Stories From Participants Of Experiential Learning

kids on trekking? Read more on what happens when children and trek combine.

When Do You Start Children On Trekking

It is very important to prepare your children, physically and mentally, before a trek. Here are some tips from experienced parents to help you.

How these parents prepared their children for a Himalayan Trek

A story about how a grandmother and grandson exchanged roles when they went on a trek

How Trekking With Your Child Can Be A Great Bonding Experience

An Indiahikes Team Member shares from personal experince his lifestyle change from being addicted to video games, to loving the outdoors.

Do Gadgets Rule Your Kids’ Lives? Take them trekking.

When children trek, one of the biggest learnings they have is about how resilient they are. Here are some observations from our recent treks with Mussoorie International School.

How Children Of Mussoorie International School (MIS) Built Resilience Through Trekking

mussoorie international school experiential learning resilience

Nimesh Ved, a writer and blogger, accompanied a well-known school on a trek with us. He shares his observations of the impact trekking had on the students.

Bring Your Own Tiffin Box - An Observation Of The Impact of Trekking on School Students

Prateek Raj, Assistant Professor of Strategy at IIM Bangalore writes about his experience of trekking to Kedarkantha peak. Read to know more!

What The Trek To A Himalayan Peak Taught Me

These trek stories will bowl you over with happiness, anticipation, fear, and more. Share your happiest trek moment with us, and beat the lockdown blues.

My Happiest Trek Moment – Personal Stories of Gratitude, Transformation, and Learning – Part 5

A unique leadership and team building program for companies and B-schools. IIM has been a part of it for 9 years, it's time more organisations look into it.

Why Introduce Our Himalayan Outbound Programme To Your Workplace

Why Young Indians (Yi) Across The Country Are Advocating Trekking

Here's how the Himalayan Mountain Challenge transforms B School students into Collaborative Leaders through Experiential Learning on treks.

How The Himalayan Mountain Challenge Transforms Students Into Collaborative Leaders

How A Specially Designed Trek In The Himalayas Can Teach You Collaborative Leadership 

Trekking is much more than a mere walk in the woods. It is an experiential and spiritual journey capable of transforming a peron's character.

How Trekking With Your Classmates Can Transform You Into A Confident Person

Many a times we get asked about the safety of students on a Himalayan Mountain Challenge. Read on to know how we keep your students safe!

How We Keep Students Safe During the Himalayan Mountain Challenge Program

Do you remember when “playing” had less to do with digital devices and more to do with running barefoot and climbing trees? Today’s children are used to studying and playing online. Sometimes their friendships are also online — with virtual characters.

Spare a minute and picture this: children’s muscles atrophying from sitting long hours on a couch or chair; the insides of their minds cluttered with images from the latest video game or TV series; their spirits stifled or lost in an unreal world, whether at school or home.

What if one single sport or activity could repair all these damages? What if our children could build better health in mind, body and spirit through an activity that takes them into nature to learn what they can never learn in classrooms with walls? 

Trekking is an activity that tests, pushes, nudges, teaches, rewards and builds the child into a wholesomely healthy person. It awakens dormant muscles, ignites curiosity about the natural world, triggers joy and insights into the self and its relationship with the earth. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a “state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.” We couldn’t agree more.

Children are usually more physically fit and carry less mental baggage than adults. They are also freer in spirit. This is why they thrive exponentially in the face of the opportunities that trekking offers to build their health. (Read about Trekking Summer Camps in the Himalayas)

We spoke to parents, children, psychologists and trek leaders to gather their perceptions on how exactly trekking makes children healthier. While it may seem rather obvious that trekking would build children’s health, we learnt that there are many nuances to the way this happens, especially in the current context.

Trekking is an activity that tests, pushes, nudges, teaches, rewards and builds the child into a wholesomely healthy person. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

Trekking triggers awareness about fitness

It was reported as far back as 2014 that the fitness levels of Indian children from 23 States is far from the desired levels. After two years of being shut into their homes, unable to go out or play, the children of today are likely to need fitness activities more than ever before. Given the shrinking space for outdoor play and severe lifestyle changes, children are not as fit as they used to be.

Fitness is compulsory for trekking. To walk long hours in high altitudes, children need strong muscles and bones, besides good stamina. Yet, sometimes the act of trekking (from school or a local club) triggers awareness on the importance of fitness in children.

Our team members recently observed that children who earlier could complete a trek in four hours are now taking six hours. “Over the years of being locked in, it seems that muscles have weakened and endurance has drastically reduced. The motivation to exert oneself has visibly reduced and the body has become lethargic,” observes Izzat Yaganagi, head of Experiential Learning at Indiahikes. 

Trekking doesn’t just build a child’s fitness levels. It stokes their appetite for fitness. We have seen children who have trekked with us take home a determination to continue their fitness routines for life. Aditya Bodke, Slope Manager, Indiahikes recalls how a father and son duo had come on a trek together. The father’s fitness levels inspired the son to go back and build his endurance for more treks.

