Outdoor Adventures & Tick Safety: What Families Should Know

Kids belong outside.

Nature walks, backyard adventures, camping trips, parks, and afternoons spent exploring are wonderful opportunities for children to move, discover, ask questions, and learn about the world around them.

But outdoor adventures can also bring children into contact with ticks.

The goal isn’t to make families nervous about spending time outside. A little tick awareness—and a few easy habits before and after outdoor play—can help families continue enjoying nature with confidence.

Why Tick Awareness Matters for Kids

Children often spend more time close to the ground, exploring leaf piles, running through grass, climbing around wooded areas, and playing with pets.

That makes it easier for them to encounter ticks.

Ticks can live in grassy, brushy, and wooded areas, but families don’t have to be deep in the forest to find them. The CDC notes that tick exposure can happen in yards and neighborhoods too.

School-age children are also one of the age groups in which Lyme disease has historically shown a noticeable incidence peak in U.S. surveillance data.

Another challenge? Some ticks are extremely small. Young blacklegged ticks, or nymphs, can be difficult to spot, especially in a child’s hair or in places that are easy to overlook.

That makes a good tick-check routine especially helpful for families.

Before Heading Outdoors

Tick prevention can begin before the adventure even starts.

Dress With Tick Checks in Mind

When your family will be hiking, exploring wooded areas, or spending time around tall grass, consider:

• Long pants and long sleeves when practical

• Closed-toe shoes

• Socks that cover the ankles

• Light-colored clothing, which can make crawling ticks easier to see

You don’t need special hiking clothes for every trip to the park—the idea is simply to add protection when you know you’ll be spending time in areas where ticks may be present.

Use an Appropriate Insect Repellent

The CDC recommends EPA-registered insect repellents containing ingredients such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, PMD, or 2-undecanone, used according to the product directions.

One important age note: products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD should not be used on children under age 3.

Parents and caregivers should always read and follow the product label.

Stick to the Trail

When hiking or nature walking, encourage children to walk near the center of established trails rather than brushing against tall grass, shrubs, and leaf litter.

Of course, exploring is part of the fun. The goal isn’t to keep kids from investigating nature—it’s simply to be more aware of areas where ticks are likely to be waiting.

Make a Tick Check Part of Coming Home

Just as families wash muddy hands or put away hiking shoes after an adventure, a tick check can become another quick part of the routine.

After spending time in grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, check children carefully for ticks.

Pay special attention to:

• In and around the hair

• Around and behind the ears

• Under the arms

• Around the waist

• Inside the belly button

• Behind the knees

• Between the legs

The CDC also recommends showering soon after returning indoors. Showering within two hours may help wash away ticks that have not attached yet and gives families another opportunity to check the skin.

Don't Forget Clothes, Backpacks & Pets

Ticks can hitch a ride into the house without being attached to anyone.

Check:

• Jackets and clothing

• Shoes

• Backpacks

• Blankets and outdoor gear

• Pets that have been outside

For dry clothing, the CDC recommends tumbling items in a dryer on high heat for about 10 minutes after coming indoors; damp clothing may require additional time.

What If You Find a Tick?

Finding an attached tick can be unsettling, but the most important thing is to remove it promptly.

You don’t need a complicated tick-removal kit.

How to Remove an Attached Tick

1. Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers.

2. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.

3. Pull upward with steady, even pressure.

4. Do not twist or jerk the tick.

5. After removal, clean the bite area and your hands with soap and water, rubbing alcohol, or hand sanitizer.

The CDC advises against trying to make a tick detach using petroleum jelly, heat, nail polish, or similar substances.

And don't delay removing an attached tick while waiting to see a healthcare provider—the CDC recommends removing it as soon as it is discovered.

What Should Parents Watch For After a Tick Bite?

Most tick bites do not mean a child will develop Lyme disease.

Still, it is worth paying attention to how your child feels during the days and weeks following a known tick bite.

Early Lyme disease symptoms can include:

• Fever or chills

• Headache

• Fatigue

• Muscle or joint aches

• Swollen lymph nodes

• An expanding rash called erythema migrans

You may have heard this described as a “bull's-eye rash,” but that's important not to rely on. Lyme rashes can have several appearances and do not always form the classic bull's-eye pattern.

Later symptoms can include facial weakness or drooping and significant joint pain or swelling, particularly around large joints such as the knees.

When to Contact Your Child's Healthcare Provider

If your child develops a rash, fever, or other concerning symptoms in the days or weeks after a tick bite or possible tick exposure, contact their healthcare provider.

Let the provider know:

• That your child may have been exposed to a tick

• Approximately when the exposure or bite occurred

• Where your family was when the exposure likely happened

The CDC specifically recommends seeking medical care if a rash or fever develops within several weeks after removing an attached tick.

Turn the Tick Check Into a Family Habit

For young children, tick checks don't need to feel frightening or medical.

After a nature walk, try making it part of your regular “back from our adventure” routine:

Shoes off.
Hands washed.
Water bottles put away.
Quick tick check.
Then on to the next adventure.

Older children can learn where ticks like to hide and begin checking the areas they can see themselves while an adult helps with their hair, back, and other hard-to-see spots.

Teaching children what to look for helps them become aware without making them afraid of being outdoors.

Keep Exploring

Tick awareness shouldn't mean giving up nature walks, backyard discoveries, camping trips, or afternoons at the park.

Outdoor play gives children countless opportunities to investigate, imagine, move, and learn.

So go ahead and collect those pine cones.

Look under leaves.

Listen for birds.

Explore the trail.

Then, when the adventure is over, add one simple final step:

Check for ticks before moving on with your day.

A little prevention can help keep outdoor adventures exactly what they're supposed to be—fun.

Create. Play. Learn.

Little Dreamers Club