Why getting outside is the ultimate baby sensory experience

By Jenny, Blaze Trails Director

Baby sensory: A phrase that gets chucked around a lot as soon as baby arrives.

When I had my first child, every new parent I met was signing up to baby sensory classes, myself included. For those who don't know about baby sensory, it's a class designed for babies to engage their senses. It involves bright flashing lights, loud music, fancy dress and a lot of dribble!

I get it. Being a new parent can be intense, and baby sensory classes are a great way to meet people, plus the kids do enjoy it. However, as someone who loves being active and spending time outdoors, sitting on the floor of a village hall every week singing ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ just wasn't for me.

I spent a lot of time walking with my first born. I was on maternity leave, I had time on my hands and the weather was mainly dry. We'd walk half an hour to grab a coffee in the park and it was ticking all the boxes that baby sensory did. The dabbled light through the trees, the sounds of birds, we didn't have to sing 'Five Little Ducks' around a fake duck pond made of mesh; we had a real duck pond with real ducks to count.

We practiced our animal sounds and sang 'Baa Baa Black Sheep' surrounded by – you guessed it – real sheep. And with every season comes a plethora of new things to experience and play with – icy puddles to break, frosty grass to crunch – I can't be the only one whose daughter shouts "Elsa has been!" when they see frost?!

Then there's the multi-coloured sunset, autumn leaves to throw, bonfires to smell and blackberries to pick and taste – it doesn't get much more sensory than that.

The only thing missing was the opportunity to meet new local mums, but then I discovered Blaze Trails. Perfect!

Suddenly, walks, talks and the occasional al-fresco nappy change became the norm. An interchangeable group of bad-ass mums who didn't mind donning the waterproof gear and getting out for a coffee, natter and a stomp around the countryside. My kind of people. 

Find your local Blaze Trails group.

7 top tips for cold weather walking

With the cold weather setting in up and down the country, it’s important to keep warm and safe when out walking with your little ones. Our very own Laura, who loves hiking with her family in Cumbria and runs The Hiking Household, has some top tips.

1.      Layer up

Dress in plenty of layers. Remember, you can always take layers off if you get too warm, but you can’t add layers that you don’t have if you get too cold.

2.      Cover hands and ears

There’s nothing worse than cold hands and ears! And a child who gets cold will never enjoy the walk! Gloves, mittens, hats and even balaclavas – we have it all when we head out.

3.      Check their shoes

Warm toes are a must! Wellies aren’t always the cosiest – my kids wear Warm Wellies, which are fab and keep toes really warm. However, most wellies don’t offer much warmth, so perhaps look at investing in some warm, woolly socks.

4.      Using a carrier/sling in cold weather

If you can, do your coat up over your baby so they’re close, as they'll get the benefit of your body heat. You could use your normal coat with a zip-in panel, leave it open with a carrier cover or a spare fleece/coat tied around the carrier, or wear an oversized/baby-wearing coat to enclose you both. However, avoid putting your baby in a snowsuit if you’re carrying them, as they can overheat. 

5.      Prepare your route well

Consider the weather when picking your route. Perhaps use a route that you know your family will find easy and enjoyable. Remember, these winter months get cold and dark very fast! The importance for these cold weather walks isn’t to cover a large distance, it’s to get outside and enjoy the fresh winter air.

6.      Check the weather forecast

This is particularly important if you’re taking your family on a hike. The weather can change drastically within seconds on the fells. Don’t forget to look at the wind chill, as well as the weather forecast. Also take care if you or your family have certain medical conditions. The crisp air can often aggregate my son’s asthma, so we’re always a lot more vigilant when the air changes.

7.      Keep warm once you’ve completed your walk

This is something I’m notoriously bad for. When you stop walking, you may feel warm, but you’ll soon lose your heat. So, always carry a warm flask of something with you and remember to have plenty of warm layers ready for you in the car. One of my children’s favourite winter walk pastimes is to stop halfway and enjoy a hot chocolate with marshmallows!

What are your top tips for walking in cold weather? Let us know.

Top tips for looking after your walking shoes

We’re loving getting out for our autumn stomps here at Blaze Trails HQ - the rich colours and crisp smells are so invigorating!

But is anyone else getting in from a muddy walk and wondering what to do about their trusty hiking boots?

Our wonderful partners Merrell have shared their top tips for looking after your walking shoes. And they should know!

How to take care of your walking boots/shoes

Caring for your boots/shoes properly will mean they’ll perform better and last longer. A vital part of this is cleaning and reproofing them.

• CLEANING - Surface dirt such as mud and grit can be cleaned off with a shoe brush, an old toothbrush or nail brush, a little warm water and if needed, a sponge/soft cloth. This should take care of the dirt and is fine to do once in a while.

