Canoeing with kids is a great way to be active and spend time outdoors as a family. Paddling with kids on rivers or lakes is so much fun and opens many opportunities to play and spend a great time in nature. No matter if you want to go canoeing with a toddler or an older child, they will surely love it.
I feel like I practically grew up on rivers. When I was young, we spent almost every vacation canoeing, and some of my fondest memories are on a river. Later I even started whitewater kayaking and became quite good at it. When I had a daughter, of course, I also wanted to motivate her to join me in this hobby. And canoeing as a family has also become one of our favorite pastimes.
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Canoeing with kids – Why it is our favorite time to spend family time outdoors
Being on the water is instant relaxation for me. Even more than with hiking I am able to just zone out and relax – your feet are not touching the ground anymore. You are totally removed from your usual day-to-day routines, and no matter if we are on a two-hour trip or take the tent and spend a week canoeing – I instantly feel free and calm.
You also get a very different perspective on the landscape – even if you feel like you know a place, try discovering it from the river and you will be surprised. So many animals live in lakes and rivers, and there is just so much to explore and to learn. And when it’s time for a break, it’s time for a swim – sometimes the best part about canoeing with kids is the time at the shore.
Maybe you are a seasoned canoeing family or maybe you are preparing for your first trip. We would like to share our best tips from two generations of canoeing kids with you to make sure you will get to love this outdoor activity as much as we do!
So here come our best tips to make canoeing with kids enjoyable and fun.
Related: Canoeing with kids packing list – 10 things you MUST take
Get used to the canoe in a safe environment
Canoeing with kids is fun – but it is also an activity that should be taken seriously. Kids and water are a combination that requires your attention – no matter if you have a backyard pool or if you want to go canoeing as a family. If you just start out and have never paddled before, try to choose a very safe environment for your first trip as a family, ideally with a guide or someone who has a lot of experience. If you are experienced, you should still choose a very easy trip to be your first one with kids to see how things go before you dive in. This brings us to the next tip we want to share.
Chose the right trip to be your first one canoeing with kids
When you go paddling with kids for the very first time, chose an easy trip that is not too long and offers some great “entertainment” along the shore. This way you can see if your kids have the patience to maybe sit in a canoe for longer periods of time in the future and how you can maybe adjust your system. If you make the first trip a great one with amazing spots and long breaks to swim and fool around, you can be sure your kids will be asking for more – but if you start with a long, hard, and boring crossing of a lake with nothing to do, this will be the thing they will remember.
Paddling with kids – Safety first
Like we said earlier, when canoeing with kids, safety should be your primary concern. When water is involved, things can turn south quickly – and I am saying this not to scare you, but to make sure that I have your attention. I will never forget the time when my baby sister crawled up the stairs at our exit stop one time, tumbled and fell into the water – and sunk immediately. She had taken off her life jacket as we were not on the water anymore.
Three adults jumped in basically with her and my father grabbed her leg and got her out in seconds, but that really drives home the point: you have to be attentive and have some rules in place that everyone has to follow to make everything safe.
There are a couple of rules that everybody in the canoe – particularly the kids – has to follow. Ours are:
- life jackets at all times (!)
- no standing up in the boat or switching places
- no leaning over the side or holding feet, hands, or the paddle in the water without permission
- no questioning of the commands of the person who is steering – at least not when we are in choppy waters
These sound a bit strict on paper, but once you have established these as a baseline, you will have much more fun because everybody knows what they have to do.
If you are concerned about safety or are going to canoe on rivers that have whitewater, it is strongly recommended you take safety training before you go. The best safety equipment is not worth anything if you are not confident using it.
Something I always required of my students when I took them whitewater kayaking was tipping the boat on purpose in a safe environment. This can also make sense with children – chose a warm day and a lake or very slow river for this. This way they will not be as shocked if it ever happens on a trip, as they already know the feeling. You can also talk through what to do and practice during this exercise.
If you are looking for a good life jacket for children, check out these models that have worked very well for us.
Make space for the kids on a canoeing trip
When you assign spots in the canoe, make sure that the kids have some space for themselves. Even if you get them their own paddle – which you should, as it will make them feel like they are part of the enterprise – don’t expect them to really paddle all the time. It will be exciting for a while, and then they will want to do something else. My daughter always has some small toys with her, and when she gets bored, she simply sits down on the floor of the canoe and starts playing.
The canoe is most stable in the middle, so if you can, sit your kids there. If you have luggage, the front is just as good. This is also why I prefer a flat and wide canoe when I am with my daughter. Even though it is a bit harder to turn them, they have more space and lie in the water much more stable.
If you are looking for a paddle for your child, we started with these ones before my daughter got a wooden one. They are lightweight and store away easily once the enthusiasm of the little paddlers becomes smaller…
Take your time
Just like when you are hiking with kids, don’t rush on a canoeing trip with kids. It is so much more fun when you take enough time to explore and take long breaks on the shore. Swimming, playing, and just fooling around should be prioritized – canoeing with kids is not about making miles. When you let them explore by themselves, you will notice that they will also be much more patient in those times when they have to sit down. Maybe they will even take a nap.
Maybe you can take some toys like a bucket, a net, or a ball to have fun on the beaches – or you just let your kids dig in the sand to their heart’s content and swim with them until they develop webbing. I remember one specific vacation that I did not spend in the boat, but rather swimming behind it – those are some of my fondest memories.
Have fun and be confident
This is maybe the most important tip we have for you – just have fun and be confident in what you do. When you are enjoying the trip, your kids will too, and when you radiate confidence in what you do, this will positively influence your kids’ outlook on things. Try to stay calm, no matter what happens, and make the best of it. Expect to get wet and muddy, and celebrate that.
For me, one of the best parts of canoeing is that I can completely let go! I leave my shoes and all the daily grind at the shore and really relax once we hit the water – and my daughter feels the same. You are a role model, and if you enjoy canoeing, your kids will join you happily!