The family canoe trip will be more enjoyable for everyone if the kids are safe, warm and happy. Every member of the family will have different needs in the canoe. Getting those in balance is the key to getting the kids outdoors and having a successful paddle trip.
Choosing the Correct Canoe
The best combination of canoes for family canoeing depends on individual circumstances. A family with small children will be better off in one canoe that seats them all. As the children get older they will progress from being passengers to taking more control and paddling the canoe themselves. At this point it may be better to have more canoes each with an adult and child in.
Safety on the Family Canoe Trip
Safety is important for any water sports, but becomes even more paramount when family canoeing. Everyone must wear personal flotation devices and the ones for the kids should have leg straps to prevent them from coming off over their heads.
Special attention should be given when family canoeing to the level of ability of all involved and the water to be paddled must relate to that ability
Everyone must know what to do in the event of a capsize and this should be practiced so it is an automatic response.
Check the weather forecast carefully before going out. No one has fun if caught in inclement weather with inadequate gear.
Additionally remember that a combination of the sun's direct UV rays and those reflected off the water makes using sun hats and sun block doubly important
Making the Kids' Canoe Adventure Fun
Perhaps the most important aspect to a family canoeing trip is keeping the youngest passengers entertained. After all as soon as they get fed up everyone else is sure to know about it, and before long no one will be having an enjoyable time. Here's some ideas to help make the kids adventure a great one:
- Keep the length of the paddle trip short at least to start off with.
- Have frequent stops. Make sure water, food and the toilet are offered at each stop.
- Give the kids some bubble mixture made from biodegradable soap. Put it into small pots so it won't matter if it gets knocked over.
- Help them collect a bucket full of stones, sticks, and leaves before leaving shore. They will enjoy throwing these overboard as you go along and seeing what floats and sinks
- Take a fishing net, but be aware it will get in the way of your paddling and be dropped overboard periodically
- Let them have their own paddle. One intended for an inflatable dinghy only costs a few pounds. Again be prepared for it to get in your way and be dropped overboard
- Try playing Mr Shark. The adult paddling at the back can bang the canoe with his paddle or make ripples and everyone pretends there is a shark circling the boat.
- Games like "I Spy" or "First to Spot a..." work well.
- Take plenty of warm spare clothes with you.
Older kids enjoy taking more control of the boat and the destination becomes increasingly important. Here are some suggestions for making the kids' adventure a memorable one for older children:
- Let them help to plan the family canoe trip and decide on the destination.
- Have a camp fire or barbeque.
- Consider an overnighter. What better that being marooned on an island or deserted in the wilderness?
- Let them do the navigation. If they are not old enough yet to be responsible for the overall direction of the whole paddle trip how about drawing them a sketch map, they can add their own annotations and place names as they go along.
- Combine the trip with a search for a geocache on an island: pirates' buried treasure.
Further Information on Family Canoeing
Family canoe trips get the kids outdoors and provide a lifetime of memories for both children and parents. Song of the Paddle and Open Canoe are good UK-based websites to aid the planning of family paddle trips.
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