[Moderator's Note: Content unaltered. Excessive quoting (i.e. headers/footers/sig lines/extraneous text from previous posts, etc.) have been removed. Please edit quoted material in addition to removing header/trailers when replying to posts.] Hi Jack! 2 good resources that I use all of the time are: "Canoe games" by Dave Ruse -isbn 0 7136 4038 3(he is a brit- so canoe means kayak- he calls canoes canadians in his book, go figure.)Anyway- there are alot of fun activities that help to teach kayak skills, and are just plain fun also. Another book that I use alot is "Kayak and Canoe games" by Laurie Gullion. it is a really thin book (32 pages) but is a good idea generation tool. I have a few general guidelines that I have learned over the years with kids in kayaks- 1.Fun is ALWAYS the first priority. 2.Relays work wonders-Forward stroke from here to there etc.- short races using multiple skills for older kids, single skills and shorter distances for younger kids. 3.Switch games and activities often- especially if a particular activity is going well-you can use it again later. 4.Use the boats and gear in unconventional ways-How many people can we get in and on this boat? How about when it is upside down? Have races towing pfd's with a tow belt- carry pfd's with a paddle between 2 kayaks,etc. 5. Safety- enlist the kids to help you monitor safety- teach them what is safe and what isn't, then have some fun- don't be afraid to let kids stand up in boats-if it is safe- are the other boats far enough away- no paddles to fall on, is the water deep enough? Do all of the kids remember the "no diving" rule? Establish safety rituals- whistle commands, rescue drills,walk with paddles vertical, what happens if someone yells stop?,etc. 6.Play games(with and without paddles)-tag, sponge ball,silly races,Marco Polo, raft up, make a shape,follow the leader. 7.HAVE FUN! Kenny Sturgeon More Outdoors,Inc. 2660 US 27,S. Sebring,Florida 33870 Shop:(863)386-9111 Cell:(863)414-0035 www.moreoutdoors.com -----Original Message----- [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net]On Behalf Of Jack Gilman Sent: Monday, January 06, 2003 1:05 PM Subject: [Paddlewise] Teaching Kids: Looking for sources Our paddling club, in partnership with the local YMCA will be doing some pool sessions with kids from the Y's swim team this winter. Does anyone know of any sources for information on teaching kids to paddle kayaks? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:32 PDT