4 Safety Tips for Hiking with Toddlers

As our babies grow to toddlers eventually they want to leave the comfort of a baby carrier and hit the trails on their own two feet.

Here are a few things that I’ve learned when hiking with toddlers and a few things that we try to think about to keep our toddlers safe on the trails.

2) Keep your toddler where he/she can be seen. If I’m hiking solo, my kid walks right in front of me where I can see him. If we’re hiking with a group we like to keep the kids in the middle, between adults, so they can’t wander too far ahead of the group.

3) Dress kids and adults in bright colors. A lot of people will say it’s important to dress your kid in bright non-neutral colors (if possible) so you can see him/her. I would argue that it’s just as important for parents to wear bright colors so that our kiddos can see us too!

4) Be aware of your surroundings. I don’t like to generalize or to treat each trail or hiking trip the same. A thin layer of ice can turn what is normally an easy trail where I’d let my kid wander into a challenging trail where I’d like him to hold my hand. So, the most important thing is to always be situationally aware and try to look at things from your toddler’s perspective.

Now it’s your turn. I’m curious about what you do to keep your toddlers safe on the trails. Do you agree or disagree with any of my safety tips? Which ones and why?

I’d love to chat about this as a group. So join me for a google hangout soon! Look for it on your Facebook group locally. We will announce them there. If you’re interested comment below with your gmail address or send an email to rebecca (at)justtrails(dot)com