Hiking with kids doesn’t have to be daunting or intimidating. It doesn’t require fancy gear or long miles. All you need to do to get started is a step outside your front door to have fun and a sense of adventure!
When most people think of hiking, they think of an expedition that involves fancy gear from The Northface, hiking poles and cool water bottles with a straw into your mouth. While these kinds of hikes can lead you to some amazing places, they are not always possible to undertake with children.
However, hiking doesn’t have to be so intense. Kids can get outside and hike in their neighborhoods!
Pick a day (or multiple days) in a week and call it “family hiking day.” Pick a time that suits the whole family, when the kids are not too tired or hungry. Also, make sure you are not in a hurry so the kids can explore. Our hikes usually happen on weekends, on holidays days or in the summer. We pick a day when my husband and I are not rushed, the kids are full after a healthy breakfast at home, we jump into the car and drive to take the cable car Dajti Ekspres.
Taking the cable car to (almost) the top of Dajti Mountain is the best way to enjoy the fantastic views. The longest cableway in the Balkans at 4.7 kilometers, on the 15-minute scenic journey, takes us over forest, farms, hilltops and even bunkers! What a beautiful and astonishing panorama to admire! This the trip is even a bit exciting for kids because it seems to be suspended in the sky in the middle of nowhere – between the view of Tirana that descends with gaining of the cable car’ height from one side to getting to the top of the magnificent the greenery of the mountains.
In less than 20 minutes we are up to the hill with a fresh view and panoramic scene. Once on the Dajti, you have plenty of things to do.
One of the must-do activities to try is the MiniGolf prepared for children and adults with its 18 holes, in a very beautiful setting. The the game uses artificial surfaces such as carpet and artificial obstacles like tunnels/tubes and ramps. The cost of the full course is 700Lek per adults and 500Lek for children, which considering the location and the clean and well-prepared environment is a good deal.
It’s a great place to connect with family and friends and take a break from the the hustle of modern life.
The other “must” on the top of the Dajti, is Dajti Adventure Park, the only adventure park in Albania inaugurated in 2017. This Park expects to attract not only adventurous people but also families since the park allows entertainment for kids and adults. Activities such as zip lining and passing through rope bridges are considered moderate and can be enjoyed by most ages.
We all have tried these heart-breaking activities that vary from climbing from tree to tree on ladders, scrambling up nets, over suspended bridges and swinging logs, flying down zip lines or even sliding to the next tree on skis tries! We’ve enjoyed it. We were provided with a harness, helmet and all necessary safety equipment. The experienced guides from Dajti Adventure Park taught us about equipment and how to manipulate through the courses. Courses vary in height and difficult so you can decide how far and how high you would like to trek and zip.
This Adventure Park is a challenging outdoor activity for families and youth in which you test your physical and mental strength, balance, and flexibility. I would recommend it for families with children not younger than 3,5years old (for the lowest and easiest routes), up to 100 + YEARS, if the health condition is good.
Hiking in the Mountains
Finally, there is even the simplest, safe and free adventure to live in the mountains – HIKING! But how to convince children that is fun?
Make a big deal of your hikes and show them you’re excited about going. At home, help them pack a little bag with items for the hike (my kid’s bags contain water, a magnifying glass, a and a headlamp for winter walks).
Find interesting things in your neighborhood to mark your destination
Your trips don’t necessarily need to be such distant places.
When we first started hiking and our daughter was small, our excursion used to take us to a neighborhood cat. When he became comfortable with that distance, we discovered a friendly dog that was a little bit further and this became our destination. We have since discovered other interesting things around the neighborhood and we choose to hike to those destinations. This gives the kids a goal and helps set their expectations.
Some of our other destinations are a large tree with all sorts of interesting insects to watch. There’s a large rock where we practice our climbing technique and a local park where we have made friends.
Don’t worry too much about the destination
Yes, I mentioned that having a destination helps keep kids motivated but make sure you allow them to explore. Toddlers and pre-schoolers get distracted very easily. Sometimes, a rock or tree will catch their attention and they’ll want to stop to explore or play. You can try to gently encourage them to keep walking, but don’t force them or get impatient with them. This will only make you frustrated and discourage them from trying the walk again. If it so happens that a child stops and refuses to move on, then stay there! Let the kids explore whatever they find interesting until they’re satisfied. If after a while they still don’t want to move on, turn around and go home, and try again another time.
Leave the gadgets at home
When we do hikes, we make sure to stay off our phones. However, one adult usually carries a phone with them for emergencies and safety reasons, but it stays hidden in a backpack or pocket and is not to be used. Our hikes are a time to connect as a family. You never know when a pre-schooler is going to hold your hand and tell you about their day. If you are distracted by your phone, they may move on to something else and you’ll miss out on an important piece of your child’s day. Our hikes usually last from 15 to 45 minutes, and everything else can wait.
Safety first
As always, when hiking, safety is high on the list. Put down some basic rules that are easy for the kids to follow. Our rules are:
- No running too far ahead of the parents
- When asked, you must stop
- All children must hold an accompanying adult’s hand when crossing a street
We also try to avoid main roads, as its more peaceful and less polluted. We always repeat our rules before leaving the house. If any child is struggling with following them after a few reminders, that child goes back home with one of the adults. I have had to do this to show the kids just how important it is to follow the rules
Don’t forget to have fun!
The main purpose of our hikes is to explore, exercise, and, most importantly, have fun. Use your imagination on your hike and pretend to hunt for dinosaurs or escape from crocodiles. Let the kids’ imagination take them places like the jungle or desert and go along with them.
You will be in for quite an adventure!