Trekking becomes even more important when you consider the high levels of Vitamin D Deficiency (VDD) among Indian children. It has been recorded that despite ample sunshine, VDD is prevalent among 50-90% of Indian children.

Trekking shakes children out of their inertia and leads to playing a sport or taking up a regular exercise routine. When schools and families step in to encourage these initiatives, the result is likely to be stronger and fitter children. As India stands on the brink of housing one out of every ten obese children in the world, building fitness for and through trekking cannot be over emphasized.

Trekking doesn’t just build a child’s fitness levels. It stokes their appetite for fitness. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

City bred children are often spoilt for choice when it comes to lifestyle options. While trekking, the paring down of choices opens them to the possibility of living with whatever is available. They learn to swap luxuries for basic, safe and practical living arrangements in rugged surroundings.

Aditya describes how we design our treks so that children are made to face small and big challenges. From washing utensils in cold water, carrying their own backpacks, sleeping in sleeping bags and tents, not using water in the restroom – every aspect of the trek nudges them to adapt. By the second or third day of the trek, they have adapted to many things that they might have complained about on the first day.  

When children learn to be flexible or to “go with the flow,” they experience significantly lower stress and less conflict. Learning to adapt to the situation and meet the demands of the moment is considered a key requirement, not just for better mental health, but also to become successful in life. Resilience — the ability to bounce back, is considered a key life skill for success and well-being. Resilience is born out of adaptability. 

On a trek, the landscape, weather and the trek’s demands constantly shift. Children are forced to learn adaptability while trekking. On our treks, children are constantly nudged to build their mental muscles for coping with change. 

Avni Meda has been trekking since she was 8. Now almost 14 years old, she has been on “three big treks and 4 or 5 small treks.” Her mother, Shilpashree, says that trekking regularly “has definitely made her more adaptable.” She has observed that Avni is willing to go with whatever lifestyle or food options are available — something that cannot be said of most urban children.

On our treks we see that parents are worried about how “fussy” their children can be but are surprised when their children simply adapt to the demands of the situation. Parents become aware that they are unwittingly feeding into the issue by protecting the children from their “dislikes.”

Nithya Poornima is a Bangalore based Clinical Psychologist. Formerly a faculty member at NIMHANS, she has worked with children for over two decades. While trekking with her son, Nithya noticed that “..not everything about a trek is pleasant for all children.” Trekking, in her opinion, brings “likes and dislikes” to the forefront. “Children become more aware of themselves, their emotions and preferences.” This becomes part of the training. On our treks, we constantly see children breaking out of their likes and dislikes. They adapt and learn to survive very hard conditions. 

Avni affirms that trekking has enabled her to feel that “things don’t have to be only this way or that. I feel I can manage however it is.” Knowing this has helped her arrive at the belief that she can take care of herself in any situation, she says. 

On a trek, the landscape, weather and the trek’s demands constantly shift. Children are forced to learn adaptability while trekking. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

Nature is muddy and beautifully so. In the process of “evolving,” human societies have villainized dirt. Children are the worst hit. They’re often protected from “dirt,” the outdoors and mud.   

Trekking lends itself to being more in contact with nature and “dirt.” It overturns the highly sanitised environment of the city. While trekking, children touch snow, soil, seeds, leaves, moss, tree trunks, rocks and more. They are exposed to dung and fresh mountain air. They drink water from mountain streams. All of this reconnects them with nature. They understand the role nature plays in their lives and their responsibility towards it.

In addition, it improves their immunity. According to The National Wildlife Federation, playing in the dirt exposes children to healthy bacteria, parasites and viruses — building a healthier immune system. 

It is a boost for the mind as well. Studies have shown that contact with dirt can “significantly improve a child’s mood and reduce anxiety and stress… Dirt can even improve classroom performance.” 

Writing about how disconnected urban children have become from nature, journalist and author Richard Louv coined the term ‘Nature Deficit Disorder.’ In his book, ‘Last Child in the Woods’ (2005), he brings together “a new and growing body of research indicating that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development. It is crucial for the physical and emotional health of children and adults.”  

Our Experiential Learning (EL) treks are specially designed to include activities that rekindle children’s natural affinity for nature. Aditya shares how some children from a school group were initially hesitant to participate in an activity involving touching and playing with mud. The joy of mud-play turned out to be infectious, however. Everyone was soon elbow-deep in mud. The thrill of reconnecting with nature showed up as laughter, playfulness and the widest of smiles. 

The connection with nature precipitates new inner connections within the child’s body and psyche. Nithya Poornima recalls interactions with Caroline Essame, an occupational therapist from Singapore and founder of Createcatt. While talking about how developmental capacities emerge from different experiences, Caroline Essame had noted that people who are exposed to “imperfect surfaces” (like the mountain trails) have a chance “to keep their brains and bodies more active, which leaves them more sensorially integrated and confident,” says Nithya.

Meera Krishna is a Tai Chi teacher and independently conducts treks with her husband Murali Krishna. Meera says that when children connect with nature through trekking, they experience healing in very wholesome ways.  

