Rebecca, Family Ambassador
Have you ever snowshoed with a toddler?
One of my favorite things to do is to take my children outside and watch them navigate snow covered trails on their snowshoes.
With winter just around the corner I thought I’d share five tips to make snowshoeing with toddlers, or any kind of kid, awesome.
- Start snowshoeing in the backyard or a local park. When it comes to children there’s no need to always plan a grandiose adventure. A simple stroll through the yard where kids can work on putting on and taking off their snowshoes and practice their balance is a great way to ease into the sport.
- Encourage children to snowshoe without poles. Poles are great for adults or children who have been snowshoeing for a year or two but snowshoeing without poles helps children build up their strength and master their balance. Free hands also make it easier for kids to get up when they fall down, easier to hold onto adult’s hands and throw snowballs or play in the snow.
- Keep kids fed and hydrated. Kids are going to need fuel to keep them going, bring along healthy and fun snacks to keep children happy.
- Play games, sing songs, tell stories and let your child take the lead. We like to look for animal tracks in the snow, make train-tracks with our snowshoes, jump off snow banks, make snow angles, and stop to build snow forts and have snowball fights.
- Let go of your expectations. Don’t set out on a snowshoe adventure with kids expecting to have a big mileage day or conquer challenging terrain. Slow down and let your child explore, you’ll get a ton of great photos and the whole family will have fun.
What tips do you have for toddlers?