How to make walking more interesting for kids

Young boy wearing blue hat walks outside holding his mother's hand

We know that walking is good for us, but finding the time to get your steps up when you have kids can be difficult. Family walks offer a great opportunity to get the kids outside and off their screens, while still getting your own daily movement in. Getting kids excited and motivated to walk is all about making it fun and adventurous! Incorporating games, storytelling, or nature discoveries along the way can transform a mundane walk into a journey full of wonder and curiosity. And when children associate walking with positive experiences, they are more likely to maintain an interest in physical activity as they get older and form healthy habits. Here are 7 ideas on how to make family walks more interesting for kids of all ages.

1. Make it a scavenger hunt

Turn your next family walk into a scavenger hunt. There are plenty of themes to choose from and kids love being given a challenge.

Here are some ideas:
• Collect the rainbow – find something in nature that represents every colour of the rainbow. You can print out a physical activity sheet, collect some paint swatches from the local hardware store, or make it digital by asking the kids to take photos of what they find. Download the activity sheet below [PDF 133KB].

• Nature bingo – cross off as many different items as you can from this Nature Bingo list. For example, find an item that’s yellow, squishy, hard, smooth, rough, slimy, something that makes you smile, and something that symbolises new life. Download the activity sheet below [PDF 891KB].

2. Catch the colour

Pick a colour and GO! Everyone must race to find an object in that colour.

3. Looks for bugs and insects

If you’re going on a nature walk, be on the lookout for bugs and insects. How many can you find? Maybe your child wants to bring along their magnifying glass for a closer inspection, or a jar to catch and release their bugs.

4. Get crafty

Turn your family walk into an exercise of hunting and gathering up crafting materials. It may be leaves, bark, flowers, or anything with interesting textures. Bring them home and create a beautiful nature collage, handmade card, nature rubbing (placing a piece of paper over an item and colouring over the top), or flower/leaf pressing.

5. Matchbox treasure hunt

Give your child a small matchbox or container and ask them to collect tiny treasures along the walk. The items must be small and meaningful to them. This is a great conversation driver while walking together, discussing why the items are so special.

Child's hand hold a matchbox filled with tiny artefacts from nature, including a feather, some bark and leaves

Image sourced from Thimble and Twig

6. Scoot, skate, or ride instead

If you child isn’t into walking, let them take their scooter, skateboard, rollerblades or bike instead. Being physically active together is the main thing, it doesn’t matter how it’s done. It might even make you pick up your pace to keep up!

7. Have a good old chat

Walking is a great opportunity to connect with your kids without distraction and help you ease into conversation. When we walk, our brains become more active and alert, making it easier to access new ideas and topics of conversation.

Walking can be particularly beneficial for older kids as a stress reliever for dealing with school pressures or issues with their peers. Talk about topics that interest them and ask meaningful, open-ended questions that can’t be answered with just 1 word or a grunt! Not every conversation has to be deep and serious. Keep it light and fun to start with and let your child guide the conversation.

Dad walks in botanical gardens holding hands with his son and letting his other son ride on his shoulders

Instagram tile highlighting 6 ways to make walks fun with your kids, drawn from the content of this article

Encourage and praise their efforts

At the end of your family walk, don’t forget to praise your kids for their effort. Tell them how much you enjoyed walking with them and spending quality time together. This will reinforce positive associations with walking and being active and could be the start of a beautiful new routine together.

Feeling inspired? Check out these 20 ways to get 30 minutes of physical activity, including more family-friendly ideas.