“Trekking no doubt rejuvenates the internal organs. Even one intense trek per year can bring very real benefits to the body,” she says. What sets trekking apart from other physical activities is “the oxygenation it brings to the body with very fresh air. When you go trekking it is in nature. The very air and vibe of the forest has a different influence on the body.” She sees trekking as far more than a physical activity. It is an activity that makes one fall into a “natural state of connection with nature,” according to her. 

 According to The National Wildlife Federation, playing in the dirt exposes children to healthy bacteria, parasites and viruses — building a healthier immune system.  Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

Trekking can help children heal from the effects of the pandemic

The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported that 31 Indian children died by suicide every day in 2020. We know this is not the whole picture on children’s mental health after the pandemic because suicides are underreported in India. 

Children have been indoors for almost two years. Summers that should have been spent outdoors turned out to be stressful times of being locked in. The pandemic has deprived children of many kinds of stimulation and interaction vital to their growth, says Dr. Sai Kirthi Kamath, a Consultant Clinical Psychologist from Bangalore, who has been working independently with children for close to two decades. As a result, “speech, socio-communication issues and autistic features seem to be on the rise, in paediatric cases,” she says. In older children, increased cases of “addiction to gaming” have been observed, besides a “loss of contact with reality.” 

It is in this context that she emphasises how trekking is beneficial for children’s mental, physical and emotional health. She has observed more “resilience, adaptability, better decision making skills, better social skills and confidence to survive any situation” in children who are exposed to nature and trekking. “Tactile, sensory and motor abilities are a lot better when you are outdoors. It is extremely important to expose children to these possibilities through the outdoors, especially in these times,” she says.  

She personally advocates trekking and has sent her children for camping and trekking trips that involved not being in touch with them for almost a week. “Right from packing to how they take care of themselves to how they engage in group activities to how they adjust there (and at home when they get back) – is beautiful to witness,” according to her.  

The pandemic has deprived children of many kinds of stimulation and interaction vital to their growth. Trekking can help reverse that. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

Trekking gives children a break from digital worlds 

It is a known fact that the overuse of digital technology by children leads to innumerable physical and mental health problems. A study has linked excessive screen time with developmental delays, particularly with respect to language and communication, especially in children below 5. A recent news report described how children’s health has deteriorated due to increased screen time, after the pandemic.     

Aditya opines that “this is not necessarily their fault – it is just the way the system has become. Children, as young as ten, have texted me from their own phones after a trek.” In the mountains, children are cut off from their “screens” to a great extent. Children thoroughly enjoy this exposure to non-virtual reality. They become newly alive to their surroundings and relationships. 

“When you are with nature, the mind is absorbed by a lot of sights and sounds from nature,” says Dr. Sai Kirthi. On the other hand, children are “exposed to cyberbullying and social media through digital screens. They live and relive these experiences leading to a bundle of negative emotions,” she says. This is why children with mild to moderate symptoms of depression are first advised to be part of some physical activity in the outdoors. 

Walking in unpredictable terrain and weather while immersed in nature, children get to meet themselves, their peers or even parents in newer ways. This is very nourishing for them. Disconnected from their devices, children connect with their parents in ways they could not in their lives back home, says Swarada Ghangurde, Senior Trek Leader, Indiahikes. She often observes this on the family treks conducted by Indiahikes, she says. 

Walking in unpredictable terrain and weather while immersed in nature, children get to meet themselves, their peers or even parents in newer ways. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

Avni stresses that this is what makes trekking very important to her. “Trekking gives you experiences that you can cherish for a long time. Whenever you’re in a sad mood, you think of those times and you liven up so much – because you know that that side of the world is always there,” she says. 

Studies have linked happy childhood memories with better health in the long run. People with fond memories from their childhood are less likely to experience chronic illnesses and mental health issues like depression, say researchers. 

Izzat has observed many children creating happy memories, with other children or their families during Experiential Learning treks with Indiahikes. She says these are especially healthy for the children because they have been created in an environment “free of materialism,” in a space where there is nothing that money can buy, while engaged in an activity that brings joy. She shares that though it may seem like those happy memories formed in childhood matter less over time, studies have shown that they play an important role in better physical and mental health when people reach middle age or old age. 

“Happy memories of childhood are fading. What do families do together? The city families go to malls or resorts,” she says. “Holidays” that involve touristy activities require constant planning, commuting and expense. There is opportunity for conflict. “Parents return exhausted and children – agitated, from such holidays. When families go on a trek – even if it is a small, day trek, they get to see and experience each other in a new way, away from the stress, distractions and compulsions of everyday life.  Our Experiential Learning treks become an opportunity for children to make happy memories and acquire the emotional muscles for long term wellness, says Izzat Yaganagi. 

Happy memories formed on treks are especially healthy since they have been created in a space where there is nothing that money can buy. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

Trekking is like “a multi-vitamin” for children  

Trekking develops and grows children into better health in unmatched ways, says Izzat, referring to it as “a multi-vitamin.” As children trek, nature calms their minds. Their bodies become stronger in every muscle and ligament. The learning journeys they cover leaves their spirits soaring. Trekking thus enables children’s holistic health in ways that few other sports or activities can. 

