Boating With Kids – 5 Ways To Make It More Fun

If you own a boat and have a family, then it’s no secret that entertaining the small ones can be tricky on a boat, especially if they are younger, are not super excited about open water swimming, and maybe don’t have the confidence to brave swimming in colder water. So, making it a fun experience for the whole family requires a bit more time and planning. Here are five great ways that will help make boating with kids more fun.

Get the preliminary safety guidelines and supplies all stocked up before the trip.

Small beans are anything but patient. ‘If you tell your kids that the family is going out on the boat, then they expect to get up and go’ says David Osborn, a writer at State Of Writing and Assignment Help. Making them wait while you gather all the life jackets, snacks for the day, water toys, sunscreen, first aid kit, and the obligatory safety and rule talk can dampen the fun of the day. Getting as much done ahead of time, preferably the night before will help make the next morning less stressful and less of a wait for the children.

Be sure to explain what the rules are going to be while out on the boat before you set off on your boating excursion. If everyone is on the same page before you get on the boat, then you won’t have to spend the entire day telling your kids what they cannot do, which becomes quite the downer. Instead, they will already know what the rules are, and you can all be having a good time.

Invite some of your kids friends for a day of boating.

An easy way to make boating way more fun for your kids it to invite their friends along for the trip out. Sometimes hanging with your parents just isn’t as much fun. Having your children invite one or two of their friends can make a day out on the boat much better. They have someone their age to play with out on the water.

Also, children tend to feel much braver when they are in control. Having their friends around will mean explaining the rules of boating safety and the plan for the day. Not to mention, having someone to share the in the activities with them will make them much more likely to get involved in the first place.

Bring food.

When you go out boating, chances are you are staying out all day long. That means, you need to bring enough snacks, food, and drinks or you will have very grumpy children.

Boating to a nearby beach and having a picnic is a pretty common occurrence on a boat, and it’s a really easy way to get the children involved. You can have them help pack up the picnic basket, make their own sandwiches or bake brownies with a trusted adult.  They can also be responsible for finding the best picnic spot on the sand when you arrive at your chosen beach.

If a beach picnic isn’t your thing, maybe because you are closer to a city or town, then why not do something really awesome and anchor up at nearby dock and have pizzas delivered to your boat. Your kids and their friends will absolutely adore having a boat pizza party and its easy enough to arrange.

Include a variety of junk food and healthy food snack options, plus lots of bottled water, fizzy drinks and a few adult drink options, though remember, boats count as vehicles so remember not to drink and drive.

Bring a variety of toys and activities.

Sitting for hours on an uncomfortable boat seat or the edge of the bow is not fun, especially when you are a child. You need to remember to bring a variety of toys, water toys and toys for the boat to help pass the time.

‘A giant tube is one of the best ways to enjoy the open water while boating’ explains Richard Rodriguez, a parenting blogger at OXEssays and Best essay writing service. They are super fun, easier than trying to learn to water ski, because you can sit or lay on them, multiple people can go on them all at once safely, and if you fall off, you are in water so it’s a soft, manageable landing.

Another great addition is an inflatable waterslide. They make ones that you can hang off the side of the boat. Children love slides and if they are on a boat, then chances are they love swimming too so combining both is a great idea that will keep them occupied for hours.

However, you do need some on boat or on beach toys for any kids who are not so keen on swimming or are too young. Playdough, a sand pail and shovel if you are beach bound, maybe even some crayons and paper are all good options.

Movie night on the water.

If your boat has electricity on it then why not finish off the day with an on-board, kid-friendly movie.  If you hang up a white sheet from the bimini, you can set up a projector in the bow of the boat, and project a family friendly movie onto the sheet, entertaining the children while you navigate slowly back home. Or you can project movies throughout the day, as long as you have the electricity to do so. It is another great idea to keep small children entertained while your older children can splash and swim in the water. 

These five amazing ideas will make boating with kids a blast. Family time on the boat should be enjoyable for everyone and these five tips will help make future boating excursions more relaxed for the adults and more fun for the kids, while keeping everyone safe. Boat trips can be exciting for small children too, you just have to plan wisely.

Lauren Groff is a writer at Paper Writing Service and Big Assignments. Lauren writes about parenting, particularly family road trips. She is also an editor at Boomessays review.