Turning three was a turning point for Bergen in terms of his outdoor activity.  I officially traded his “toddler” status to “preschooler”, and his stamina and physical ability grew significantly.  Over the course of the last year (he’s now 4 years old), it’s been fun to observe the types of things that he is intrigued by and the way he interacts with nature when we’re on the trail. Things that I thought he’d love, don’t turn out to be as engaging as I thought, and then I’m surprised when something completely random fascinates or captivates him.

Given the chance, preschoolers can rack up the miles and can go much further than they could as toddlers, but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy to keep them moving along or interested.  I recently started jotting down the things that work for Bergen–the little tricks that keep him involved, motivated, and content on the trail.  They are ideas you might consider to enrich your walk, and make deeper connections with both your child and the natural world.

My hope is that they might help other preschoolers to have happy and exciting hiking experiences! The list is only 8 items long (so far) and each is quite simple, but I’m expecting the list to grow as we continue our second “preschool” year. I would love for you to add your ideas too!

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