Imagine yourself standing on the dock, a grin on your face as you anticipate an amazing day on the water. Now picture yourself surrounded by your kids. As much as you all love boating, you each have a different definition of fun—and different abilities. Don’t stress out over the little ones getting bored or cranky while you’re attending to your older kids, or vice versa. With a little advanced planning, especially having the right boating accessories for kids of all ages, you can make the day the first of many incredible ones to come.
8 Boating Accessories for Kids
1. Life Jackets
Safety first! Make sure each child in your family has and wears the proper type of life jacket. Choose it based on the activities or boating conditions you enjoy. Further make sure it fits properly for your child’s weight and chest size and is in good condition (no holes or rips). Overall, it should fit snugly yet still permit moving freely without rubbing or chafing while your child moves.
2. Boating Bags
If you have multiple kids, you likely carry around a lot of extra gear on a daily basis. Therefore, get each of them his or her own tote bag as dedicating boating bags. This makes organizing and carrying the boating accessories they typically need (and want) much easier. Better yet, let your kids pick out a bag with their favorite colors, and then pack it together. For starters, put their favorite swimwear, towel, sunglasses, and hat inside.
3. Towables
Towable watertoys like inflatable tubes are among the best boating accessories for kids. They elicit squeals of delight from all ages, as they bounce along behind your boat. Some allow especially young riders to sit inside, for more security. Other towables, meanwhile, have riders lie on top. Half the fun of those is falling off. Regardless, towables are often the gateway to other watersports, like waterskiing or wakeboarding.
4. Waterproof Cameras
Who’s the young shutterbug or budding film director in your family? A waterproof camera is great for capturing memories, and eliminates worries of your everyday device falling overboard. Some of the best waterproof cameras are compact yet still have zoom lenses and video capabilities. Additionally, some work underwater.
5. Fishing Gear
If you enjoy wetting a line, chances are your kids will want to try it as well. Several manufacturers and shops offer youth-oriented rods and reels. In fact, they even offer ones adorned with popular cartoon and movie characters. Those might just increase the chances your kids will take to the sport.
Read Next: Planning a Fishing Trip with Kids
6. Snorkeling Gear
For every grownup who enjoys on-water activity, there’s someone equally suited to underwater activity. The same holds true for kids. Thankfully, several snorkel sets are available with adjustable straps, properly sized masks, soft mouthpieces, and fins that won’t hurt their feet. Equally notable, the sets come in lots of bright colors, so let your kids pick their favorite.
7. Travel Journal
Boating accessories for kids aren’t limited to products used on or in the water. Encourage your children, no matter their ages, to write about their favorite parts of the day. At the end of the season or year, sit down together and re-live the great memories.
8. Nature Guide
Chances are you’ll encounter an abundance of birds and fish when you go boating. Why not encourage your child’s love of learning by buying a nature guide? You can discover details about different species, for instance. Consider making a game of spotting certain birds or fish, too.
