Footscape for children

It is true that most children don’t like walking. In fact, most adults don’t like walking, which is why, fortunately, our footpaths are mostly uncrowded or even deserted. However, a growing consciousness about healthier lifestyles and a search for something different has led families with children to look at less traditional, more active holiday ideas.

Since we are based in Dorset and operate exclusively in Dorset, we are able to provide a very personalised and flexible service on most of our scheduled holidays. This means that on our Jurassic Coast and Inland Heritage trails, the daily walking distances can be shortened at either end, since our vehicle is there to drop off or pick up anybody who does not want to do the full number of miles.

We can even organise alternative activities for a part of the day or even the whole day. Such activities include visits to Abbotsbury Swannery (especially in May to July when you can see the baby swans), the Great Dorset Maize Maze (July/August) and the award-winning Monkey World (all year).

Therefore those parents and children who may each have a different degree of interest, endurance or aptitude for hiking, can still enjoy an active footscape holiday together.

Most of our independent hiking tours are also very suitable for children. Our trails along the Jurassic Coast are of particular interest, because there are several safe and beautiful beaches along its length. So instead of just spending day after day on a beach, why not walk part or all of a footscape trail, stopping off for a short swim at those beaches that you cannot resist?

Last year several families with children booked holidays with us. Sometimes the children, even as young as 9 years old, had less difficulty walking 8 or more miles a day than their parents. As a result of this experience, we dropped the minimum age on our hiking tours from from 10 to 8.

All members of the family shown in this photo hiked over 60 miles along our Jurassic Coast trail in six walking days, with one day off in the middle, but still had enough time for beach and pub stops, as well as lots of award-winning Purbeck ice-cream.

We also provide a smart “Certificate of Achievement”, including the total number of miles walked, to all children who come on our walking holidays. For those interested in spotting wildlife, we provide a chart (with photos) that they can fill in whenever they see one or other of the animals or birds on the list.

Although a child who really likes hiking would enjoy any of our walking holidays, these are the ones that we consider to be especially appropriate for children:

• 
  Jurassic Coast and Inland Heritage – flexible walking distances (with our vehicle available all day) and child-friendly pubs at midday. Our Jurassic Coast trail additionally offers excellent beaches and plenty of quality ice-cream.
• Purbeck (guided or self-guided) – all of the above except for the flexible walking distances (on average 11 miles per day).
• Jurassic Coast West and Inn to inn (along our Jurassic Coast West or Inland Heritage trails) – a choice of approximately 7/8 or 11 miles (or more) on average per day, as well as the other features mentioned above. On the Jurassic Coast West holiday, you can also take a day off any time that you like.

You might be surprised at how well children can cope with a daily hike. Why not give it a try?

For our full range of holidays and how we operate, go to holidays 2008 and why footscape?.