My wife and I live in a tiny village on the banks of the Mackinaw River near Peoria, Ill. We have five grandchildren and all have been kayaking with us many times.
Our son, Chris, first introduced us to kayaking when he bought a boat four years ago. We took turns paddling and sharing the new life jacket and paddle. His daughters — 4-year-old Morgan, and 2-year-old Macy — also took turns putting on their life jackets and sitting in front of us. We paddled for a couple of hours as the sun went down on the lake in the Jim Edgar Panther Creek State Fish & Wildlife Area, located in central Illinois.
A Starter Boat
Chris chose a 13.5 foot Perception America — classed as a recreational kayak — for the oversized cockpit. This allows room for a small passenger, and makes it easy to get in and out of the boat. I quickly decided this was a great opportunity to spend more time spoiling the grandchildren, so I also purchased an America 13.5, but in "hotter colors." Mine is red and yellow; his is two-tone blue.
The next spring, Chris and I took many trips on local rivers and the princesses, Morgan and Macy, always wanted to go along. Perched in front of each of us on a boat cushion on the floor of the kayak, they served as our guides, lookouts, and auxiliary paddlers. Sometimes our lookouts lay back in our laps and fell asleep.
Macy, now 5, describes what it’s like riding with me in my red-and-yellow kayak. "It is fiery and he feeds me cookies," she says. "He lets me ride with him because he loves me. My grandpa makes me feel special when we kayak."
Safety and Snacks
Along with the fun, we have emphasized the hows, whys, and
 Morgan and Macy after a four-hour trip on the Sangamon River near Lincoln's New Salem State Park |
what-ifs of kayak safety. Our son is great at teaching the girls to respect the water. Morgan and Macy always wear their personal flotation devices (PFDs) and they do not kayak beyond our sight. Both have graduated to their own smaller, faster boats. The girls know "the water is the master."
One of our favorite spots is a stretch of the Mackinaw River near our home. It’s an easy two-and-a-half hour paddle. The princesses are adept at managing the small rapids, logs, and other obstacles. The fish, birds, snakes, deer, and other wildlife keep the trips interesting. Kid-size paddles with a smiley face on the blade make it easy to keep the right side up.
A key ingredient on these excursions is the snack stop on a sandbar or island. This allows the children to explore the rocks, shells, turtles, animal and bird tracks, tadpoles, fish, minnows, and flotsam and jetsam that catch the eyes and imagination of their young minds.
 Chris and Ty drift along the river |
On one midsummer trip, five deer came bounding out of the brush and hopscotched across the river directly in front of us. They jumped from one sandbar to the next and up the bank on the other side. The deer were almost as startled as we were.
Our 9-year-old grandson, Ty, who lives in northern Illinois, makes time for paddling when he visits. It's one of the few things that drags him away from his video games. His sisters, Mar, 14, and Maddy, 15, take pleasure in their outings, but not with the same enthusiasm as the younger ones. They most enjoyed our time on a northern Wisconsin lake where they explored feeder streams and beaver dams.
Pack Extra Fun
When we head out on the water, we usually pack a few extras to help keep the interest level high. The kids favor pump-up squirt guns (plenty of water, everywhere) and nets and buckets to catch clams and minnows. Last summer Chris introduced us to "Wilber," a five-inch foam ball, which we use to play water polo or keep-away on a local lake.
The children also like to collect neat rocks (ballast) to show Mom or Gramma. My wife finally tired of others having all the fun and got her own boat this past summer. She has found it very relaxing and a lot easier to control and more stable than the canoes we used to paddle when our kids were young.
My son, his wife, and the two girls now have six boats and with our two we have a small navy to take visitors on a river run. We get out on the water any time we can, but limit the grandchildren to the warmer weather and water of late spring, summer, and fall.
What's really wonderful is listening to the stories of their adventures grow and become embellished in the retelling. Even the catastrophes are fun. "One time I was sleeping in the 'yak while grandpa paddled," Morgan recalls. "The fast water pushed us into a branch. Grandpa was trying to keep the branch from hitting me and he lost his balance. I was in the water before I woke up. Grandpa says he was trying to save me, but he sure did laugh a lot."
Morgan, now 8, believes kayaking has kept me young. "My grandpa is not an old grandpa when he's out kayaking," she says. "He is very happy on the water. He never gets grumpy. He likes kayaking almost as much as I do."
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