These are times when children are made to believe that academic achievement is of paramount  importance. While many measures may still be taken towards building their physical health, their mental and emotional wellness is not paid much attention. The privileges of a protected life do not allow children to experience any difficulties, leading to emotional fragility. The concept of “playing outside” has also taken a beating for many reasons beyond our control. 

Lifestyle related illnesses, obesity, rising suicide rates and the damages inflicted by the pandemic on children’s physical and mental health have led to a drive towards schools and families exploring outdoor Experiential Learning Programmes for children. It is in this backdrop that trekking becomes an unparalleled and joyous option to build children’s health and wellness. 

We spoke to parents, children, psychologists and trek leaders to gather their perceptions on how exactly trekking makes children healthier.

How Trekking Makes Children Healthier - Indiahikes - Experiential Learning

Experiential Learning Children healthy fitness mental health

‘M’ had just joined Class 8 in a Boarding School when her whole class was taken on a Himalayan trek. Being a “new girl,” she had barely had time to make friends before packing her bags. During the first part of Day 1, they trekked in groups designated by the Trek Leaders. When it came to choosing tents and tent mates at camp, no one seemed to want to include M. She did get a place finally but that night she felt lonely and sad as she fell asleep.

By Day 3 of the trek, M could be seen hanging out comfortably with her classmates. She was included in conversations and activities. This is not only the magic of the mountains. It is the success of a trek plan that factored in all possibilities and built in mechanisms for reflection, rapport building and repair. 

Our Experiential Learning (EL) treks for school children are designed with an understanding of what M and her friends are thinking and feeling. They allow for connection and facilitate clear learning processes. They include abundant spaces for reflection. 

World over, there is an increased recognition of nature as a great space for education. Educators are greening school grounds. While some schools teach science while living in the forest together, others conduct regular, compulsory educational activities in culturally significant locations or in the closest wood.

Closer home in India, some schools like The Valley School, have had trekking as part of their academic curriculum for over two decades. Many Indian schools regularly offer treks during the summer breaks, so children can learn skills that they might never learn indoors.  

When children trek together, they get ample opportunities to make sense of the relationships they form, whether with their classmates, themselves or other children in the group. We have also observed that when children trek together, they seem to multiply their learning and enjoyment. 

Curious to understand this better, we asked trek leaders, outdoor learning facilitators, psychologists, trekkers, parents and teachers – what exactly happens when children trek with other children? 

The vast outdoors replace a classroom with walls 

When groups of children set out into the mountains – expansive meadows, dense forests, stony pathways and unpredictable weather conditions suddenly replace the classroom. The children are forced to learn in a new way in the new setting. 

“…the outdoors work on all the senses. Most children (and adults) have forgotten that they have them. Reconnecting with their senses, children feel more relaxed. Once their awareness is reset, children will work with a new mindset than the one they used in a traditional learning setting,” says Gerrit Onstein, founder of Outrac. Gerrit is an Indiahikes Resource Person and a Consultant for our EL programmes. 

 Based in the Netherlands, Gerrit facilitates outdoor learning programmes for personal and group development of children and adults, in various countries. Gerrit’s work is rooted in the principles of Experiential Learning (EL). He visits Indiahikes often to help grow the Experiential Learning Programmes. 

“Classrooms mandate learning whereas the outdoors issue an invitation to learn,” Gerrit adds. “When children respond to this invitation, there is joy in learning.”  

Mr. Jayaram, former Principal of The Valley School, Bangalore, writes in the Journal of the Krishnamurti Schools that a whole fortnight has been set aside for a Himalayan Trek on the academic calendar of 11th Graders at The Valley School because, “the only way to get a feel for the mountains and understand what a trek can do to you is to actually go on one.”  

“Children of that age go through a lot of pressure to prove themselves. They are struggling to find their identity. Trekking takes them into a setting where everything, like how you look or what you are wearing or even a sense of accomplishment, is irrelevant,” he says. 

As they trek together, “spending time with other children, day in and day out, an awareness and sensitivity” develops in them, he says. Whereas on Day 1 their anxiety is palpable, by Day 3 they stop using any devices they may have brought and simply “surrender to the silence around them.” “They come back from the trek with a tremendous amount of self-confidence,” says Mr. Jayaram, stressing that this is one of the prime objectives of the trek.   

Izzat Yaganagi, Head of Experiential Learning, Indiahikes, concurs. “The vast expanses of nature and the unstructured environment seem to unlock and soften barriers that children have. It's almost like walls and rigid structures create emotional and mental barriers as well. Remove these and you see children become calm, joyful, caring and energized.”

The activities for the children are designed to “bring about specific learning, skills, attitudes and values and fully utilize the effect of the environment,” Izzat says. 

Without the walls of a classroom, barriers and preconceived notions seem to melt away among children. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

Nature-based activities can teach children pro-social behaviours towards their peers and nature, researchers have found. Researchers analysed “74 running record observations of young children’s behaviors and social interactions over a two-year period as they participated in a nature-preschool program.” 

