Are you looking for fun, cost effective ways to entertain the whole family? Then you’ll love going for a walk.

I know, it’s not exactly rocket science, but do families actually go for a walk together any more? Traditionally they used to go for a walk once a week after a big Sunday lunch, but now I’m not so sure. Anyway, to make the most of going for a walk you really should do it more than once a week.

We’re always out walking and we’re still discovering more walks to do around Noosa and the Sunshine Coast, as well as more ways to get our kids to do them. I think the Candy kids might have finally got used to the enforced marches now as they hardly even bother to complain any more. Our four year old even likes to boast about how strong her legs are. I wonder where she gets it from…

How To Get Your Kids To Love Walking

We’ve been taking our kids out on grand treks for years and that’s one tip I’ve got for getting them to do it ~ make the whole thing sound totally amazing. Even if you’re only going on a ten minute walk round the block, don’t ever call it a walk! Call it a jungle exploration looking for endangered species, call it following a river to find the source, call it building up an appetite for a yummy lunch, but never, ever, call it a walk.

When Luke was two we’d take him walking on Waiheke Island in the amusingly named Whakanewha Regional Park. Well, it’s amusing if you’re a boy under ten and you know that in Maori the ‘wh’ sound is pronounced ‘f’. Anyway, to get him moving jam sandwiches were good.

Scenic Coromandel walk in New Zealand

The other alternative was to take a small cuddly toy and run ahead to hide it from him, then the little lad could look for it and find it a hundred meters down the track. It’s amazing how far you can get a two year old to walk by doing this. If you forget to take a cuddly toy, you can just play a walking version of hide and seek. This time you run ahead and hide behind a tree then leap out on top of your unsuspecting child just as they’re starting to get bored. This does become a little embarrassing if there are a lot of other walkers, but I’ve got used to the odd stares people give me as they discover me squatting in the bushes. It’s all part of the fun.

Long Walks and Short Walks are Good Walks

Also, bribery helps and our kids would trek across the Sahara desert for a $1.20 bag of sweets. But only use this if you’re really desperate. You don’t need to go on a long walk to benefit from walking though. A twenty minute walk around your neighbourhood taking time to notice which flowers are blooming and what birds are singing will do the trick just as well. City-slickers can substitute people watching and vehicle spotting or head to the nearest park.

Seven Reasons For You To Take A Hike

Here are seven good reasons why you’ll enjoy a regular walk, be it long or short, solo or with company:

1. You’ll have fun.

2. You’ll get fitter and maybe even slimmer.

3. You’ll visit new places.

4. You’ll be outside.

5. You’ll save money because it’s free. Just make sure you don’t walk round the mall.

6. You’ll notice things you’d never see from the car.

7. You’ll can talk to the kids or a friend without distractions. Or go for a walk alone and enjoy an uninterrupted conversation with yourself.

Happy hiking!

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