For Mother’s Day my husband gifted me the thing I never knew I needed for my quarantine sanity: a canoe. We took our kids out in the lake almost every weekend over the summer. I didn’t really know what I was doing at first (…my husband grew up on a lake and knows what he’s doing, thankfully), but I watched a few YouTube videos about paddling and as long as I’m at the bow and not expected to help steer, we do just fine.
As with most adventures with kids, we’re in it for the long game. Our kids are toddlers and we’re trying to build the foundation for a lifetime of recreation outside. The first few trips out were rough and we expected that. It got better, especially after figuring out what we needed to bring to keep the kids happy and comfortable, what length of time was best, and what time of day was optimal for their schedules. Our goal is to be able to take the kids canoe camping next summer, and I think the kids will be ready. Here are our tips:
★ For young children, get them their own paddles (and tether the paddles to the boat). We have these collapsible ones. Kids like to feel involved, even if they’re just making things a little harder for you… For older kids, binoculars could help them look out for rocks, find good swimming spots, etc.
★ Establish clear safety rules (don’t stand up in the boat without asking, no leaning or jumping over the side, life preservers on at all times, etc.) Our three year old is good about following these rules– our one year old, not so much. For this reason, the littlest one sometimes sits at the bow locked between my legs.
★ Stick to an enclosed body of water, unless you’re pros.
★ Seat pads make it much more comfortable for toddlers to sit in the boat.
★ Snacks, always… and water bottles. We give each kid a bag full of a variety of snacks for the ride.
★ Sun protection. We like hats that cover the backs of the neck (like these), and we put the girls in full-length rashguards/clown suits so that we can use less sunscreen.
★ Be prepared with games to keep them engaged: I spy, etc. We also play music on our phones (…lots of Moana these days…)
Do you have any other tips to share? Would love to hear them in the comments!
