Why low and slow wins in winter

Somerset is at its most atmospheric between November and February. Mist sits in the rhynes, the bare hedgerows show off their skeletons, and you can often have a whole footpath to yourself. But winter is not the season for ambitious plans. A climb up to a trig point in a biting wind, with a four-year-old complaining about cold hands, is nobody's idea of a good Saturday.

Low-level walking is the answer. Stick to the Levels, the canal towpaths, the footpaths along the foot of the Mendips or the sheltered lanes below the Quantocks, and you get most of the scenery for a fraction of the effort. Ground is firmer, gates are easier to reach, and there is usually a village within twenty minutes of the car. The walk becomes about the time together rather than the distance covered — which is exactly the point.

Choosing a route that suits your family

Be honest about what your children can manage. A rough guide is one mile per year of age for a child who walks regularly, and considerably less for one who has just discovered the joy of being carried. Two to three miles is a generous winter outing for most families with young children, especially when you add in stopping, snacking and investigating puddles.

• Canal towpaths are flat, buggy-friendly in most places, and pleasingly free of stiles. They also tend to drain well, which matters after a wet week.
• The Somerset Levels offer big skies, easy tracks and excellent birdwatching from a distance. Check flood warnings first; some routes genuinely disappear under water in January.
• Footpaths along the base of the Mendips give you woodland shelter and limestone views without committing to a climb.
• Old railway paths are wide, gentle and forgiving underfoot, and children love the sense that a train once ran here.
• Village circuits of two or three miles, ending back where you parked, save the faff of a second car or a long return leg.

Check the route on a map before you go, and note any stiles, gates or road crossings. A footpath that is charming in July can be a ankle-deep quagmire in December, so build in a shortcut back to the car if energy levels collapse.

Kit that keeps everyone cheerful

Sturdy boots are the single most important piece of kit. Wellies are fine for a short splashy amble, but they rub, they offer no ankle support and they get cold fast. Waterproof walking boots with a decent tread will keep feet warm and dry across wet grass, chalk and mud. Bring spare socks for everyone, including the adults. Few things end a family walk faster than a cold, wet foot.

• Layers, not one thick coat: a base layer, a fleece and a waterproof shell can be adjusted as you warm up or stop.
• Waterproof trousers. They are not glamorous and your children will resist them, but they turn a muddy path into an adventure rather than a disaster.
• Hats and gloves for everyone, plus a spare pair of gloves in the bag.
• A small rucksack with water, a flask, and a snack that does not turn to crumbs.
• Torch or phone torch, even on a short afternoon walk. Sunset in December arrives around four o'clock.

Keeping small legs moving

Children walk further when they have something to do. Give them a job: spotting animal tracks in the mud, counting herons, finding the next waymark, or collecting three different leaves. On the Levels, a pair of binoculars between two children is worth a mile of complaining.

Pace yourself. Stop for a snack after twenty minutes rather than waiting for a crisis, and let the walk take twice as long as you think it should. Start early enough that you are back before the light goes, and aim to finish while everyone still has a bit of goodwill left. A walk that ends in tears is a walk that is hard to sell again next weekend.

Finish with a hot drink

The warm drink is not an afterthought; it is the reward that makes the whole outing work. Plan the route so it finishes near a village cafe, a farm shop tearoom or a community cafe with a few tables inside. Somewhere with a radiator, if you can find it.

Hot chocolate for the children, a proper pot of tea for the adults, and something warm and buttery from the cake stand. If the cafe is busy, or you would rather not spend the money, a flask of hot chocolate in the boot of the car does the job beautifully. Take a flask, a few enamel mugs and a blanket, and sit out the back of the car watching the light fade over the fields. It costs almost nothing and children remember it for years.

A short checklist before you set off

• Route checked on a map, with a shorter option noted.
• Boots on, spare socks packed.
• Waterproofs for everyone, including the adult who insists they will be fine.
• Flask filled, snacks in the bag.
• Cafe opening hours checked, or flask and mugs in the boot.
• Home before dark.

Winter in Somerset does not need to be a season of staying indoors. Pick a low route, put on proper boots, walk for as long as it is fun, and end with something hot in your hands. That is a family tradition worth building, one grey Saturday at a time.