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Hiking With Kids: 12 Simple Safety Rules Every Parent Should Follow

How To Stay Safe on a Trail While Having Ultimate Family Fun Outdoor Learning Experience With Kids

We hike and explore the outdoors with our kids to make memories, hopefully, good memories only. Once in a while, you do however come across an odd horror story. It is natural that many parents are concerned about safety on a hiking trail when bringing their child. The good news is, families can reduce many risks by researching the route in advance and following hiking trail safety rules when adventuring with kids.

Here are our 12 simple hiking rules we always follow to stay safe on a trail with our son, so nothing can take away from the ultimate family fun learning and adventure experience!

***This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. All product recommendations and feedback are ours and based on personal experience. Please refer to our Disclosure Policy. 

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To help our active parents who can't seem to figure out how to get their kids to enjoy hiking, we have prepared this post: Five Tried-And-True Outdoor Activities To Get Kids to Absolutely Love Hiking – find many creative ideas, kids outdoor activities, treasure hunts, and nature experiments within!

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Safety Rule 1. Wear Bright Colours When Hiking With Kids

Almost every person we usually meet on a hiking trail wears khaki, brown, green, grey, black and white clothing.. That's a big mistake! When hiking with kids, but also if hiking on your own, you should be opting in to be as visible as possible – visible from Space even if needed.

First off, it helps you as a parent: it is very easy to spot where your child is roaming if they do wear bright colorful clothes. You are also making your kids' life easier – as she/he can also spot you quickly in return and avoid getting lost! Especially true in the leafy-bushy forest environment.

In addition, think of this: if something happens when you are hiking with kids, and you lose consciousness while wearing bright colors you are much easier to be spotted by other hikers, rescue teams and even a helicopter flying over the trees.

These are the reasons we list wearing bright colors as our number ONE safety rule for hiking with kids.

The best colors to wear are scarlet red, barbie-pink, neon orange, neon yellow, and sky blue. All of these are easily spottable both – in the bushy greenery of any forest, and in the snowy or rocky environment.

..if safety is not a reason enough to wear colorful clothes, how about this: those colors look amazing on your Instagram photos!

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Safety Rule 2. Wear Proper Hiking Shoes

Whether you are hiking a mountain trail, walking along the ocean or playing in the snow, whether or not you are hiking with your kids or by yourself – proper hiking shoes are a must. That means no flip-flops in most cases.

When hitting the forest, especially one of those rocky paths, try to avoid open-toes, have good-grip anti-slippery boot soles. Make sure your hiking shoes are comfortable and give you good ankle support – one of the most common injuries on a trail is sprayed ankle. Avoid getting into an accident yourself – and your kids are going to be safe hiking along!

But it is even more than simple outdoor safety: selecting good hiking shoes for your little one will also help them with proper foot development. Kids are growing so fast!

Here is one of our hikes, were wearing proper trail footwear literally saved us – “Mystery Lake – Mt Seymour Kids-Friendly Hike, North Vancouver” – check it out and learn what is our family's top choice hiking shoe brand – for both adults and kids.

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Safety Rule 3. Use Sunscreen When Outdoors

Somehow we only think of sunscreen when flying to a beach destination. Sun UVA/UVB rays are dangerous everywhere, however.

Make sure to use sunscreen to help your kids stay sun-safe when spending time outdoors. When hiking a trail on a sunny day, whether it is a forest in the summer or a mountain ridge in the winter – you and your kids will be spending much time in the open.

We only want the best for our kids, and as such, it is important to opt-in for natural non-toxic non-spray sunscreens. By choosing a natural solution, you'll also be doing a huge favor to the environment – some of the eco-systems are extremely fragile and will appreciate some help by not coming into contact with toxins present in care products.

So count this outdoor rule as serving both: your kids' safety and environment safety!

We’ve done our investigation on 20+ available baby-friendly sunscreen brands available in Canada/USA – learn which Seven had been given our top rating HERE!

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Safety Rule 4. Safety Bands & Emergency Info

Safety bands are always a good idea in case your little one gets lost or anything happens to you. These contain the child's name, emergency contact info, name of parents, special instructions “if you find my child”, and sometimes even allergies, medical condition or religious choices information (eg. blood transfusion).

All of the available data can be used by police and emergency services once the child is found. If the first aid has to be applied, paramedics will know of a condition or allergy and will be able to provide better care.

