One important thing in advance:

“We don’t take the kids into the mountains – they take us! Those who dare to change their perspective can experience the alpine world in a completely different way!"

With these words, the German Alpine Club summarized hiking with children in the mountains.

Our children can teach us to not just keep an eye on the summit and pursue record after record. Children can show us how exciting nature is on the wayside and how deeply the flora and fauna can enthral us if we just let it. Thus, even a small beetle, which crosses our hiking trail, can quickly become a highlight of the day.

You are also permitted to pitch tents in specially designated areas and spend the night there. Such overnight stays become an unforgettable experience with children.

Planning the trip

A mountain trip with children should always be well planned. Making plans together with the children can be fun. What is important to the children is not that the tour is as long as possible, but that there are many things to do along the way.

Children love playing in small streams and exploring nature.

It is important that the tour is well planned in advance. The children should know what the goal of the hike is from the beginning, and at which attractive spots breaks are to be taken, thereby increasing the motivation and anticipation.

The trip should be planned in such a way that the route can be extended or shortened, depending on the mood and physical condition of the children.

The weather in the mountains tends to change abruptly. It is therefore important to check the weather forecasts again before the hike. Steep slopes should definitely be avoided.

Breaks are important

A trip with preschool children should never take longer than three to four hours. Schoolchildren can take part in undemanding day trips if they are in good physical condition and have sufficient breaks.

The time information on signposts and in hiking guides is based on the average walking speed of an adult. Children will, of course, need a little longer. As a rule of thumb, children need about 1 1/2 times as long as adults.

Remember to take sufficient breaks so as not to overexert yourself and your children. It is best to schedule the breaks in non-hazardous areas, where you can relax and not have to constantly keep an eye on the children. There are special adventure trails for children, which have individual stops where small tasks can be completed or puzzles can be solved.

Such places are ideal for breaks.

Food and drink

Ample provisions should already be considered during the planning of the trip. We have had good experiences with cereal bars, fruit, vegetables and sandwiches for our children. Plenty of drinks are especially important. We usually store mineral water in the backpacks. The mineral water can also be mixed with light fruit juice.