Get Kids in Canoes

There is joy in paddling a canoe. The feel of the blade slipping into the water, the sight of the swirl created by the pull and the forward momentum gained with each stroke is a beautiful thing.  Floating on top of the water, watching the ripples or reflection of the sky on the surface as you glide along with no sounds of a motor is trance inducing.

Canoeing is a fairly inexpensive activity and a wonderful thing for people of any age to do but especially for kids. That’s why I was disappointed to not see a paddling sport listed as one of the popular outdoor activities for people ages 6-24 years-old.

The Outdoor Insight magazine listed the Most Popular Youth Outdoor Activities for the above age group. Here is what they have.

  • Running, Jogging & Trail Running 25.6%
  • Bicycling(Road, Mountain & BMX 21.2%
  • Camping(Car, Backyard & RV) 18.5%
  • Fishing(Fresh, Salt & Fly) 18%
  • Hiking 12.8%

There are places to paddle all over and there is no shortage of canoes or kayaks. Paddling is easy to learn how to do and something kids can do on their own with very little worry for their adults. All you have to do is find a place where there isn’t much boat traffic, put a life vest on and off they go. It’s good exercise and great for their brain.

We offer discounted rates for kids and youth groups at Voyageur and we also include the free use of a canoe with our housing rentals. I encourage you to bring your kids up to Voyageur and get them into a canoe. It’s a lifelong sport that has huge benefits and besides that, it’s tons of fun.

Canoeing the BWCA
Boundary Waters Canoeing

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