I always advise to use a band like that yourself, if you are hiking or traveling with children or on your own. Especially if you have a medical condition, and your kids are little and can't really explain who you are or what the condition is.

It is also easy to make an ID band yourself with some good old duct tape and a permanent marker. At the very least, put a note into a child's pocket and instruct them what to do in case she/he is lost.

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Safety Rule 5. Establish Trail Rules

To ensure safe hiking experience, in our family we have just four essential trail rules. We go over them again and again both before getting into the car and before we hit the next adventure.

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No Running

No running while on the trail, stay together and always look around to make sure mama and papa are right behind. Look in front of you and under your feet to avoid getting hurt.

No Hiding

Hide-and-seek is a fantastic game and we love it, but we reserve it for home or for our friend's backyard. If you want to ensure a safe hiking experience, there is no hide-and-seek, period.

When we are in the woods or on a rocky path – the rule is that we must always see each other. This will help us avoid getting lost, but also prevent getting hurt by wild animals. We live in Canada. You can meet both black and grizzly bears literally everywhere, not just Beautiful British Columbia and Alberta.

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No Jumping Rocks

We teach our 3 yo Cosmos to hold hands when climbing rocky flights. Depending on where we are, the rocks can be slippery, can be uneven and sharp. The safety rule is to always hold mama's or papa's hand climbing up, but also going down.

Look, Don't Touch

We teach our son to leave everything as we found it. In some federal and provincial parks, it is explicitly illegal to disturb plants or wildlife, to remove archaeological artifacts, dead wood, fossils or other geological features.

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Legal aside, this hiking safety rule is about teaching your children the importance of avoiding poisonous plants such as Poison Ivy and Poison Oak. Not sure – don't risk it. Take a picture and move on 🙂

Feel free to add to this list any rules appropriate for your environment. Kids are typically great with rules – this helps them to know what to expect.

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Safety Rule 6. Wild Life Awareness

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Depending on where you are in the world, the list of potentially dangerous wild animals you might encounter can be quite different. It can range from bears and cougars in British Columbia (where we live), to venomous snakes in Arizona, to lions and cheetahs in some parts of Africa, to spiders and poisonous snakes in Costa Rica, to certain kinds of flesh-eating fish in Brazil, to all sorts of stuff in India…

It is best to refer to the local parks' or forestry services websites, information brochures, or ask a local guide in advance of your trip to know all about what kind of animals are in the area and any instructions on how to behave.

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Safety Rule 7. No Playing With Fire

This one is BIG here in British Columbia. We are getting more and more wildfires every year.

Few things to remember:

• Do not bring matches or lighters with you into the trail if possible.
• Do not use fireworks or blasters in the woods while hiking or camping.
• Do not start a fire on the ground “just for fun”. If you did want to show your child how to start a fire – it is best done in a controlled environment either at your backyard or on a sandy beach. Make sure to put out all fires before you leave.
• Do not bring and leave any glass objects on the trail – glass can focus the sun-rays and work just as a magnifying glass to start a fire. Same for any transparent water-containers.

When entering the trail or a park, take note of the emergency number listed at the entrance. If you come across a wildfire, and it is not possible for you to stop it, report it immediately. If you don't have the local number – simply call 9-1-1 to report a fire this way.

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Safety Rule 8. Garbage, Trash, Litter: Pack Out All You Packed In

Yes, this is about the environment. But just as much, it is about your safety.

Broken glass hidden in the grass or hidden underwater can seriously injure someone: people and animals alike.

A bottle of water left behind on a sunny day can start a wildfire.

Food scraps left behind on the trail, and even just the food wrapping, can attract wild animals. You definitely do not want to deal with bears!

The best approach is to follow Leave No Trace principles. That means teaching your kids to pack out all you packed in.

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Safety Rule 9. Bring a First Aid Kit

Better safe than sorry, right? Although we do not expect anything to happen to us, we are always prepared. If your little ones are even a % like our Cosmos – then you gotta stock-up!

At the very minimum your first aid kit, when hiking with a baby, must contain:

• Baby thermometer
• Baby Acetaminophen***
• Antibiotic cream***
• Alcohol swabs***
• Antibiotic ointment***
• Age-appropriate Band-Aids
• Sterile gauze

***always consult your doctor prior to using any medication

Whether you build your own kit or buy one of the baby first aid kits available in stores, it’s a good idea to check the content before leaving against the checklist to make sure you are prepared. We hope you’d never need to use it!

