Design Your Own Customized Trail Mix

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

Average Rating:	1 2 3 4 5
Participant Age:	Under 7, 7 to 12, 12 and up
Approximate Cost:	$10 to $100
Duration:	1 to 60 minutes
Difficulty:	1 2 3 4 5
Physical Challenge:	1 2 3 4 5

Plastic sandwich-sized bags or reusable snack bags, one per person
Trail mix ingredients

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 Crispie squares
coconut

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

When it's time for a break on your hike, pull out the ingredients
Have each person explain why that ingredient is their favorite.

Pour a little bit of each person's ingredients into everyone else's bags

Shake up the trail mix
For little ones, this might include a full body hop around the hiking trail!

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!

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Design Your Own Customized Trail Mix

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

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