All year round
Nature and fitness
Hiking, mountains, mushrooms and plants: the forest is worth a visit in every season, and the activities go well together.
Activities
Put them together
Most outdoor trips can be more than one activity. A few ways to combine them:
Mushrooms and plants only ever count as a hint. Pick only what you can identify with certainty, follow the local rules, and never pick in protected areas.
Outdoors with children
Children learn the forest by doing. Short walks, a few simple games and clear rules for food and plants make the trip fun and safe.
Rules for children in the forest
Nothing goes into the mouth
Children must not eat berries, seeds, mushrooms or leaves they find, even if they look familiar. Deadly nightshade, lily of the valley and yew are poisonous, and many look-alikes are hard to tell apart even for adults.
Look, do not touch
Some plants cause skin reactions, and some mushrooms are harmful even to touch. Teach children to ask first and to wash their hands before eating.
Check for ticks
After a walk, check children for ticks, especially behind the ears, in the armpits and at the hairline. Stay on paths, wear long clothes in tall grass.
If a child has eaten something from the forest or shows symptoms: call the poison information centre or the emergency number 112 straight away. Keep a sample or a photo of the plant, and do not wait for symptoms.
Why moving in the forest is good for you
Three plain effects come together: the air, the movement itself, and a few minutes without screens and noise.
Air
Forest air usually carries less traffic dust and fewer exhaust particles than a street, and trees buffer temperature and humidity. Trees also release small amounts of volatile compounds (terpenes). Some studies measured changes after forest visits, but the samples were small and the effect of the air itself is hard to separate from walking and quiet. It is a plausible, not a proven, part of the effect.
Body
Uneven forest ground trains balance and more muscles than a flat path. Walking is moderate-intensity aerobic activity; the WHO recommends 150 to 300 minutes of it per week for adults, with real benefits for heart, circulation and weight even in short, regular sessions.
Mind
A Japanese field study with 280 participants in 24 forests measured lower salivary cortisol (a stress hormone) and a calmer pulse after a walk in the forest compared with a walk in the city. The effect was moderate and measured over minutes, not a cure. It fits the simple idea that a quiet place without notifications is easier on attention than a busy street.
Sources: World Health Organization, 2020 guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Park et al., “The physiological effects of Shinrin-yoku”, Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 2010.