Family time in the mountains – safe, relaxed, and full of adventure
Hiking with children: tips for tour planning and a checklist for families
Hiking with children is about much more than simply being on the move: it’s about discovering, marvelling, playing, and sharing memorable experiences together. To make sure your family hike in the Region Seefeld is safe, relaxed, and enjoyable, good preparation is key – along with a realistic assessment of both your own abilities and your children’s, as well as respectful behaviour towards nature and other people. Here are 6 tips for a successful hike with the whole family.
1. Choose the right route
Choosing a route based on age and ability:
- Choose a hike that suits your children’s age, experience, and fitness level.
- Easy hikes are recommended for children without alpine experience.
- Moderately difficult routes are only suitable for children who already have hiking experience.
- Be realistic when assessing your abilities: you know your children better than anyone else.
- The route should not be technically demanding. Children should feel safe and should not have to be afraid.
Walking times and route length:
- Rule of thumb: age × 1.5 = maximum route length in kilometres.
- Walking time with children is roughly twice as long as the walking time stated for adults.
- Take elevation gain into account: as a rough guide, 100 metres of elevation gain is equivalent to about 1 additional kilometre of more strenuous walking.
- The younger the child, the more important breaks, playtime, and flexible planning become.
- Better too easy than too difficult: fun and small moments of success will make children want to go
2. Age-appropriate tips
Hiking with babies:
- As long as your baby cannot yet sit up independently, a baby sling is more suitable than a child carrier backpack.
- Plan regular breaks: no more than one hour in the same position, then take your baby out briefly to stretch and move.
- Sun protection, spare clothing, and enough fluids are essential.
- Pushchairs are only suitable on our stroller-friendly hiking trails.
Hiking with toddlers aged 1 to 4:
- A child carrier backpack is suitable once the child can sit up independently.
- Choose a lightweight model with a good hip belt.
- Plan for a maximum carrying time of 3 to 4 hours per day.
- Varied trails, play breaks, as well as sun and rain protection are especially important.
Children walking on their own:
- Under 4 years: Choose short routes with gentle climbs and no major obstacles, such as lots of roots or large stones. Allow plenty of time for exploring. For safety, it is advisable to bring a child carrier backpack so that tired children can be carried from time to time.
- 4–6 years: around 5–7 kilometres with a maximum of 200–400 metres of elevation gain, plus plenty of breaks and enough time for exploring.
- 6–11 years: around 10–18 kilometres with a maximum of 400–600 metres of elevation gain, depending on motivation, stamina, and trail conditions.
- 11–14 years: More challenging hikes may also be possible, with a maximum of 600–800 metres of elevation gain – provided the child has the necessary experience, motivation, and fitness.
3. Take your time & discover
Breaks, pace, and flexibility:
- Plan enough breaks, playtime, and opportunities for discovery.
- Hiking with children means taking your time: to observe, marvel, play, and experience.
- Children often recharge not by sitting still, but through free play and movement.
- Circular routes, mountain huts, alpine pastures, lakes, streams, viewpoints or small stage goals are far more motivating than monotonous forest roads or long ascents and descents along the same path.
Discover nature and make the journey playful:
- Exciting things along the trail, such as beetles, mushrooms, ants, streams, stones or small climbing sections, provide variety along the way.
- The Region Seefeld stamp pass turns family hikes into a playful little adventure.
- The digital game collection can offer additional ideas and nature moments while you are out and about.
- Stories, legends and fairy tales can help during little dips in motivation and can often be linked beautifully with observations in nature.
4. Let children have a say & respect nature
Having a say and becoming more independent:
- Children should be involved in planning and decision-making in an age-appropriate way.
- Give children space to explore independently, while always making sure clear safety rules are in place.
- Hiking together with other families motivates children and can also make supervision easier.
Nature awareness and a genuine mountain experience:
- Teach children to respect animals, plants, and nature. Adults are the most important role models here.
- Small souvenirs such as a stone, a spruce cone, or an empty snail shell may be taken home, as long as it is appropriate and respectful to nature.
- Even travelling by bus or train can become part of the family adventure.
5. Safety before and during the hike
- Check the current weather forecast in advance and pay particular attention to the risk of thunderstorms.
- Inform yourself about any exposed sections or difficulties along the route.
- Bring a hiking map.
- Make sure you carry the necessary safety equipment.
- For emergencies, a first aid kit, mobile phone, power bank, and saved emergency numbers (European emergency number: 112) should always be available.
- Safety always comes first: if in doubt, turn back, shorten the route, or choose an easier alternative.
6. Equipment and checklist
General equipment:
- Plenty of drinks: children need a high fluid intake and should drink regularly. As a guideline, at least 1–2 litres per day are recommended.
- Healthy food: suitable options include fruit, muesli bars, cheese or sausage sandwiches. Sweets should only be a small extra.
- Own backpack: many children like to carry their own essentials, such as a water bottle, small snacks, a cuddly toy, or found treasures. A packed child’s backpack should weigh no more than 10% of the child’s body weight.
- Sun protection: sunscreen with at least SPF 30, hat, and sunglasses are essential.
- Card games are suitable for the journey or relaxed moments in a mountain hut.
- Headlamp and, if needed, a pocket knife for fruit or snacks.
First aid and protection:
- Complete first aid kit, plasters, gel for minor abrasions and insect bites.
- Insect repellent, mobile phone, and power bank for emergencies (emergency number 112 in Europe).
Clothing:
- Well-fitting hiking shoes, fleece or warm sweaters, rain jacket and rain trousers, spare clothing, hat and headband.
- Plan regular breaks for putting on and taking off layers: children warm up more quickly but also cool down faster than adults.
Note:
- Equipment and clothing are available in the sports shops in the Region Seefeld.
Finding suitable hikes with children
Here you will find our recommendations for family-friendly hikes of all kinds.