Winter Hiking

I made myself a promise this winter - we'd continue to play, hike and go to parks year round.  

I am happy to report that we are making winter hiking work for us.  It is sad that so many things we love are indoors and still closed.  I'm determined to make the most of our days finding fun things for us to do as a family.

 

Our secrets to enjoy winter hiking:

We wear layers - double shirts, yoga pants and socks for me.

Hats, gloves, warm coats for everyone.

Winter boots suggested, but mostly ignored by the kids because they're harder to walk in.

Winter bubble for the stroller.  I love that it keeps the wind off of Leo and he stays pretty toasty in the stroller.  He stays inside 95% of the hike and we get him out for a picture or a bottle ever now and then.  It's got a big viewing window, vents, and it's been the best purchase.

We stay as long as we can which means we sometimes stay 30 minutes and other times 90 minutes (like if the sun is shining, the wind isn't too bad and we're having fun!)

 

Last Sunday, I took the kids hiking at one of our favorite parks.  It's super close to us and there is always something to do and see on the trails and lakes.

I never knew how much I'd enjoy hiking with the kids. It's fun and free and it's a little different every time we go.  I'd HIGHLY recommend checking out your local parks with your spouse, kids and friends.  It's a great way to exercise, get some fresh air and enjoy being together.  We have a state park pass that we are hoping to use soon, but we are very local to have nice county parks nearby.

It's been VERY cold in the Midwest.  The lakes are frozen; I couldn't wait for the kids to see the ice up close.  The came up with this game - who can throw their stick out the farthest onto the lake.  They had the best time figuring out the ideal way to throw the stick, the best weight of the stick to go far and were proud to make it out to the middle.

The gravel paths had patches of ice, but were totally fine for us to walk/stroll on.

A perk of all that winter gear and climbing on rocks and trees is that you have some cushion if you fall.  The kids love looking for things to climb.

They were thrilled to take 2 steps out onto the ice without holding my hand at the very end.  We'd had MANY conversations about frozen lake safety.  We talked about how the lake was only frozen on top and that it was not cold enough for it be frozen solid.  We looked around at the edges and could see spots where it was melting or cracking.  They totally understood we would never walk across a frozen lake and all the dangers associated with that.  I promise.

Hey, Mom!  Look I'm ice fishing :)

Real Life: Sometimes it can be tricky to find things that three kids ages 10 months to 7 1/2 all love to do.  Hiking is one of them.  Leo is happy to ride along in his stroller or in the Ergo carrier while the big kids run and explore.  Here's the perfect picture to capture all three kids perfectly happy.  The big kids were seeing what it took to break the ice.  Answer: Not all that much because the ice was only about 2 inches thick on the edges.  And Leo was just happy to be chatting with me.

Would your kids enjoy a winter hike??

One last tip... if you like to go on fun adventures with your family, but don't want to destroy your car, keep grocery store sacks in the car to help contain the messes.  Have the kids try to wipe off any mud in a grassy area before you head back to the car, then ask the kids to take off their shoes before they get in the car.  You can wash their shoes when you get home.  It'll save your car and your sanity (if you're like me :)