They found that nature based play and activities can teach specific pro-social behaviours like respecting nature; respecting people; sharing, helping and taking turns; building friendships and expressing unity; cooperating and working together as a team; demonstrating empathy and expressing gratitude. 

Empathy – or the ability to feel with another person, is considered a key life skill for children because it builds connection, regulates emotions and triggers helping behaviours. 

Izzat shares that “care, empathy, and responsibility are constantly demonstrated by children during an Experiential Learning trek.” She recalls the first 'Family Trek' that Indiahikes offered in 2019. “There were 13 children – six with their parents and seven 15/16 yr old boys who had come without their parents. All 13 were divided into three groups of mixed ages.” 

Her concern was that the younger children would be left out and the older ones would stick together. That was exactly what did not happen. She saw, “... the older boys demonstrating empathy and responsibility throughout. They were caring, thoughtful and at the same time making sure the younger ones were equally involved in all activities,” she says.

She believes that “The environment, being out of familiar surroundings, the programme design and facilitation of the activities – all work to bring out the best that is already inherently hidden like gems within the mine of children's beings.”

Aditya Bodke, a Trainer and Mentor for Trek Leaders at Indiahikes, narrated the story of how M (mentioned in the beginning of the article) found solace from loneliness. “During reflection sessions, we actively worked on understanding how we would feel if we were in M’s place,” he says. It was not long before the students included her in their social groups during the trek.

According to Gerrit, “the facilitator has to let go of the traditional role of a teacher who is in control of the whole process. If we dare to set the frame, prepare the children well, and give them control of the process, beautiful things will happen. Give them the space to grow and they will show up.”

Mr. Jayaram writes that while trekking, “Petty comparisons are replaced by caring for one another.” He affirms that he has constantly seen students reaching out to support others who are in pain, struggling or homesick even though they may also be facing similar levels of adversity or pain on the trek.

Nithya Poornima, a Clinical Psychologist based in Bangalore, connects the rise in helping behaviours with the calming effect that nature has on children while they are trekking. Formerly a faculty member at NIMHANS, she has worked with children for over two decades. On treks with her son and his cousins, she has observed that the older children look out for the younger ones quite naturally. 

Sharing, caring and empathy come almost instinctively to children when they trek together in the outdoors. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

The children become a group of problem-solvers

While trekking, children are constantly negotiating problems like where to put your foot; how to wash a plate; how to cross a stream or how to ask for help. Trekking is all about finding your way around obstacles, they learn. 

Nithya describes trekking as “a process of active problem solving,” Though every child has a unique response to being in nature, they are exposed to similar problems, she says.

She  points to how teamwork and problem solving go together when groups of children are trekking.  When a child crosses an obstacle, they do not stop at feeling accomplished. They instinctively call out to guide or warn others behind them.

It has been recorded that nature immersion boosts creative thinking, complex thinking and social skills in children. Creative thinking and critical thinking are integral to problem solving. Add team work to that, and the problems of whole groups could be resolved. 

Aditya recalls solutions that children came up with to “the plate problem.” The plates they had been given from their Boarding School were large and unwieldy. The water was ice cold. “So they started eating from one plate and then took turns to wash the plate,” he says. 

Swarada Ghangurde, Senior Trek Leader and Trainer, Indiahikes, recalls a clear demonstration of problem solving and team work as demonstrated by a group of children trekking in a family group. While shadowing the Trek Leader Vijeeth, she observed on Day 1 that there was a “weird and difficult dynamic” among the children in the group, ranging in ages 7 to 16. 

She says the situation “completely flipped” on Day 2, when the children were given a problem to solve together. They were handed a map and told to lead the adults as a team to the next campsite. “The older children took complete responsibility. They gave the youngest two children the walkies to make them feel they were also trek leaders. Others navigated, some walked at the end to nudge the slower trekkers forward.”

Leading everyone to the wrong campsite, two older boys were blamed by the others. Until the Trek Leader initiated reflections. The children said they had learnt that “the best way to learn is to make mistakes.” United now, they found their way to the correct campsite. The rest of the trek saw a very different dynamic between the children, recalls Swarada. 

It's not just the softer side of caring that comes out, but also a deep desire to solve problems that are put out to them. They become more inquisitive and find dynamic ways to solve problems. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

They explore “independence and interdependence”

While studying the importance of children playing freely in nature, researchers Stuart Lester and Martin Maudsley have stated that "Playing in natural spaces supports a child’s sense of self, allowing children to recognize their independence alongside an interdependence and connectedness with their ecological worlds.” 

Similarly, when children trek with other children in the absence of their parents, they taste both independence and interdependence. They witness how it feels to be “independent” (without parents), while depending on peers and nature for their emotional needs. 

