Each person in your family picks their favorite ingredient to design your own trail mix recipe.

What You Need

• plastic sandwich-sized bags or reusable snack bags, one per person
• trail mix ingredients

What You Do

1. 1. Before your hike, ask each hiker for their favorite trail mix ingredient.
      Pack these up in individual bags. Make sure to check for allergies from all participants.
      Sample ingredients could be:
      • nuts: peanuts, almonds, cashews, pistachios
      • mini-marshmallows
      • chocolate chips or small chocolates (leave them out if hiking on a very hot day)
      • cereal (granola, Cheerios, Chex)
      • dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, blueberries, apricots, peaches, mango, dates, pineapple)
      • banana chips
      • crystallized ginger
      • sunflower seeds
      • mini pretzels
      • popcorn
      • wasabi peas (if everyone likes spicy options)
      • small cubes of Rice Krispie squares
      • coconut

      As much as possible, choose ingredients from fair trade sources.
      

   2. When it’s time for a break on your hike, pull out the ingredients.
      Have each person explain why that ingredient is their favorite.
      
   3. Pour a little bit of each person’s ingredients into everyone else’s bags.
      
      
   4. Shake up the trail mix.
      For little ones, this might include a full body hop around the hiking trail!
      
   5. Relax and eat your trail mix.
      Be sure to drink from your water bottles too, and stay hydrated during your walk.
      While you are eating, you can talk about the various names for trail mix, such as:
      • “GORP”: Good Old Raisins and Peanuts
      • “Scroggin”: the name for trail mix in New Zealand

It’s a great snack to take on your nature hike because protein keeps you going, it’s lightweight, and it can fit into any nook and cranny in your backpack. Happy hiking!