Greetings on the trail is a simple hiking activity that shows young hikers how to connect with other intrepid adventurers along the trail.

In earlier times, explorers marked trees and rocks to help them retrace their steps or communicate with other explorers. In today’s campgrounds, carving trees and rocks isn’t allowed. But kids can etch a message in the dirt for the next hiker.

What You’ll Need:

• Stick
• Water

Show kids how to use a sharp stick to carve a comment — their name, a message, a warning about a slippery rock — into the soil. If the dirt is too hard, add a trickle of fresh, clean water (water with no leaves or dirt in it) and then carve the hello.

This kind of greeting is one way your child can reach out to other nature lovers without damaging the natural setting they came to see.