Gerrit describes how adolescent girls and boys, who participated in a recent outdoor learning programme that he facilitated, learnt valuable lessons about independence and mutual dependence: 

“The boys would jump across the canals (of which there are plenty in Holland) and reach out their hands to the girls. The girls would not want to take their hand. The boys wanted to show that they were strong. The girls wanted to show that they were independent. Also, some of them had issues with touching the boys because of bad experiences earlier. Over the programme, the girls learnt to take help because it was offered from a genuine, safe space. The boys learnt that they could be accepted in a helping process. This was a big step for both the boys and the girls.”   

From an ecological perspective, children trekking with other children gain skills towards becoming independent living beings, while watching firsthand how all living things in nature are mutually dependent. Teaching children about the interconnectedness of things in nature has been shown to be very valuable in creating a healthy sense of ownership with respect to the earth in children. 

Trekking in groups can thus become a wholly spiritual experience of deep connection at many levels, even if children do not realize it at that point.

Independence is an expected outcome of trekking. But we have discovered that children also learn to trust and depend on others while trekking. Picture by Vishnu Sadasivan

It could be the tough terrain that highlights the value and fragility of life. It could be the stark exposure to a collective vulnerability. Or a willingness to support others in the presence of “danger or threat.” What emerges when children trek together is a clear move from competition towards cooperation. 

Though children (and adults) are instinctively competitive, sooner or later, a trek teaches them that a mountain trail is not a race-track. Initially however, the conditioning towards competition plays out in many ways. There could be a scramble for “the tent with the best view.” Or a less obvious tension between some children about who gets to walk closest to the Trek Guide.

Mr. Jayaram notes that by Day 2 of the trek, there is a distinct shift in this trend. The demands of the trek invariably silence both competition and peer pressure. “The children realize that everybody has their own rhythm. It is futile to compare themselves with anyone else. What you are wearing or whether your skin has blemishes cease to matter in that challenging environment,” he says.

Izzat shares that “competition comes down because the trek is designed to ensure cooperation and teamwork. We have cooperative games and team activities – where individual competition is replaced with universal participation. The cooperative environment is further encouraged through regular reflections,” she says.

Nithya observes, however, that “When the risk is perceived to be less, the children could still give in to that competitive streak on a trek. When the risk is perceived to be more, they stick together, watch out and guide each other.” 

Ravi Ranjan, Senior Slope Manager and Experience Team Member, Indiahikes, shares his observation that children are innately competitive. They constantly watch and influence each other on a trek, he says. 

“If certain thought processes are driven towards a deeper connection with nature, most of the children resonate those thoughts in a similar way” he says. He recalls that on a trek that he led, there was a very well-informed child whose knowledge of trees, flowers, plants and the mountains inspired other children to learn and interact more. A sense of competitiveness could thus translate to peer learning, as we have seen on our EL treks.  

Some children experience hiking and trekking as competition free zones, however. Aman and Ankan Shah live in Los Altos, California. Soon to be 18 and 11 years old, they love their forays into the trails around the city, always choosing to hike in groups. They love hiking because it is “free of the need to compete and perform.” They look at hiking as the perfect “low-stress” way to “build community and find friends.” In their experience, “everyone motivates each other and there’s no stress if everyone can’t make it to the top!”

Children are inherently competitive. What one does, the other one tries to do better. Yet, on a trek, competition is overridden by a close sense of cooperation among children. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

Finally, it is time to talk about the most obvious takeaway when many children trek together: fun and more fun! Our trek leaders often come back glowing from leading children’s groups – such is the infectious fun energy of children trekking together. Despite the challenges they may face, the trek leaders say they “absolutely loved” the trek when asked how it went.  

Ravi describes how children are the first to throw themselves into a fun activity. Their enthusiasm to participate draws in the adults as well. We have constantly seen on our family treks where there are many children that the energy levels are much higher as compared to groups where there are very few children.  

Children are naturally less inhibited than adults. The mountains (and the activities designed on the trek) further draw out their playfulness. “Children experience what it is to be themselves with their peers – no pretenses and masks,” Izzat adds. This release from the ‘roles’ played in daily life settings translates to joy and fun during the trek. 

 While trekking together, “Children experience the pure joy of being with other children. Talking, walking, engaging in wilderness activities, helping each other, laughing their hearts out, gazing with awe at the majesty of the mountains and the milky way…” they spend unforgettable times together, says Izzat.

Fun, of course, is an integral part of trekking. And there's no better place to say, "the more, the merrier." 

What Happens When Children Trek With Other Children

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A long day on the trail had led into a starlit night. Surrounded by the silence of the forest, the facilitator and the children lay on their backs looking up at a dazzling sky. After a while, the facilitator asked the children, “Isn’t it so beautiful?” 

There was a pause, before a child said, “I’ve never seen anything so scary in my life before.”

The Milky Way across the night sky above the Indiahikes campsite. Picture by Pratik Mankawde

Unfamiliarity with nature often makes it seem alien. Playing in the rain, stomping through puddles, drawing on sand, letting beetles walk over your forearm, making mud pies, climbing up a tree, playing outdoors – will soon be relics from the past if children are not enabled to form a relationship that is all their own, with nature. 

