Hiking as a family provides you with the opportunity to step away from hectic schedules, put down the electronics, and enjoy the beauty of nature with the people that you love. Involving children in your time out in nature makes something great even better, all the while teaching them skills they can use for the rest of their life. Of course, hiking with kids does come with its own set of challenges. Here are a few tips for executing a successful hiking adventure that will help to connect your family to the great outdoors.

Choose Your Location Wisely- For your first few times hiking together as a family, select a hike that isn’t too long or taxing. If possible, choose a trail that has a feature, such as a lake, stream, waterfall or something else that will keep kids occupied and give them a goal to reach. When planning a hike with little ones, start small. Select a trail that is suitable for beginners. As they become more familiar with the experience, you can travel farther and go on longer adventures. For very small children, even a nature walk around the neighborhood can get them used to the idea of a hike. When you are ready to hit the trails, a smartphone can help with free apps such as Map My Hike, All Trails, and Hiking Project. These apps can help you find trails near you and provide great information, both as you are planning where to go and as you are on the trail.

Allow Yourself Plenty of Time- Kids are natural explorers. One of the greatest things about hiking with children is watching them discover the world around them. Make sure to account for plenty of stops and opportunities for your little ones to touch and see the world around. Also, keep in mind that hiking requires a great deal of energy. Frequent stops for snacks (who doesn’t love trail mix???) and drinks will help to keep your child on target. You can also use breaks as motivators to keep your child moving by saying “watch for the bridge, we’ll stop there for our next snack.”

Make It Fun- Create games that you and your children can play out on the trail. Have them look for signs of wildlife such as scat, bird holes in trees, fur or look for certain colors in the plant life. Organize a scavenger hunt and have them find things are bumpy, smelly, small, big, living, wet…the list goes on! In keeping the fun, choose a child to be your trail leader. Kids love feeling like they are in charge. Having the children take turns leading the hiking group can help the kids feel empowered – just make sure that the leadership rotates or this could lead to arguments further down the trail. By allowing the kids to lead, you can also make sure that the pace is slow enough so they can keep up.

Teach Conservation- Teaching children to take care of the world around them is an important part of being in the great outdoors. Teaching kids about conservation when they’re young promotes a lifetime of eco-friendly habits. However, simply explaining concepts is rarely enough to make them stick. When out on a hike, make sure that all of your trash is collected.  The “pack it in, pack it out” concept is fully embraced on the trail. To further reinforce this idea, bring a small garbage bag and have the kids pick up any litter they see on the way back to the car. By getting kids engaged in hands-on activities you help children understand the true meaning of conservation. For more information on the seven principles of outdoor ethics checkout Leave No Trace.

By going on a hike you are investing in your family, your health, and your world. So go, make a plan, and take a hike!

Taking your family to the local farmers’ market is an amazing way to teach your children about seasonal, fresh produce. It is also a wonderful way to explain to your children about where their food comes from and all that goes into their meals. At a farmers’ market there is so much for children to take in and many ways for them to learn about the world around them.

Here are four things to remember as you head out to bring a piece of the farm back to your table.

1. Plan ahead- Scope out your local farmers’ markets. A regional or city website should list some of the farmers’ markets in your area. Involve your child in the planning process as you choose which market to attend and make a list of a few items that you will look for at the market. Get your child excited about what foods will be there and ask your child what new things they might be interested in trying.

1. Talk About Why– When you go to a farmers’ market, you need to bring your own bag. This a great opportunity to start a conversation and explain that unlike the grocery store, most farmers’ markets don’t provide bags that are often thrown away and end up in landfills. Bringing reusable bags helps the environment and also saves money for the businesses. Buying from local farmers also helps the environment because food isn’t shipped from other states or countries. Along with explaining the concept of local food, you could also take this occasion to talk to your children about why it’s important to support businesses and people in your community. If your children are old enough, you can let them purchase one item of their choosing. As your little one counts his money highlight how he is contributing to his local economy.

1. Ask questions- Your children might see fruits and vegetables they’ve never seen or noticed before. This is a chance to let your kids ask questions of the vendors (“What does it taste like?”), touch, smell, and learn about produce. Most farmers enjoy getting to know you and appreciate your interest in their passion. Also, the more invested that your child is in purchasing a product, the more likely they are to eat and enjoy that product later.

1. Make a Meal– Getting your kids involved in the kitchen is a great way to have them try new foods. If you are planning a trip to the farmers’ market you can plan to have everyone help make dinner that night. Even if it’s just letting children add dressing and add a few of the veggies they picked out from the market that day. Most children are more likely to try more foods when they have had a hand in preparing it.