Take a Hike!
I went to a school where there was lots of hiking. Lots of hiking field trips, hiking playdates, and, when we got older, overnight trips that revolved around hiking. Once, in the third grade, I decided I simply didn’t want to go on any more hikes. So, I told my mom I was “sick.” Unfortunately, the day before the scheduled hike I told my best friend my plan to play hooky. Then, that best friend blabbed about my plan to all our classmates and the teacher. We are still friends, but I will never forgive her betrayal!
My long-winded anecdote does have a point, I promise! Even though I wasn’t the keenest hiker as a child, I’m SO grateful that I got to spend time in nature. To spend time climbing up rocks and scrapping my knee falling down those rocks. Getting dirt under my nails and then getting to wash that dirt away in an ice-cold stream. And, of course, getting to eat the chocolate chip cookies my teacher would hand out at the end of the hike.
Whether your young reader loves spending time outdoors or prefers sitting inside with a good book, these delightful picture books will inspire everyone—even my childhood self—to pull on their hiking boots and hit the trails!
On a day that’s perfect for being outside in nature,Smudge and his family head for a hike in the mountains. But Willa’s fussing, Mom’s stressing, Grandpa’s telling the same old stories all over again, and Smudge will absolutely NOT be good, thank you very much.
When nature’s beauty doesn’t bring them together right away, could wandering from the path be just what they need?
Forests can be scary. They’re dark. There are weird creaks and chirps. Creatures are hiding behind trees, and critters are hiding beneath the leaves. For the overly imaginative, those creatures are perhaps the villains of fairy tales, and the critters the stuff of nightmares. But really, the forest is wonderful. It’s filled with life and possibility. Or so Lawrence learns in this gentle story about overcoming fears and exploring something new.
When Lawrence Fox’s teacher announces that students will be presenting things they collect at show-and-tell, Lawrence panics. All of his classmates have impressive collections: coins, combs, marbles…but Lawrence doesn’t have anything to share.Luckily, Papa knows where to find something magical: the deep, dark woods. Lawrence is scared at first, but as he grows more comfortable, he starts to recognize the uniqueness of the forest and its creatures. Here, amid the towering trees and their array of colorful leaves, Lawrence just may find a splendid, one-of-a-kind collection of his own.
A young son and his father trek through trees and listen to birdsong, dig for worms and go fishing, and enjoy the breeze sitting side by side, just like Pop Pop and Daddy did, years ago.
On one of my many school hiking adventures we tried solo hikes. We were told to hike along the trail, one by one, without speaking, just being. It was honestly very relaxing and therapeutic! I think Finn, the child in Beneath, feels similarly. Finn is having an off day, but they don’t want to discuss what’s bothering them. But after going on a walk with their grandpa through the woods, they start to open up and share what’s going on beneath the surface.
Finn is in a horrible mood and doesn’t want to talk about it. After some persuading, though, they agree to go for a hike with Grandpa. Throughout their forest walk, they see many different things: big, strong trees with networks of roots growing underneath, still water with schools of fish swimming below, and an expectant bird with eggs nestled under her. It’s when the pair pass fellow hikers that Finn realizes that people, just like the elements of nature, are more than they appear. Grandpa explains that sometimes beneath a person who seems like they won’t understand what you’re feeling, is someone feeling the exact same way.
Boy and Bear both love to explore the outdoors. There are so many neat things to see, and so many strange things to find. These explorers are prepared for anything . . . except each other!
When Bear and Boy meet in the woods, they’re scared at first. Really scared. But soon these kings of the wild realize that no mountain is too big to conquer if you have a friend to climb it by your side.
