6 Ways to Improve Walks with Young Children
How to keep your cool and have some fun
Some of my favorite times are spent watching my kids walk ahead of me, playing peacefully without any input from me. I just watch the backs of their beautiful heads, and I recognize how blessed I am.
Breathe it in.
I wish I could say all our walks were so lovely.
Ha! There was a time when I didn’t want to walk with them at all. They either ran so far ahead or dawdled so far behind that I waffled between fear and irritation. I was constantly on edge, and no one enjoyed it.
I figured it out.
Now though, after many attempts, I have a handle on more enjoyable walks with my kids. Foolproof? No, but so much better than before.
The secret? Think of the walks as ways to spend time together instead of as a means to get somewhere.
These ideas work well for my elementary and younger children, especially on the walk home from school.
1. Bring snacks
Think easy to carry, easy to eat, not too sticky.
My kids love ice pops and yogurt tubes (I have a pair of scissors in the bottom of the stroller, and sometimes I remember napkins and a bag for trash), but we’ve also had banana muffins, fruit snacks, yogurt raisins, any easy-to-grab snacks.
You can, of course, choose healthier options — sliced fruits or veggies — but I’ve found the more novel the snack, the more excited they are to eat it…and the less they remember they have to walk.
2. Play pretend
Think role-playing that involves special powers, creatures, or themes your kids like.
My four-year-old moves especially fast when I load him up with super speed or lava shoes to race across the cracks. Sometimes we reenact “The Gingerbread Man” or pretend to be Ninja Turtles, stopping to pose at every sewer cover. At first I was reluctant to stop, until I found that those five-second stops were way better than the thirty second fight to keep going every twenty feet or so.
My older kids like to create stories that involve being spies or going on quests…which conveniently end at our house.
3. Make short-term goals
Think of landmarks along the journey — the blue car, the big tree, the stop sign — that are close enough to stay in your range of sight but far enough that the kids can race there and then sit while they wait for you to catch up.
My kids love the idea of me being the one holding up our progress, and they especially like it if they end up waiting in a shady spot.
4. Make up games
Think of games that they don’t play other places or that involve your kids’ talents.
One of our favorite games is “Shadow Land.” This works particularly well on sunny days and along paths that have some sort of shade coverage. Basically, the kids can only walk on shaded space. They creep along tree lines and in my shadow, running and leaping as necessary to make it across driveways and sidewalks. Sometimes I have to provide emergency lava shoes to cross the street.
We don’t always play a full-blown game. Sometimes we walk in slow motion. Sometimes we use a different way of moving at each section of sidewalk (skip, waddle, walk backwards, etc.). Sometimes we just run.
5. Show off what you know
Think of things you always mean to tell them or teach them but never quite find time for.
I forget this tactic most often, but it’s one of the more rewarding ways of getting home without a fuss. Sometimes I bring a ball so they can practice dribbling. Sometimes we speak in funny voices to work on different characters. Sometimes I teach them Spanish or sign language or Roman numerals. Sometimes I tell stories about when they were babies or our family history. Sometimes we just talk about our favorite things. The walks move deliciously slow and yet are done in a moment on these days.
6. Forgo time constraints, if possible
Think of only walking when you don’t have other things scheduled right after.
While this list helps to get my kids moving, it’s always easier to keep my cool when I don’t have something waiting for me at home. More often than I’d like, a kid has a meltdown, injury, or bad day that brings the walk to a crawl or even a halt. It’s easier to show them grace when I’m not worried about being late, and I like myself better that way, too.
Give these a try.
Maybe use one at a time to find what works best for you and your children. If nothing else, working on these might distract you from an otherwise frustrating walk. Plus, you never know when there might be an earthworm that needs rescuing, a cloud that needs viewing, leaves that need crunching, or snow that needs stomping. You won’t want to miss it.
