The MSW Hike-a-thon is designed as both a community-building activity and a fundraiser for the school. It supports the Montessori principle of spending time outdoors, learning in the environment, and supporting the overall physical and mental benefits of exercising outdoors. This is a family activity that parents and siblings join on the trail (but only the current students tally their miles). The virtual nature of the event over a several week timeframe allows families to choose trails best suited to their level and times that work best for their schedules. Hikes don’t have to be in Carroll County! Explore nearby areas of Central Maryland or Pennsylvania.
New in 2022, we offered volunteer-led hikes on local trails, so families were able to join with other’s from the MSW community to spend an hour or two on the trail with new friends.
This year we needed a virtual, socially-distanced, outdoor activity, and there is something about getting out in the woods that seems to embody the MSW spirit! The MSW Hike-a-thon is designed as both a community-building activity and fundraiser. It supports the Montessori principle of spending time outdoors, learning in the environment, and supporting the overall physical and mental benefits of exercising outdoors. This is a family activity that parents and siblings join, and family & friends from anywhere can support financially through sponsoring students as well as physically by registering as “Trail Guide” hikers. The virtual nature of the event over a several week timeframe allows families to choose trails best suited to their level and times that work best for their schedules.
Join our Facebook Event to share photos of your hike and check out where other hikers have gone – you made find hidden gems you didn’t know were nearby!
This year, hiking mileage and fundraising is being organized online. Students should register to create their personal page where they can set mileage goals, upload miles as you hike throughout the event, and create a fundraising page for online donations. (Offline donations of cash and check are accepted too!) When creating your profile, be sure to choose your classroom team so we can track how far each class has gone. Challenge yourself! If you participated last year and hiked 12 miles, try to do 15 this year!
PLEASE NOTE: The official record for the miles hiked will be the amount submitted online. The paper charts provided in blue bags and available for download here are so your student can track at home and see how far they’ve gone to meeting their goal. Paper pledge forms also can be used for recording off-line donations.
You can hike year-round! Whether you prefer the mountains or sea grass, we are fortunate in Central Maryland to be within a short driving distance of a variety of parks which offer trails that provide access to an array of natural wonder.
Stroller-friendly/ADA paved paths: Watkins Park + Rails-to-trails (Mount Airy), Lime Kiln Park (Westminster), Little Pipe Creek Park (Union Bridge), Western Regional Park (Woodbine/Howard County)
Carroll County: Piney Run, Hashawha/Bear Branch, Union Mills, Morgan Run NEA
Howard County: Patapsco State Park, Western Regional Park
Baltimore County: Pretty Boy Reservoir, Gunpowder State Park (Mingo Forks Trail), Patapsco State Park
Frederick County: Catoctin State Park, Cunningham Falls State Park, Gambrill State Park
Montgomery County: Damascus Regional Park, Little Bennett State Park
York County, PA: Cordorus State Park
Gettysburg, PA: several trails in and around the battlefields, including Big Round Top and rocks at Devil’s Den
Things to consider
What is the trail distance/difficulty? How long will it take?
Travel time: How far is it from your home?
Parking & amenities (park entrance fee, bathroom, picnic area, etc.)
Check the local weather report. (We have a lot of micro-climates in the mid-Atlantic region!)
Things to wear
Layers of clothes (raincoat if necessary)
Closed-toe shoes: no sandals or flip-flops!
Sunglasses
Hat
A backpack to carry supplies
Things to bring with you
Trail map
Water
Snacks
Sunscreen
Bug spray
Camera
Trash Bag
First aid kit (bandages, tweezers, etc.)
Journal for notes and drawings. Pencil!
Optional
*Compass
*Magnifying glass
*Book to identify plants and animals
Keeping kids (and adults!) engaged on a hike can sometimes be a challenge. Creative activities can keep everyone energized and immersed in the environment.
Spring is blooming all around us. Hike a path early in the Hike-a-Thon and then repeat it in a few weeks and see how much it has changed – do you see trees leafing out, flowers blooming, or new baby animals?
Games
ABC game. Name items you see on the trail for each letter and see how far you can get through the alphabet.
Have one or two people in your group go ahead and take a photo of something interesting. Show the rest of the group and see if they can find it.
Scavenger Hunt
Scavenger hunts are popular games and easy to find online or to make up your own to fit with your trail environment. You can have a check list or require that the participants take photos.
Sample ideas to find: An oak leaf, an acorn, a dandelion, a pinecone, raccoon tracks, deer tracks, a piece of pine bark, a “helicopter” maple seed, and one human trash item that can be brought back for recycling.
Sample ideas to do: Catch a fish, skip a rock, hang from a low tree branch, hike to the top of a hill, see a squirrel, hear a birdsong, and cross a creek bed without getting wet feet.
Urban/Neighborhood Scavenger Hunt (rei.com)
Printable toddler/preschool scavenger hunt.
Your financial and in-kind support enables the Montessori School of Westminster to strengthen our community through fun events and helps support our Annual Fund. If you would like to support MSW’s Hike-a-Thon, you can review the sponsor kit here. You can sign up as a sponsor using the form in the PDF or online.
