Hiking games for kids

Colors in nature — As you are hiking along the trail, challenge your kids to find 10 things in nature that are, say, blue. The first one to find 10 blue things chooses the next color challenge.

Scavenger hunt — Create lists of sounds, sights, textures, and smells to watch for on the trail. Award special prizes for collecting trash. Do not collect plants or other living objects. Instead, search for acorns, pine cones or rocks on the forest floor. Always remember to return your natural objects to the woods where they came from.

Mystery bag — You'll need a stuff sack or lunch bag and items found along the trail. Collect items (acorns, pine cones, small stones, trash, etc. — again, don’t collect living objects). When you stop for a rest, have your kids put their hands in the bag and try to identify the items they touch. Scatter the materials back in the woods when you're finished.

Geocache — Use a GPS to find hidden treasures in the forest. Download local coordinates before you leave the house and use the device to locate them. Leave a note or a treasure and then put the cache back where you found it.

Following the Leader — One person is chosen as the leader. The followers copy everything the leader does. After a few minutes of hiking, the leader falls to the back of the line to let a new leader take over. The hike can be as long or as short as time allows. Some ideas: sit down on a stone, hop on one foot, play leap frog, jump from one stone to another, climb a tree, walk backwards.