• WASHING - Don’t wash your shoes in a washing machine. Remove the sock-liner or insole and wash it separately. This will help the inside of your shoes stay fresher. Laces can be washed and/or replaced. A number of brands have washing sprays/’dabbers’ that can also be used to get off all the debris i.e. Nikwax, Grangers etc.

• DRYING - Don’t place your shoes/boots near a heating device such as a heater, radiator or in an airing cupboard. Direct heat will alter their shape. Open out the shoe and then stuff the inside with kitchen paper or newspaper. Leave them to dry overnight and the paper will absorb the water.

• REPROOFING - Whenever you clean a waterproof product it’s important to reproof it. A Merrell product with a waterproof membrane - whether Gore-Tex or M-Select Dry - will remain waterproof no matter what. However, reproofing is still very important as it looks after the outer material, and therefore, you should reproof every time you clean your shoes as this will wipe away any remnants of a Durable Water Repellency (DWR coating). The outer on any footwear is there to give structure to a product and to protect the waterproof membrane. If you don’t reproof the product and the outer degrades then it won’t be able to do its job of looking after the membrane and giving structure to the product.

Do you have any hacks that you use to keep your gear in good shape and ready for anything? Let us know!

Bottle feeding outdoors: Top tips for feeding on a walk

When I first realised I wasn’t going to be able to breastfeed, one of my initial worries was about going out walking with my baby. I’d imagined going out for long walks and stopping to feed whenever I needed to, without having to take anything with me.  

As it turned out, bottle feeding was definitely not a barrier to getting out walking, and at times it definitely had its benefits! 

Blaze Trails asked its community for top tips for bottle feeding on the go, and we’ve collated them for you here...

Pack your kit

Practically, you do have to carry a bit with you, which can vary depending on how long you plan to be out for, and what the conditions are like. It also depends a lot on your baby and their feeding regime. 

The most popular method from our community was to take a flask of hot water, a sterilised bottle and pre-measured formula powder. This can take a long time to cool down to a drinkable temperature, so it’s a good idea to take some cooled boiled water along too. 

Temperature control

Temperature is a big factor to consider and can cause an unnecessary headache, but it doesn’t have to. 

I eventually found a good rhythm, where for longer walks I’d go with one bottle made up ready for the first feed, and make up the next one at the first stop so it had cooled down enough for the second feed. It sounds more complicated than it was!

One of our favourite tips, from Gina, is about getting your baby used to having milk at different temperatures, so you don’t have to worry about how warm it is when you’re out walking. 

For shorter walks where I might just need one or two feeds, I generally made up bottles, cooled them down in the fridge and took them in a cool bag with a load of ice packs, which a lot of our community do too. The NHS advice is that if you do this, bottles should be used within 4 hours, and at room temperature within 2 hours, which could easily be enough for a local walk. 

Pack some ready-to-feed formula bottles

Another popular faff-free idea from our community is to use ready-to-feed formula in bottles. They’re super-convenient and depending on how fussy your little one is, you could simply pour it into a sterilised bottle and give it to baby at room temperature, or warm it up in the cafe when you stop for a well-earned cup of tea and slice of cake. 

Feeding with baby in a sling/carrier

I also sometimes bottle fed on the go when my baby was facing inwards in the sling, which was both convenient and fun as we could chat away and make eye contact! When I first did this I was a little self-conscious and had to remind myself that it’s also possible to breastfeed on the go with a bit of practice - just watch your step! 

You got this

There were a few responses to our Instagram post about feeling confident about bottle feeding, which is something a lot of bottle-feeding and mix-feeding parents feel anyway (wherever they are). This was certainly something on my mind when I first went out walking with my baby. In reality this was unfounded – no one really cares how you feed your baby and everyone is happy to see a baby out for a walk. Or at least, that’s how it seemed to me! 

For some reason I thought I’d be the only parent bottle feeding when I founded our branch of Blaze Trails, but I was completely wrong. There were people breastfeeding, bottle feeding and mix-feeding. And some older little ones who were weaned altogether. 

Enjoy the freedom

Perhaps a general perk to bottle feeding rather than walking specifically, but it does mean that you might have a chance to go for a baby-free walk and leave someone else at home feeding the baby, or send them on a Blaze Trails walk without you!

JOIN YOUR LOCAL BLAZE TRAILS WALKING GROUP

Whether you’re bottle feeding or breastfeeding, you’ll be in good company on a Blaze Trails walk. There’s no need to feel nervous or worried about holding the others up, our walks take as long as they take because when babies need feeding, you need to feed them – by bottle or boob! It’s likely that the other group members will welcome a rest too, and it’s a good time for a proper chat and a chance to catch your breath. 

Find your local group here, or start your own!

Most importantly...just get out there and do it!

What are your tips for bottle feeding outdoors? Let us know!