Growing up, we dreamed of sharing our passion for the outdoors with others. Then we had kids. Despite the numerous child-rearing manuals, our kids uniquely defy our attempts to subdue them into enjoying the outdoors. Kids insist that hiking is “no fun” and then demand to go home and ”watch TV.” Our hearts break, and frustration mounts.
QuestTrails provides parents with trail activities and a kid-friendly trail map. Parents are now able to transform hikes into adventures. Engaging kids and ensuring the whole family understands the goals for each trail. Parents are now empowered and can envision their passion for nature passed down to their children.
The benefits of Quest Trails and outdoor exploration address four main concerns:
in front of a screen.
experienced stress-related health problems (7-12 years old)
we spend with our kids in our lifetime will be spent by the time they turn 12.
before the age of 11 are more likely to have pro-environment behaviors as adults.
Quest Trails empowers families to reach new summits by transforming hikes into adventures with curated trail activity maps for kids.
Fellowship: Work together to make memories and achieve shared goals
Stewardship: Recognize that we are charged with protecting our trails and ecosystems
Commitment: Not every adventure ends with a summit, but keep going and enjoy the journey
My husband and I discovered that hiking wasn’t innately fun for all kids when we migrated our daughter, then 2 ½, from the back carrier to the ground. We imagined as two individuals who loved the outdoors, our daughter would naturally share our passion. Within the first few steps, our daughter looked at us lovingly and said, “uppy.” She quickly grew impatient as we prodded encouraged her along. She translated our encouragement, and, in her mind, we were now in forced death march mode. She then laid out on the ground and screamed, “I hate hiking! I want to go home and watch Dragons!” These words broke my heart. I envisioned a future of her glued to screens and us as a family, not enjoying the outdoors. Being a quick-thinking mom, I grabbed a rock, looked at my daughter, and said, “Baby, before we can go home, we need to take this dragon egg back to its nest,” pointing towards the summit of our hike. My daughter dried her tears, and I started building out a map on the ground, explaining how far we were into our hike and how much further we had to go. After my route brief, my daughter took off ahead of us, leading the way to the summit. On future hikes, I started making treasure maps as a launchpad for her imagination and to ensure she understood the route. These maps led to fewer tears for my daughter and now her younger brother as we continue to explore the Pacific Northwest.
Wife, mom, and an Army Special Operations Forces Veteran, with a passion for the outdoors. She attended various military and civilian schools specializing in leading, surviving, and thriving in the wilderness. Her training was tested during multiple worldwide deployments and family adventures.
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