Dartmoor family walks with children. The slow magic of walking with our children

Dartmoor family walks with children

There’s something about Dartmoor that makes time stretch. The wind tugs at your coat, clouds drift lazily overhead, and suddenly, you’ve been watching your child poke a stick into the same puddle for fifteen minutes. And somehow, it feels like exactly what the day was meant for.

I remember one walk in particular, not long ago. My little one had just figured out the art of balance. Those glorious, wobbly steps over uneven ground. We weren’t on a grand route, just somewhere quiet with soft moss underfoot and space to breathe. He kept stopping every few feet, crouching to touch a rock, to trace the line of a fallen leaf, to listen to water trickling down the hillside.

At first, I walked ahead. The usual pace. The kind of pace we get used to when we're trying to do ten things at once. But then I looked back and saw them, completely absorbed in a patch of earth, and something in me softened. That day, they taught me to slow down. To really see it.

It’s easy to forget how much children learn simply by being outside. There’s no app that teaches patience like waiting for a robin to hop closer. No screen that encourages curiosity quite like turning over a stone and finding a beetle. These aren’t just nice moments. They’re milestones in disguise. Confidence. Balance. Awareness. Problem-solving. Risk-taking. It all begins here, with mud on their boots and wonder in their eyes.

Dartmoor does something that I don’t think we, as parents, always can. It gives them space to roam. To explore. To build a relationship with the wild on their terms. Sometimes they charge ahead. Sometimes they hang back and touch everything. Either way, they’re learning, all the time. About nature. About themselves. And we’re learning too. About letting go of the rush. About presence. About how much joy there is in the simplest of days.

Sometimes we walk with friends, and it becomes laughter and shared flasks of hot chocolate. Sometimes it’s just us, and it becomes something quieter. But always, something shifts. Always, we come back fuller somehow.

Of course, there are meltdowns. Soggy snacks. A boot flung into a bog. There are tired legs and sticky hands and emergency raisins. But I wouldn’t trade any of it. Because every messy, magical moment is part of something bigger. Something they’ll remember, even if they don’t realise it yet.

So if you're ever wondering whether it's worth the effort. Getting them dressed, packing the bag, convincing them to come along. Just remember this: childhood isn’t something we tick off. It’s something we walk through.

And Dartmoor? Dartmoor is the best walking companion I’ve ever had.

A note from me

I'm Jack, the founder of Dartmoor Partner. I created this platform because Dartmoor has given so much to me and my family. It's where I learned to parent more slowly, to be more present, and to share a sense of wonder with my children, just by being outside together.

Every trail, every stone wall, every muddy stretch holds a memory. Some are quiet, some chaotic, but all of them are stitched into our story. And I wanted to make it easier for other families to have those moments too.

That’s what Dartmoor Partner is all about. A place to find routes that work with children, not against them. A way to make planning less stressful and more inspiring. And a reminder that even the smallest walks can hold the biggest magic.

Whether you're new to the moors or just looking for more child-friendly ways to explore, I hope this platform helps you build the kind of memories you'll treasure for years. So, Dartmoor family walks with children? Done.

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If this sounds like your kind of parenting…

You’ll love what we’ve built. Dartmoor Partner gives you access to 35 handpicked, child-friendly routes. Designed for families who want more than just a walk.

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