Norwegian preschoolers get early exposure to outdoor life by hiking routes around kindergartens

By MARK LEWIS
Associated Press

STAVANGER, Norway (AP) — In the land of mountains and fjords, outdoor life starts early. That’s why this week as many as 11,000 preschool kids started their day hiking around kindergartens in Norway. The mini-Nordic adventurers will grow up in a society where outdoor life is quasi-religious. Some 97% of Norwegians participated in some form of outdoor activity in 2021. That compares with just 54% of Americans. That is hardly surprising: Leisure time for Norwegians often revolves around hiking trips to cabins in the mountains. In 2021, 82% of adults reported that they went hiking at some point during the year. Even the country’s prime minister takes part.