The Children’s Nature Institute’s
Safety Tips for parents taking nature walks with young children
This page was not written to scare you out of stepping into nature with kids. There are not dangers lurking around every bend and behind every tree. These are just a few recommendations based on our 20 years of experience. We have taken more than 250,000 young children (newborns through 8-year-olds) and adults on nature walks and have never had anything more serious than a bee sting and scraped knees take place. These suggestions will help you carry out tear-free nature walks.
What to Bring
Water (juice attracts yellow jackets and bees), Hat, closed shoes, long pants and long sleeves (unless it’s really hot). These clothes protect against sunburn, cold chills, stings, bites, scratches, and rashes.
Common Sense Tips
Keep young children close to you and within sight. Never leave them unattended, always stay on the trail, don’t stick hands (or anything) in an animal hole (don’t know who’s in it), don’t eat the plants or drink water from ponds, streams, lakes, etc. Even plants that are “edible” can be toxic during some seasons or without proper preparation. Some children and some adults may have allergic reactions to wild foods.
Ouchy Plants
If you’re not 100% sure what something is, don’t touch it. Some of the plants in Southern California are only harmful if you eat them. The two you don’t want to touch are:
- Poison Oak – leaves of 3, let it be! Click here to see a picture. During the fall, the leaves turn red and eventually fall off (picture), but you still have to be careful of the twigs. It grows as a shrub and as hanging vines.
- Castor Bean – Click here for a picture. Touching the seedpods causes rashes in some people.
See your doctor if you touch either of these plants.
Rare Occurrences
If you are lucky enough to see wildlife on the trail, here’s what you do:
Deer, coyote, bobcats, rabbits: Admire them as they run away from you! These beautiful animals have no interest in you and yours – they’re scared! If they don’t run and you want them to, make noise and look big.
Snakes: Snakes are very important to our local ecology. The only venomous snake in Southern California is the rattlesnake. It has a diamond shaped head and a tail with a rattle. If you see one on the trail, admire it from afar. As long as you leave it alone, it will leave you alone. Keep children at least 8 feet away. Stomp your feet on the ground so they’ll feel the vibrations and slither away. If that doesn’t work, turn around and take another trail.
Mountain Lions – We know rangers and naturalists who have been walking these mountains a lifetime and have never seen a mountain lion. The National Park Service has this to say:
Generally, mountain lions are calm, quiet, and elusive. The chance of being attacked by a mountain lion is quite low compared to many other natural hazards. There is, for example, a far greater risk of being struck by lightning than being attacked by a mountain lion. Read more about what to do if you see one: http://www.nps.gov/yose/wilderness/bsafety.htm
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