Are you looking to share your love of boating with the next generation? Boating can bring the family closer together, and it also provides a rich opportunity for children to learn about nature, navigation, and the importance of safety. If you need some help getting started, check out this guide from Clark Marine Sales! These fun, educational activities are sure to get you and your kids excited about boating. If you need more advice on boating with kids, feel free to contact us! Clark Marine Sales is your trusted boat dealer in Franklin, TN.
Making Safety Fun
Of course, the first step to teaching your kids about boating is to explain the importance of safety. This might not sound like very much fun, but you can make it a little more engaging by putting the kids in charge! Give them a clipboard with a checklist of safety tasks, like stocking the first-aid kit, putting on lifejackets, and checking the weather forecast.
Ask them to check off everything on the list, while making sure to double-check everything yourself for good measure. This will give kids a feeling of accomplishment, and encourage them to be more interested and involved in safe boating practices.
Teaching Navigation
It’s never too early to start teaching your kids about navigation! Even children aged 6 or 7 can learn to distinguish left from right, and that’s a great starting point. Learning the basics of marine navigation at a young age can increase your child’s spatial awareness – an important developmental skill that will serve them in many different areas throughout life.
The famous saying “red right return” is a great beginner lesson in marine navigation. This serves as a reminder to keep the red navigation aids (buoys) to the starboard (right) side of the boat when heading upstream.
Older kids might find it interesting to explore nautical charts and to learn the difference between nautical miles and miles on land. You can encourage your kids to learn more by offering to let them plot their own course and serve as the navigator on your next voyage!
Discovering Marine Life
Most kids are fascinated by marine life, and who can blame them? There are few things more exciting than coming face to face with a colorful fish while snorkeling. Even the tiny organisms you can find in a cup of lake water look interesting when viewed under a microscope!
Boating is a great way to reach remote areas to observe wildlife, and you can use this as an opportunity to teach your kids about the importance of conservation. Talk to them about catch-and-release fishing, avoiding oil and fuel spills, and other ways to reduce the negative impacts boating can have on the marine ecosystem.
Taking the Reins
If you have a responsible older kid, and they feel ready for it, there’s no harm in letting them take over the captain’s chair every once in a while – and there’s no better way to encourage their love of boating! Just make sure to provide them with continual supervision to ensure everyone’s safety. We also recommend sticking to calm, low-traffic waterways.
Is your child getting serious about boating? If so, you can seek out a youth boating program in your area. These programs can teach kids to become safe, responsible boaters while introducing them to other young people who share the same interests.
We hope you enjoyed this activity guide! If you need a new boat for your upcoming adventures, head over to Clark Marine Sales in Franklin, TN. We have a wide selection of boats for sale, and we welcome customers from Nashville and Murfreesboro.