The more they got older and actually able to walk & talk, the more keen we were to get outside with them and start to adventure together. But where do you start? They are so small and new to life – when you work through qualifications they don’t exactly prepare you how to take 2 year olds paddling!

It started small... we chose nice days and short chunks of time. It would be sunny, calm and they were in a good mood – so you just went for it. Gradually as they got more use to it and got a bit older we were able to go for longer. We had one of our best days last summer when we paddled the canoes from Ardtoe out to Singing Sands to spend the day on the beach. As we paddled out there was a pod of porpoises playing, with views out to Eigg & the Small Isles. It was one of our highlights of the summer, but it took a lot of other days in the canoe to get to that point.

Here are some tips that helped us along the way...

• Start small. Its more effort for you, but be prepared to start in small chunks. They won’t be able to stay interested for as long, and if you try to push it they’ll end up not having a good day.
• Be flexible. Kids will always throw curveballs, and you need to be ready to adapt to them. Especially be ready to “just go” and don’t spend long faffing, otherwise you’ll loose the “moment”.
• Always have food! It’ll keep them going when they fade, it gives them something to aim for & a good old fashioned bribe.
• Choose nice weather at the start. You need them to start to love it – it’s hard for a two year old to see the enjoyment in a wild, wet, windy day on the water!
• Have a small paddle, but don’t expect them to use it properly! They always want to copy you...
• There is plenty of small sized kit, especially buoyancy aids out there. Some with exciting colours, which helps the enthusiasm of wearing one!
• Be prepared for them to explore the water! Playing around with getting their hands or feet wet from the boat is exciting, and good for their (& your) balance.
• Have an adventure! There is something special about landing on a shore and exploring the area around it. We have a beach that is close to home that we paddle to and play on. It gives a purpose to what we’re doing and helps you discover places in a new way.
• Make it social. If they are doing it with their little pals they’ll have a great time.
• As you start to gain in confidence, go for longer and explore new places. Even try an overnight camp with them.

As we started to do more with our kids, we thought there was little out there for them to do with their friends. We decided to start running toddler canoeing sessions from the outdoor centre we work at. It’s been really popular with the families that have been coming along – its an opportunity for parents to do something with their kids that they wouldn’t normally be able to do and a new experience for the kids. One of the interesting things was how our instructors responded to running the sessions. For many, the first few sessions were some of the most scary sessions they had delivered – because how do you help toddlers have an engaging time in a canoe for 2 hours! But as we started to run more sessions, both on the water and also other activities at the centre, they started to figure out it wasn’t both that scary or that hard.

Often I think there is a hesitation to do adventurous outdoorsy things with young children, because we’re not sure either what to do or think it might be too challenging for them. Even in outdoor centres I’ve come across age restrictions for things, which I can’t see why a young child couldn’t do it as long as you adjust the ratio & expectations. The experiences and benefits the kids get from doing these things are great, and you’ll be able to share special experiences with your kids for many years.