Toddler Hiking Games: Turn Whining into Winning with These 9 Easy Activities
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Imagine this: The weather is perfect. You set out on a nature walk with your little one, eager to share the beauty of the outdoors. But then, a familiar chorus begins: “I’m bored!” or the dreaded, “I’m tired!” You glance at the trail ahead, a seemingly endless stretch that eventually leads to the welcome sight of your car. The thought of carrying a wriggling toddler fills you with dread. Sound familiar? I've been there! Those adorable little explorers can go from nature-loving adventurers to pint-sized complainers faster than you can unpack the trail mix.
But wait! There’s a secret weapon in your arsenal: redirection. It's like magic! You have the power to whisk your child away from their grumbles and into a world of wonder. The key? Tapping into their natural curiosity. By becoming part of the adventure, acting surprised at a hidden ladybug or enthralled by a jumping grasshopper, you can spark their interest and transform a tedious trek into an unforgettable exploration.
Over time, I discovered that these little moments of wonder, combined with a few planned activities, were the key to happy hiking. Whenever my little one started to flag (and the whining threatened to begin!), I'd pull out one of my "secret weapons" – a fun game or activity to re-engage them. These strategies have served us well over the years, turning potential tantrums into treasured memories.
Ready to unlock the magic? Here are nine easy games you can play with your little one to turn your nature walks into captivating adventures, keeping your little explorer engaged from start to finish (and, don’t worry, none of these require any prep!). And maybe, just maybe, your little one, like mine, will have so much fun they will ask you to take them back to the “nature park” again (instead of the city park)!
Table of Contents
Game 1: Does it Sink or Float? (The Budding Biologist)
Photo by Sierra Wilde
Turn your little one into a mini-marine biologist (without the lab coats, of course!).
Gather some natural treasures along the trail – leaves, rocks, grass, bark, twigs, maybe even a pinecone. Before tossing each item into a puddle or stream, have your toddler guess whether it will sink or float. It’s a fun way to introduce basic scientific concepts and spark their curiosity about the natural world.
Game 2: Break the Ice (The Frosty Physicist)
Photo by Sierra Wilde
This is a great game to play if you're near frozen water – perfect for a warm day right after a light freeze. (Safety first! Make sure your child knows to remain on shore and never step on the ice. I typically stick to shallow water areas for this game, just to be extra cautious.)
Gather some small objects from the surroundings– pebbles, sticks, leaves – and have your toddler toss them onto the thin ice. Watch together as the ice cracks and breaks. It's a fascinating way to observe the properties of ice and talk about how water changes states. Plus, let's be honest, it's just plain fun to smash stuff (safely, of course!).
Game 3: Who Was Here Before Me? (The Trail Detective)
Photo by Jake Wilde
Become trail detectives! Look for animal tracks, scat (aka poop!), paths, or even chewed-on trees. Ask your little one, “What animal pooped here?” I like to act silly when I ask this question. Like, “I’m astonished a rabbit would just poop right there! How silly! That silly rabbit!” It gets a giggle every time. Then, encourage your toddler to imagine which creatures might have passed by. 'Was it a deer? A squirrel? Maybe a bird?' This game sparks their imagination and teaches them to observe the subtle clues left behind by wildlife.
Pro Tip: Have fun with it. Ask if they think it was a papa, mama, or baby animal. Lean into their answer and see if you can create a story together. Maybe the "papa bear" was on his way to find berries, or the "baby squirrel" was practicing climbing trees. You can even teach them a short lesson about the animal. "Wow, those tiny tracks look like they belong to a mouse! Did you know mice can hear sounds we can't?" This game sparks their imagination, teaches them to observe subtle clues, and turns even "yucky" discoveries into fun learning moments.
Game 4: I Spy With My Little Eye (The Keen Observer)
Photo by Sierra Wilde
A classic for a reason! 'I Spy' is a fantastic way to sharpen your toddler's observation skills and sneak in some learning. It's simple, fun, and can be adapted to any environment. This game is a great way to practice colors, shapes, sizes, numbers, descriptive terms, directional words, and more!
Here are some ideas to get you started:
I spy the color… "I spy with my little eye, something yellow." (Yellow flower!) "I spy something brown." (Brown post!)
I spy something (shape)… "I spy something round." (Round river rock!) "I spy something rectangular." (Rectangular sign along the path!) "I spy something triangular." (Triangle marker for the path!)
I spy something (size)… "I spy something larger than my hand." "I spy something smaller than a leaf." "I spy something taller than you!" "I spy something shorter than that tree." "I spy something wider than the path." "I spy something more narrow than my finger."
I spy (number) of something… "I spy two of something!” (Dandelions) "I spy one of something!” (Dog)
I spy something… (descriptive or directional) "I spy something that flies." (A bird!) "I spy something that grows." (A tree!) "I spy something that swims." (A duck!) "I spy something green above you." (A leaf on a tree!) "I spy something yellow on your right." (A flower!) "I spy something blue behind you." (A hiker’s shirt)
Get creative and have fun with it! The possibilities are endless, and you'll be amazed at how much your little one learns while playing.
Game 5: Scavenger Hunt (The Nature Quest)
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Turn your hike into a thrilling quest without any prep work! Like “I Spy,” this game is another great way to practice colors, shapes, sizes, numbers, descriptive or directional terms, and more. Instead of creating a list beforehand, simply call out items as you hike, turning the trail itself into your scavenger hunt list!
Here are some ideas to get you started:
Colors: "Can you find something red?" (A red leaf!) "I spy something green!" (Green grass!)
Shapes: "Let's find something round!" (A round rock!) "I see something long and thin!" (A twig!)
Sizes: "Can you find something bigger than your hand?" "Now something smaller than your thumb?"
