Kayaking Kids Child and Youth Age Guidelines

How old do kids need to be to learn to kayak?

Kids age 5 and up can start paddling a child-sized kayak.  From age 5 to 11 kids easily paddle a kayak short distances on their own with an appropriately sized kayak, paddle, and the right water conditions for their age. 

How far can young kids paddle a kayak?

Kids younger than 5 practice paddling a child-sized kayak in a swimming pool or non-moving water for a few minutes at a time. 

Kids age 5 to 7 practice paddling a child-sized kayak in short intervals and for short distances of less than a quarter a mile. 

Kids age 7 to 9 paddle a child-sized kayak up to half a mile at a time.
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Kids age 9 to 11 learning to kayak can paddle half a mile or more on a child-sized kayak, and by age 12 can paddle a mile or more and transition to larger kayaks.  

Learning to kayak is easy and fun.  It is an accessible and affordable sport for families with young children. 

Most people don't realize that young children can kayak and that not all kayaking is done in rapids or on the ocean. 

Most families paddle on calm lakes, ponds and in marshes where the water is slow moving, and the setting is peaceful. 

​The experience is richly rewarding. 

Paddling comes naturally to kids and gives them a new way to explore nature.    

There are many types of water and types of kayaking.  Many people think only of ocean and whitewater kayaking when they think of kayaking and may only think of sit-inside kayaks. 

What type of kayak is easiest for kids to learn on?  

Kids should start on calm water, and sit-on-top kayaks are generally easier to learn on than sit-inside kayaks. 
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Kids can begin paddling very young on calm water with the right type of kayak, and the right size of kayak for their age.   

Whether they are riding with you on a tandem kayak, or paddling their own sit-on-top or sit-inside vessel, read on for suggestions of when kids are ready to try different paddling experiences. 

​If you are very new to paddling sports and are not sure what a sit-inside or sit-on-top kayak is, you may also want to read Kayak Options For Kids, Sit-inside, Sit-on-top, or Inflatable. 

Age Guidelines and Kayaking Options: 

• young children age 3 or 4 can practice (think PLAYTIME) paddling their own child-sized kayak in a swimming pool or other non-moving water 
  
• kids age 4 to 7 can ride as non-paddling passenger on a TANDEM kayak
  
• kids 4-7 practice paddling as bow passenger on a TANDEM kayak on short trips
• 5 to 11-year-olds can PADDLE THEIR OWN child-sized kayak up to one mile (quarter of a mile for 5 to 7 year olds, half a mile for 7 to 9-year-olds)
• kids 8 and older are ready to practice being the bow paddler of a TANDEM kayak with a parent at the stern 
  
• kids age 9 to 12 may be able to use an 8-foot kayak depending on their stature
  
• kids age 12 and older may be able to use a 8 or 10 ft kayak  
  
• kids age 14 and up can manage medium sized kayak solo 

These guidelines are for kayaking on calm inland water. 
For whitewater and ocean kayaking, read my suggestions below thoroughly.    

Continue reading for more in-depth age-by-age tips, as there are so many types of kayaks and kayaking experiences.  ​

It seems the most prevalent questions about kayaking for parents looking into the sport revolve around what age kid can do specific things with a kayak.

Let's get into it and cover all the ages, variable and questions regarding kids and kayaking.

Child-sized kayaks: little kids can easily kayak on special kayaks made for tiny kids!

5-11 years old is the best age to teach kids to kayak on calm water  on child-sized kayaks

• Some four-year-olds are ready to practice paddling a child-sized kayak
• Most five-year-olds are ready to paddle a child-sized kayak
• Almost all six to seven-year-olds can paddle a child-sized kayak successfully, even towing a younger sibling.

To see what kayaks are recommended for each age, (from four-year-olds all the way up to teenagers) take a look at our kayak suggestions and reviews.

What's below:

Scroll down to read specific tips for the age you are looking for:
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Here is what's coming below: 
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Babies in kayaks
2 and 3-year old guidelines
4-year-old guidleines
4 to 7-year-old guidelines
6-year-old guidelines
8-year-old guidelines
9 to 12-year olds
12 to 16-year-olds
age 14 and up

Let's begin with the most controversial age topic: Babies and Toddlers in Kayaks.  

​Babies 

• Highly-skilled kayaking parents may feel comfortable taking older babies and toddlers in a tandem kayak but it is highly controversial
• All kayaking sources strongly advise that inexperienced paddlers/parents NOT take babies or toddlers kayaking 
• Canoes are suggested in place of kayaks for families wanting to bring very young babies and wiggly toddlers on the water
• If you are considering a baby or toddler in a tandem kayak with you, you will need a proficient stern (back seat) paddler who can manage kayak alone while you may or may not be able to paddle while you are holding little ones.  This still may or may not be safe depending on your situation (skill level and what water you are paddling on).
• Paddlers who choose to take babies and toddlers kayaking should consider their proficiency in handling capsizing.  What they would do if they tipped over with babies and toddlers in the specific water they are kayaking in.  How comfortable are they with handling this situation?  Do they know how to handle it without a baby?  Most people are not competent enough to know how to handle this situation safely.  Obviously what type of water you are padding on plays a big part in this decision.  
• For most people and most situations, it is not a good idea, nor enjoyable, to paddle very long with this age, especially for beginners.  However, there is a big difference between taking a little spin on calm water and going on a white-water river trip.  Still, be conservative when any risks are apparent.    
• As always, there will be exceptions for some highly skilled kayaking families. This guide is for beginners.  If you were going to be riding a bike with a baby on board, it would be a good idea to learn how to do it yourself before even considering taking your baby on board.  Same for a kayak!     

