ADK Kids Challenge Archive

ADK Kids Challenge

A Challenge to Encourage Hiking With Our Children

Challenge yourself
Challenge the kids in your life
Get to know the Adirondacks better

How to Keep the Hikes Enjoyable:

BEFORE

  • Plan a hike with your children’s abilities in mind
  • Let children know what to expect from the hike
  • Plan the hike as part of a trip or in conjunction with another activity

DURING

  • Give food and drink before your children experience energy lows or real thirst
  • Take frequent rests
  • Give lots of encouragement and praise efforts
  • Make up games along the way; sing songs; tell stories
  • Offer rewards and incentives
  • Remember children may derive pleasure in ways different from adults

AFTER

  • Take pictures and reminisce about favorite outings; remember the good points
  • Review the hike with a map before you; use colored pencils or markers to mark the trail; display the map
  • Create a list of hikes with dates and comments about special experiences or features

Safety Reminders

  • Hike within your capabilities
  • Turn back short of your goal when necessary
  • Allow enough time to hike
  • Take plenty of water to drink
  • Tell someone where you’re going
  • Sign in at the trail register
  • Dress in layers; anticipate changing conditions
  • Wear synthetic or wool fabrics
  • Keep to the trail
  • Use common sense

The Adirondack Park offers many hikes perfectly suited to introducing children to the variety of nature’s splendors. From easy walks along mountain streams to more demanding trails, hiking can play an important role in children’s formative years. Kids respond readily to the wonders of nature; make sure they see the real thing!

Kids Challenge

The Kids Challenge features the 71 hikes and walks described in Kids on the Trail! Hiking with Children in the Adirondacks by Rose Rivezzi and David Trithart. The book is available from the ADK online store, 800-395-8080, and in bookstores.

The challenge is open to Adirondack Mountain Club members and the general public. Challenge participants come from all across New York State and from many other states and Canadian provinces.

The Kids Challenge Patch

To receive a patch, children must complete at least four hikes from each of the four regions in the guidebook for a total of 16 hikes. Print and fill out the Kids Challenge Report Form. Complete a form for each Challenge participant. Adults may participate as long as children are along on each hike.

Return completed form to:
Kids! Challenge
c/o David Trithart and Rose Rivezzi
7 Barclay St.
Potsdam, New York 13676

Questions?
dtrithar@twcny.rr.com
315-212-1750

ADK Kids Challenge Archive