Kayaking at the lake with recreational sit-on-top kayaks is an affordable and easy fun family hobby. You and your kids will get vitamin D, lots of exercise, and make amazing memories. It is worth every dollar. I know it has been for my family.
The best family kayaks for a day at the lake are the 2-pack Lifetime Tiogas and the Lifetime Wave kids kayak. The Tiogas will work for anyone age 12 and up and the Wave kayaks are tons of fun for all kids 12 and under. You will use them hundreds of time and anyone can get on and just start paddling without any prior experience. They both are affordable and come with paddles.
The only other things you need for a great day of family fun are a few lifejackets (see this article for kid life jacket suggestions and reviews by age), some sunscreen and plenty of delicious snacks.
I am amazed at how easy it is for kids to learn to kayak with sit-on-top kayaks and how beneficial it is to give youth an easy way to explore nature and have a little independence.
On a sunny day with a few lifejackets in the backseat, your kid and some of their friends, drive to a lake or find a calm slow-moving river and you can have the best family outings of your life and help your family rediscover the joys of nature together.
My #1 suggestion is don’t wait! Kids as young as 4 or 5 can easily paddle a kid kayak on a calm body of water.
Happy Paddling!
-MJ
About Me – Welcome to One Step Closer to Nature!
Hello, my name is Megan Joseph! Welcome to my website! I am a lover of all things nature and outdoors. I grew up in rugged Idaho, surrounded by mountains and nature, and spent summers backpacking and packing our horses into remote corners of the state as a child with my parents and sisters.
When I graduated from high school, I moved to a beautiful ski town, Jackson, Wyoming which only perpetuated my love of mountains, waterways, and fresh air. After getting married and a few years of living on the line between Teton National Park below the towering Teton Mountain Range, riding our bikes past the expansive elk refuge and only miles away from Yellowstone, we relocated and spent the next ten years raising our three baby boys in rural New England where we enjoyed exploring a new face of nature in Connecticut’s thick forests, rock wall lined farms, sandy beaches, gentle surf, and tiny islands. And only thirty minutes from Rhode Island beaches and waves…pure joy!
Some of my greatest joys are getting my hands dirty working in my garden, watching my boys explore up and down the banks of the river behind our house, and hearing the clucking of our 18 chickens as they meander and scratch the dirt looking for bugs – they seem to wake up each morning as excited as the day before to explore and enjoy the abundance of the outdoors as much as I do!
My life mission is to help families and individuals get back into nature and spend more time outside in the fresh air and sunshine. I believe this is where we thrive and can be our healthiest and happiest.
As a writer, I have always loved research and writing about health, hobbies, and the outdoors. I enjoying compiling data to motivate and inspire others.
Wishing you many adventures outside, and encouraging you to take one step closer to nature!
-MJ