a path of Ireland.

Reviews

[Laura Flett]

I read this book because I figured it would have some unique ideas to get kids motivated on the trails as the title implies. I was disappointed as this book is mostly full of common sense tips for hiking with kids.

[Ta Ta Ta Tia]

Best advise I've read about hiking with kids. Great information at different ages and inspiring stories to accompany the text. Highly recommend.

[Brooke]

I really didn't like how the author only used male pronouns for children except when talking about how a girl "might bring her family back to that park someday". really sexist author.

[Laura DeLuca]

My husband and I absolutely love camping and we like the spots where you have to hike a little bit to really get in the woods. We have gone when our youngest was just a few months old and we really like to "rough it" when we camp. Needless to say, I was excited to read this book! It has given a lot of great tips for all age groups.

Another great thing about this book is that it is not super long OR boring, which is always a plus. The Table of Contents is very clear-cut and straightforward so you are able to go to whichever section works best for you if you need to quickly look something up.


Get Your Kids Hiking covers a wide range of things you need for your children, such as clothing, activities, food, sleeping, accessories, first aid advice among many other things.


On a personal level, reading this book also inspired me to get outdoors more with my children, something I'm sure most all of us can use.

***Reviewed by Jackie for New Age Mama***

[Tima]

Alt has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, the John Muir trail, through Ireland, and many other places. He was an experienced hiker before his children came along and he vowed to continue hiking with them. With his children are now older and just as in love with hiking as he and his wife, he decided to share his tips and expertise.

This is one of the most comprehensive and well thought out books on hiking that I've come across. The book is broken down into different sections based on the age of the child and is filled with tips, hiking equipment lists, and amusing stories. It is an amazing resource about how to get your children to fall in love with nature through hiking. I am definitely keeping this book and would highly recommend it.

I received this book free of charge from Direct Contact in exchange for my honest review.

[Ethan]

After having already read Richard Louv, et.al, and prior to that already being a fan of the outdoors, as a child and a grown-up, this book read like a lot of "preaching to the choir." Hard to believe that people need convincing to get their kids outdoors, but I guess they do, or the books wouldn't be out there. It's a good read, for that purpose. For me, though, I kind of wondered what there was to say that hadn't already been said...