This Hiking post is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Banana Boat®. The products were purchased at Walmart. The opinions and text are all mine.

Fun summer activities the whole family can enjoy at little or no cost. Five important reasons to go hiking with your kids and how to make the experience more fun.

Hiking with Kids

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Summer fun! Do you have a favorite summer activity that you do with your family in the summer sun?

Hiking is one summer activity your family can enjoy outside during the summer. You can even keep it local to where you live, and lower the cost. If you can find a trail near water it’s that much more exciting as you beat the heat and enjoy the summer sun!

Let’s talk Logistics

Dear reader, are you aware that hiking is seriously so so good for your kids?! No joke, it’s been scientifically proven! I will get into the science and reasons for that in just a moment. First though, let’s talk about 3 important things to bring along with you when you go hiking.

1. Water. This should be a given, yet sometimes when you’re trying to get out the door it’s easy to forget something important like water. Staying hydrated is very important for your health, so be sure to bring along the liquids.
2. Snacks. Nothing ruins the fun of an outing quite like someone deciding right when you all get there that they are hungry, or worse yet: hangry. Bring along a couple snacks and you’ve got your bases covered.
3. Sunscreen. Use a sunscreen that provides safe and effective broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection for the safety of your family’s skin. For best results, you should apply a golf-ball sized portion (about an ounce or 2 tablespoons) of the sunscreen lotion to your child’s body at least 15 minutes before going out hiking in the sun. Then reapply the sunscreen every two hours.

Banana Boat

Speaking of sunscreen; in our home we love Banana Boat® Dry Balance™ Sunscreen and here’s why:

• Banana Boat® Dry Balance™ Sunscreen provides safe and effective broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection. So important!
• Then, it dries with a soft matte finish. So nice my kids constantly want to reapply! (And to be honest I don’t blame them because it makes your skin feel smooth and smells delish!)
• Lightweight, non-greasy formula draws away excess moisture while allowing skin to breathe.
• Water-resistant formula (up to 80 minutes), so great if you find yourself jumping in streams and other bodies of water during your hiking adventures!
• Stays on in seven conditions – sun, pool water, ocean water, wind, sweat, sand and even 100 degree heat*
  (*These 7 conditions do not apply to tanning or oil products, SPF 100 lotions, lip balms, Kids FREE and Zinc Faces.)

We find our Banana Boat® Dry Balance™ Sunscreen at Walmart, and from 4/4/18 – 5/30/18 there will be a $1 off ibotta rebate offer.

5 important reasons to take your children hiking:

1. Being out in nature stimulates your child’s brain. Nature actually activates more senses than a “stimulating” video game or book—you can see, hear, smell, and touch the outdoors. This is important for children especially because it allows kids to interact meaningfully with their surroundings in an unstructured way, teaching them to think more freely, design their own activities, and approach the world in inventive ways.
2. Hiking makes you happy and can help ward off depression. According to this study done at Stanford; hiking can improve your mood, decrease your anxiety and depression, and even improve your memory.
3. It gets kids’ bodies and brains moving. Hiking is an exercise that will get your child’s blood pumping. Not only is exercise good for kids’ bodies, but it makes them more focused. According to this study, “Spending time outdoors increases attention spans and creative problem-solving skills by as much as 50 percent.”  In natural environments while the body is being worked, our brain practices an effortless type of attention known as soft fascination that creates feelings of pleasure, rather than brain fatigue.
4. Hiking with family will help you live longer.  Research shows that not only does hiking increase overall body and brain health; but that time spent with family and familial gatherings will help you live longer. Who doesn’t want their kids to love a long happy life?!
5. Hiking in nature promotes creativity and imagination. This unstructured style of physical activity allows kids to interact meaningfully with their surroundings. They can think more freely and approach the world and the trail in inventive ways. As their feet move, so will their brains.