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Safety Rule 10. Water & Food When Hiking

We recommend you always bring water with you. It is important to stay hydrated yourself and to teach your kids to drink water on a regular basis. We also recommend that your water bottle has a large opening. In case you run out of the water and need to use a stream or collect rainwater – the large opening will become quite handy.

Whether or not you are planning to have a picnic, throw in few protein bars into your backpack. You never know. Hopefully, nothing goes wrong, but if it does you'll have a bit less to worry about.

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Safety Rule 11. Teach Kids How to Find Help

One of the most important topics to discuss with your child prior to hitting the trail is – How to find help if something does go wrong? Tons of things can happen – you could get lost, you could get sick, you could break your leg, fall or lose copiousness. What is your little one to do?

Whether your child is three or thirteen, they'll be less scared and more prepared, if you talk through all the possible scenarios with them in advance, and teach them how to find help along with the other hiking safety rules.

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Some of the talking points include:

• Show your child how to use the phone, and how to dial 9-1-1
• Teach them to look for people – never to hide
• Instruct them to be visible: stay clear of trees and bushes, make sure to wear bright color
• Teach your children to scream for help. Or you can also equip them with one of those emergency pocket alarm screamers

Please refer to your local parks' service, rangers or forestry services for more information and instructions on what to do in case of emergency or for any specific hiking safety rules.

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Safety Rule 12. Have a Back-up Hiking “Buddy”

It is never a good idea to hike alone with your little one. Best to hike in a group of at least 2 adults, so you always have a back-up.

In case you do end up heading out by yourself, have a “designated hiking buddy” – someone you are going to keep posted of your whereabouts either via text messages or through sharing your location on the phone. You can even establish a timeline of “check-ins” and call/text each other at that specific time to make sure everyone is OK.

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Wanna See Some Hilarious Hiking Safety Fails?!!

60++ Hilarious Hiking & Camping Memes You Absolutely Have To See

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Need Ideas on How to get your kids interested in hiking?

Check out our Parent Resources and Shopping Guide sections for more fun activities for kids.

To help our active parents who can't seem to figure out how to get their kids to enjoy hiking, we have prepared this post: Five Tried-And-True Outdoor Activities To Get Kids to Absolutely Love Hiking – find many creative ideas, kids outdoor activities, treasure hunts, and nature experiments within!

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Ready to apply these hiking & outdoor safety rules?

Here is the list of our kids-accessible trails around Metro Vancouver & Fraser Valley. Take your pick and Go Explore!

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• Jug Island Trail – Belcarra’s Enchanted Forest Half-Day Kids-Friendly Hike
• Minnekhada – All Year Round Kids-Friendly True Serenity Hiking Trail
• Stunning Colours of Sandy Cove Beach Trail near Harrison Hot Springs
• Devils Lake in Mission BC – Both Family Fun & Mystical Experience
• Mystery Lake – Mt Seymour Stunning Kids-Friendly Hike, North Vancouver
• Cliff Falls at Kanaka Creek – Awesome All Seasons Family Hike
• Gold Creek Falls: Golden Ears Park’s Super-Star 100% Accessible Trail. Truly Gold Star Experience!
• Lighthouse Park & Point Atkinson – Canadian History & Spectacular Views
• Bird-Lover Heaven! Dazzling Home of Pacific Great Blue Heron
• Fort to Fort – Fun & Easy Bike Trail Near Langley Even a Toddler Can Do!
• Buntzen Lake – True Zen & Best Swimming Lake Near Vancouver
• Teapot Hill – Treasure Hunt Hiking Adventure Your Kids Will Absolutely Love!
• Howe Sound EPIC Views from Jurassic Ridge at Murrin Provincial Park – Squamish Best Hikes

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Are you an outdoor enthusiast who is passionate and knowledgeable about hiking trails safety and etiquette rules? Would you like to share? Leave us a comment or send us a message!

Enjoy!

Cheerfully yours,

Alexandra, Alex & Cosmos

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P.S. We've been featured in “Best of The Best Summer Vacations” by PlanningAway.com Check it out! Exciting!

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