Hit by multiple factors like dry academic syllabi, parental disconnect from nature, urbanization, overemphasis on textual knowledge – children today face the serious hazard of believing that nature is something outside of them or an abstract concept at best.  

Even as evidence mounts on the benefits of nature connection for children, the disconnect between children and nature seems to be rising. In the context of an urgent need to address this, we spoke to our team members, trek leaders, teachers, naturalists, trekkers and parents – asking them why connection to nature is important for children.

It helps them recognize that they are also a part of nature 

 “When we pay more attention to nature, we pay more attention to everything. We see how the dots are connected,” says Richard Louv, child advocacy expert and acclaimed author of Last Child in the Woods (2005). Richard Louv coined the term ‘Nature Deficit Disorder,’ to describe the chasm that has developed between children and nature in modern times. He described this state of disconnection from nature as something more than “a diagnostic illness” – a condition that could lead to serious mental and physical health conditions. 

“Urban children seem…to be taught to think of themselves and nature as separate from each other…” says Deepa Mohan. A birding enthusiast and avid nature lover, Deepa regularly conducts nature walks for children in south Bangalore. As a mentor of young children and grandmother of a 13 yr old and 9 yr old, her effort is to “reawaken their sense of belonging in nature, than to teach them anything specific.” 

“Children are a part of nature. Not having them feel and sense that connection is like having a family and not connecting or interacting with it! When children feel themselves to be part of the web of life, they learn to value what is around them, and protect all of it,” says Deepa.  

“When children see themselves as separate from nature, there is a dichotomy in how they view the world,” says Izzat Yaganagi, head of Experiential Learning, Indiahikes.  “It is necessary for their wellness (and the wellness of the earth) for children to integrate with nature. Our work brings children back into nature or nature back into children’s lives,” she says. 

A simple act of playing with mud or with snow, can make a child feel physically connected to nature. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

“This connection makes them more themselves. A child outdoors is very different from a child at home or in a classroom,” Izzat points out. “They are more joyful, curious, calm, and supportive of each other. Many have expressed that they like who they are when they are in nature. When children align with nature, they align with their true inner selves,” she says. 

Though children have become disconnected from nature for various reasons beyond their control, they reconnect with it more easily when given a chance, says Aditya Bodke, Trainer and Mentor, Indiahikes. He compares the responses of children and adults to an activity that involves hugging a tree, during the treks he leads. “Children are uninhibited even if some parents may feel awkward doing the same,” he says.  

Children demonstrate their oneness with nature in how naturally they adapt to “walking on uneven terrain, climbing trees or playing in the mud, when given an opportunity,” adds Aditya.

Whether walking on uneven terrain or muddy trails, children get a lot more accustomed to being in the outdoors while trekking, as compared to urban life. 

During a recent trek, Ravi Ranjan, Senior Slope Manager, Indiahikes observed that a student was mostly walking alone but smiling throughout. When Ravi spoke to her, she shared that this was her first ever trek. “I am feeling so free, so connected with the clouds, sky, birds, trees… I am feeling happy for no reason,” she told Ravi. She emphatically added that, “This is something I was missing in my life. I will continue to do this for the rest of my life.” 

When children connect with nature in this manner, they forge new connections within themselves too. Once established, there is no turning back from this relationship. 

Families play a great role in paving the way for such relationships to form. Neelam Karnawat speaks of her daughter Sara’s affiliation for flowers since she was less than 3 yrs old. 

While trekking to Dayara Bugyal, I saw 6-yr-old Sara from our group, looking for a “unique flower” on the trail. It was “a flower with four colours” that she had found and then misplaced. Though her “unique flower” could not be sighted over the next two days, Sara was not disheartened. She collected tiny violet, yellow and white flowers and pressed them into a book that her mother was carrying.

Back home in Pune, the pressed flowers have been framed. Sara has placed the frame in the “Dayara Corner” of their house, where stones and leaves that her mother and she had picked have been arranged. Sara’s other collection of stones from her journeys is kept in her toy box. They are taken out and spoken with during playtimes, says her mother. 

Children become a lot more observant of the environment around them and begin interacting with it when they are outdoors. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

Research has shown that “when children (and adults) are offered sufficient opportunities to engage with nature, their creative instincts are strengthened and enhanced.”

And yet, families may have to stretch their tolerance levels to let children love nature in ways that they want, says Pooja Pandit, Founder of The Earth School, Bangalore. She laughingly refers to “the lizard hatchery” thriving in her house, and a lemon tree populated by “mantises that need to be hand-fed live worms.”

Fear of the dark, fear of lightning, fear of heights, fear of the unknown, fear of walking on dirt tracks, fear of getting wet in the rain, fear of animals – countless fears stand between children and a deep experience of nature.  

Environmental Journalist John R. Platt reports in The Revelator that ‘biophobia’ or the fear of nature is “reducing our collective will to preserve species and habitats.” Quoting a study of over 5300 school children in Japan, he writes that “the less experience the students had with nature, the more negative their feelings.”

