Hiking with the whole family will be a lot different from hiking alone or with an experienced group. Your young children or teens may get distracted easily, which would be a challenge. Little kids may display temper tantrums, and teens may complain because of the absence of technology. But if you’re really keen on making your family experience the adventure of hiking, then nothing shall stop you. All you have to do is make it as fun and as inspiring as possible.

You can start by tempting them through photos and videos of fantastic hiking tours in Switzerland or other countries. The scenic spots they can only see up close through hiking can motivate them to get on their feet and gear up.

Here are other ways to make hiking fun with the family:

1. Plan Together

Involving everyone in the planning stage can make your family more excited about the activity. Let your kids choose a place even if they may be too young. Anticipation can be built up as you grant them a sense of ownership and control over the trip. You can refer to guidebooks or the internet to help you make decisions together.

2. Bring Friends

Teens love the company of their friends, and this gives them a different environment to bond. Likewise, other children on the trail can also motivate your own. In the company of their own group, they’re less likely to notice the distance of the trail and grumble. The adventure can strengthen their bonds, too. If there isn’t a friend they can bring over, let them interact with other kids on the trail if there’s any.

But you can also make hiking as a time for your family alone. It’s an opportunity for you to spend time together without a lot of distractions. Spending quality time together will certainly make your family grow closer.

3. Let Them Set the Pace

If your family is hiking for the first time, they’d be curious about a lot of things they’d see around. Let them explore and set the pace for the hike. Expect to be much slower, but in exchange, your family will enjoy the journey, and that’s totally worth it. Kids could treat the journey as more important than the destination. Come prepared and ready to answer any questions they may have along the way.

4. Pack a Lot of Food

Nothing destroys a mood more than an empty stomach, so make sure your bags are loaded with snacks that can last the entire hike. The long trail can drain your energy fast, so munching on snacks during breaks can help bring that energy back. At the end of the trail, you can set up a picnic to extend your stay and enjoy the beautiful scenery longer.

5. Try a Theme Trail

If your kids tend to be couch potatoes, a theme trail can motivate them to go hiking. Mountainous countries like Switzerland have a lot of theme trails for your family to enjoy. Interactive and informative stations are scattered all over the trail, making your hike more interesting and fun than ever. Your kids will definitely love the outdoors more if you show them something as exciting as a theme trail.

Following these tips will surely make your family hiking a success. Hiking is also a good way to be active, stay in shape, and appreciate nature even more. It triggers your sense of adventure, which would only make you crave it even more, so never falter in encouraging your family to go hiking with you.