Hike It Baby Roanoke invites you to get outside with them.
Hike It Baby Roanoke’s mantra is, “Outside is a win!” This nonprofit helps parents and children experience safe, developmentally appropriate outdoor fun while building community with like-minded parents.
Meredith Meier, Christine Troester and Lila Thomas are the ambassadors of the local branch of this nonprofit. Ambassadors organize hikes, plan interactive activities and reach out to community partners who may want to support the organization.
Ambassadors enjoy bringing their own kids on their planned outings. Ms. Thomas says her 4-year-old son “loves” to lead hikes because it gives him “a sense of leadership and accountability.” The hikes also teach practical life lessons, as Ms. Thomas explains that, “The ground rules are to always be able to see an adult and show respect for nature and each other.”
The outdoor activities that the group plans are designed for even small children to enjoy, and ambassadors encourage families to have their kids take their first steps outside. Other ways the group spends time outside include river/creek play, scavenger hunts, obstacle courses, and bike and scooter riding.
While some families fear they won’t be able to “hike” with their kids, the difficulty level is clearly communicated before the event. Many events are doable for even very young kids.
Ambassadors also plan fun field trips for parents and kids a few times a year. In August of 2022, the group planned a trip to Petal and Pail. Ashleigh Kritzberger, the owner, gave the group a tour of the flower farm, set up a DIY flower arrangement table for all 10 families who attended and planned a garden-themed story time for the group.
She supports Hike It Baby because she “really believes in the benefit of outdoor play” and takes her own kids to work with her on the flower farm. She says, “We were proud to show them around and hope they come back soon!”
Sarah’s Sowers, of Sarah’s Petals, has also helped to enrich the Hike it Baby field trips. When Hike it Baby took their first visit to the Virginia Western Community Arboretum, the ambassadors planned a nature scavenger hunt. The ambassadors wanted to raffle off a prize as a thank you for parents attending, and Ms. Troester says Sarah’s Petals donated a “beautiful bouquet.”
Ms. Sowers made the donation because she knows “being a parent can be hard and flowers make people smile.” She also supports Hike It Baby’s mission to get families outdoors together because “there is a peace to be found in nature that you cannot get any other way.”
Additional community sponsors who have donated something to the group include 3 Bird Berry Farm, Teaberry Alpaca Farm, Bread Run granola, Sweets by Shaneice, and Hanna Lei.
As a national nonprofit, Hike It Baby is free to join. Join the HIB Roanoke Facebook page and log in to the Hike It Baby website to see the calendar for upcoming hikes. Information about hosting hikes is available here.