Platt writes of how Lead Researcher Masashi Soga from the University of Tokyo studied “nature-deficient children” to observe that “…children these days avoid even… butterflies and dragonflies.” Soga noted that a “cycle of disaffection towards nature” is passed on from a generation of nature-disconnected adults to children. 

The article quotes another study of 1,100 students from China. Though the findings are similar, this study offers hope. It reported that “direct contact with nature helped to turn biophobia into biophilia” – an innate human inclination to affiliate with nature and other life forms. This term was popularized by the work of American Biologist E. O. Wilson.  

“When you don’t know something, you fear it,” says Izzat. Children get many opportunities to lose their fears during a trek because they are facilitated to face a rich natural environment, she adds. During a recent day trek, when a snakeskin was sighted beside the trail, the children displayed much curiosity. 

They were bolder because “it was just the skin,” says Spoorthi Shetty, an Indiahikes intern, who has trained in a Snake Bite Mitigation Centre. The sighting of snakeskin led to a sharing on dealing with snake bites. 

Pooja concurs with the idea that adults play an important role in shaping children’s response to nature and its creatures. In her observation, children are intrinsically fearless and curious. In the Montessori environment of The Earth School, immersive free play in the outdoors is encouraged, caterpillars are watched, lizards befriended and playing in the rain is not disallowed. Recently a new student in the school transitioned from expressing disgust over insects to letting snails slither over her forearm, says Pooja.

Elements of nature become things to interact with and play with when children lose their fear of it. Picture by Vishnu Sivanandan

It makes them feel responsible towards nature

As climate change becomes more evident in sweeping heat waves, unseasonal storms and disappearing islands, the future of the planet is decidedly dubious. What might still save the day is if the youngest stakeholders of the earth are enabled to become stewards of nature. Outdoor play, gardening, composting, trekking, camping, animal care and other such activities could increase children’s awareness of the earth and nature’s cycles. 

Lakshmi Selvakumaran, head of the Experience Team at Indiahikes, describes the organisation’s approach to bringing children onboard as nature’s keepers. Mindful engagement with nature during a trek is the first step. “You will not care for anything that you do not love or relate to,” she says. When children are facilitated to connect with nature sensorially, they experience awe. This paves the way for the meaningful conversations initiated about nature. 

The relationship is deepened further through activities designed to make children reflect. “By the end of the trek, children experience that nature is not above or below them – they are part of it. And when we speak of taking responsibility for the earth, it makes sense to the children at a personal level because of what they have been repeatedly doing and talking about through the trek,” she says.  

Nimish Geol was 12 when he first trekked to Kuari Pass with Indiahikes. 18 yrs old now, he has been on three treks with Indiahikes so far. He connects so deeply with Indiahikes’ Green Trails initiative that he hopes to partner with Indiahikes on an exclusive Green Trails trek for children. 

“I saw enormous amounts of trash near campsites, on popular trails, and in towns…There is no proper collection system and disposal is left to nature,” says Nimish. He thinks that “encouraging youth to hike while collecting trash increases awareness about the problems we face in the Himalayas. It also imbibes a sense of responsibility for guarding the resources that we freely enjoy today.” 

Richik Pal was 13 when he trekked Deoriatal-Chandrashila with Indiahikes. It turned out to be a life-changing experience for him. Not only did the trek impact him deeply, it transformed him into a green crusader who shaped how the people of Mumbai view plastic waste. 

Richik Pal on this trek, where the lack of infrastructure for waste management made him realise the need to act on protecting the environment. 

“Given the right atmosphere, children are very receptive to learning to care for nature,” says Suhas Saya, head of DIY Team, Indiahikes. He recalls a recent Himalayan trek when school children threw their all into creating skits on sustainability. Each of the presentations showcased proactive measures, he says. 

Suhas compares how the children had arrived at the base camp – carrying packaged snacks and soda in plastic bottles – to how they left – carrying new thought processes about how their actions could impact the earth. That is how children exposed to nature could be facilitated to take up stewardship of the earth.

Ravi recalls a conversation between a father and son during a reflection session in a family trek. The son pointed out that the lifestyle choices they were making in their city lives were far from sustainable. Together, they arrived at some changes that they would need to make when they got back.

When children connect with nature while immersed in it, they get to observe nature’s workings firsthand, says Izzat. Nature follows rules: the sun rises only in the east; the seasons follow their cycles; animals eat only when hungry. By watching nature, “children could learn that rules can also be freeing and enabling towards a better life,” she says. Understanding rules in this manner can work wonders for teenagers who go through a strong phase of questioning rules, she says. Nature thus becomes a facilitator of transformation and wellness. 

An abundance of research supports the idea that children benefit physically, mentally and spiritually from being in nature. If not for those reasons, the ecological reasons to enable children to make their own relationship with nature need to be heeded. 

Why Connection to Nature is Important for Children

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Why Connection To Nature Is Important For Children

Please note that this is a special trek. The trek fee is Rs 3000 more than the regular fee. To know more about special treks, click here.

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Please note that this is a special trek. The trek fee is Rs 3000 more than the regular fee.

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