Numbers: "How many yellow flowers can you count?" "Let's find three smooth rocks!"
Descriptive/Directional: "I spy something that flies!" (A bird!) "Find something soft!" (Moss!) "Look for something tall!" (A tree!) "Something growing to your left!"
Letters (for Kindergarten prep): "Can you find something that starts with the letter 'W'?" (Water!) "How about something that starts with 'B'?" (Bird!)
Second Language Learning: "Do you know the word for 'leaf' in Spanish?" (Hoja!) "What’s the word for 'tree' in French?” (Arbre!)
Pro Tip: I prefer to have my child point out (or pick up and then put back “with its friends”) when they find the item, rather than collecting it. This way there's no prep work, and it causes less impact on the area (Leave No Trace!). Be careful about what items they do collect (if they insist). Some items may cause an allergic reaction (like poison ivy) or are protected (like the feathers of migratory birds - surprisingly, at least to me, that list also includes Canadian Geese!). This no-prep scavenger hunt keeps the excitement of a quest going without requiring any planning beforehand – perfect for spontaneous adventures!
Game 6: What Is That? (The Nature Detective)
Photo by Jake Wilde
This game is all about fostering curiosity and observation, perfect for toddlers on up! When you spot something interesting – a strange-looking mushroom, an unusual insect, a unique rock formation, a colorful flower, a fuzzy caterpillar, a towering tree – ask your toddler, “What is that?” or “What do you notice about this?” or “What do you think it feels like?” You might be surprised by the imaginative answers you get! Encourage them to examine it closely and come up with their own theories. Can they identify tracks, scat, types of plants and trees, bugs and insects, birds, and other animals? Can they point out different mountain peaks or interesting rock formations?
Get Help Identifying: While you can carry field guides (which is always a great idea!), it may be easier to use your phone or even download a couple “outdoor” apps. Here are a few favorites:
Hiking Maps: PeakVisor will help you identify the mountains along the horizon, as well as have a “birds eye” view of the topography.
Plant Identification: Picture This can be used to identify all kinds of indoor and outdoor plants, if they are edible or toxic, whether they are healthy, and even what disease is ailing them! If you are out of data/service range, you can still snap a photo (or 20) and view the results once you return back to civilization.
Bird Identification: Audubon can help you quickly identify a bird by its size, color, type, habitat, and more!
Pro Tip: If you plan on being out of data/service range, download the field guide or app information ahead of time! This game turns your hike into a fun nature investigation, encouraging your little one to ask questions, explore, and learn about the world around them.
Game 7: Fireflies (The Twilight Adventurer)
Photo by Sierra Wilde
Create your own magical chase! Bring along a small flashlight with a laser pointer. This can be really fun with toddlers during dawn or dusk. (A little pro tip: You do have to be a tad sly, however, if you don’t want them to catch on!) Simply pop on the laser, have it “fly” ahead of them as they run after it, and then blink it out just as they're about to grab it. Act excited when they try to catch it… and then amazed and confused about where it could have gone when it disappears. It's guaranteed giggles!
We use the OLIGHT Arkfeld Pro Flashlight with Green Laser. Grab one on sale over Father’s Day or during another holiday sale. Psssst… their Black Friday deals are usually a great time to shop!
Pro Tip: You can spot actual fireflies (aka lightning bugs) typically late May through early June. Check online to see if there is an area near you that is known to have them. Sometimes natural areas and National Parks will host events (such as those at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park).
For a truly memorable experience, bring a jar (with air holes!) and see how many fireflies you can gently catch and observe before releasing them back into the wild. It's a mesmerizing way to end a nature-filled day.
Game 8: Nursery Rhyme Songs (The Musical Mountaineer)
Keep the rhythm going on the trail! Singing familiar nursery rhymes or hiking songs together is a fun and silly way to keep spirits high. There are a couple of ways to play this:
Song Requests: Let your little one choose their favorite tunes! It's their concert, after all. Sing along together and enjoy the show.
Don't Forget the Lyrics! Host your very own trail version of this classic game. Sing a few lines from a familiar song, then drop off and see if your toddler can fill in the next few lines. It's a great way to test their memory and get those little brains working. (And it can be hilarious when they come up with their own creative lyrics!)
You can even adapt the lyrics to fit your surroundings. For example, instead of "The Wheels on the Bus," you could sing "The Leaves on the Tree Go Swish, Swish, Swish." Get creative and have fun with it! This game turns your hike into a musical adventure, making even the longest trails feel a little shorter.
Game 9: Group Storytelling Improv (The Trail Tale Spinner)
Photo by Sierra Wilde
Unleash your inner storyteller! This game is a fantastic way to boost creativity and make the hike even more memorable. You might remember it from grade school, but if not, here’s how to play:
One person begins a story with a single sentence. Then, the next person adds another sentence to the story. You continue taking turns, each adding a line, building on what came before. The sillier it gets, the better the story!
For example, you could start with something simple like, “One day, as the wind gusted and blew, a lightning bolt shot down from the sky and hit a nearby cottonwood tree!” Then your toddler might add, “And suddenly, the tree started talking!” You could continue with, “The talking tree offered the hiker a magical acorn that granted wishes!” And so on.
Don’t be afraid to get wild and wacky. Encourage your toddler to let their imagination run free. This game turns your hike into a collaborative storytelling adventure, creating hilarious and unforgettable trail tales.
By incorporating these fun and engaging games into your nature walks, you can transform potential tantrums into unforgettable adventures. Remember, the key is to keep it lighthearted, playful, and tailored to your toddler’s interests. With a little creativity and patience, you can turn your hikes into a magical experience for both you and your little one!
Now, get out there and explore! And don't forget to share your own toddler hiking game ideas in the comments below – we'd love to hear them!
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