​2-year-old and 3-year-old

• Highly-skilled kayaking parents may feel comfortable taking this age in their-sit-inside solo kayaks
• Beginners probably should not be taking this age in a solo sit-inside kayak except maybe on very calm water with support
• May sit as a middle passenger (duffer) on a sit-on-top kayak with a competent paddler on calm water
• Will enjoy riding duffer (as a non-paddling passenger somewhere in the middle of the boat) with competent parents in a tandem kayak on very short trips
• My three-year-old likes to sit on the back of his brother's child-sized kayaks and even hang off the back of the swim deck on our pond
• Keep outings to about a  mile max in the beginning to see how it goes.

4-year-old

• Great age to play and practice paddling on a child-sized kayak in a swimming pool.  
• some 4-year-old children will be ready to paddle a child-sized kayak (suggested age is 5 and up on most children's kayaks) on calm water such as a lake, pond, or slow-moving river.
• Read 4-Year-Old Kayaking Overview for an in-depth discussion on kayaking options for four-year-olds.  

4 to 7-year-old Kayaking Options

•  can ride duffer (middle of boat as a non-paddling passenger) in a tandem kayak
• If they are strong enough to hold and use a paddle, and parent is a competent paddler, the child may sit as the bow paddler (front seat of the boat) of a tandem sit-inside kayak on calm water. 
• May enjoy assisting with paddling a tandem sit-on-top with competent older siblings or parents on calm water 

5-year-old

• Most five-year-olds are ready to paddle a child-sized kayak.
• This is the recommended age for starting kids on a child-sized (usually 6 or 6.5 ft) sit-on-top kayak alone. These kayaks are very small and easy to manage.  They will need a child-sized paddle, approximately 200 cm with a narrow shaft, so they have a comfortable hand-grip for their little hands, and a scaled-down blade on the paddle so that paddling is not too difficult.  The paddle blade should not be the same size blade as an adult paddle with only a shorter shaft.  This will make paddling much too difficult.  It should look like a miniature paddle blade.  Not to worry; most sit-on-top child kayaks come with a child-sized paddle.  
• For and in-depth discussion on what kayaking options are available for 5-year-olds read this post: Can Five-Year-Olds Go Kayaking? 

6-year-old

• Almost all six-year-olds can paddle a child-sized kayak.  
• For an in-depth article on what kayaking options are available for 6-year-olds read this post: Can Six-Year-Olds Kayak?  

8-year-old

• 8-year-olds love paddling child-sized kayaks such as the Lifetime Wave or the Perception Prodigy XS
• These kids are also ready to learn how to be the bow paddler (paddler sitting in the front seat of a tandem kayak). 
• Make sure they have a scaled down, child-sized paddle (read about child-sized paddles here)  if you want it to be a pleasant paddling experience. 
• Plan on an 8-year-old paddling with an experienced stern (back seat of kayak) paddler, as the 8-year-old probably won't be doing much yet to move or steer the kayak.  Also, keep any outings short, not longer than 1 mile, until you know your child's abilities.    

9 to 12-year-old 

• For a beginners -  if your child this age is small or average-sized, get a 6-foot child kayak (such as the Lifetime Wave) which will fit an average child until 11 or 12 years of age. 
• If your child is taller, stronger, or more athletically inclined than average or getting closer to 12, consider getting a longer kids kayak, such as the Prodigy, especially if you don't have younger children who will be using the 6-foot kayak later on.
• Many sit-inside-kayak paddling lessons are offered to kids around this age.  This is a great age to get your kids into kayaking if you haven't already.  Many kids can swim well, or are learning to swim at this age, are curious and increasing in strength and endurance.  Getting your child interested in an outdoor hobby at this age can change their life.   
• Kids this age vary in weight, height, and strength to such a degree it is difficult to generalize what this age can do with a kayak.  Kids that started very young on individual child-sized kayaks or grew up as duffers and bow paddlers on their parent's kayaks may be able to learn advanced kayaking skills at this age.  Some kids in this age group can manage an 8-foot kayak.  Some can even handle a 10-foot kayak.  When reading kayak reviews online, you will hear many parents say that their 9 to 11-year-old children did great on calm water in small family recreation kayaks ranging from 8 to 10 feet. 
• See an in-depth discussion on our kayak suggestions for this age.
• You may consider hiring an instructor to teach rolling and wet-exits to kids who are interested in learning these skills at this age, otherwise stick to calm (no rapids) water or purchase a sit-on-top kayak.    
• For sit-on-top recreational kayaking at this age, you do not need lessons, just calm water, the right life jackets and a beautiful day.

12 to 16-year-old

• A child this age is ready to learn the skills for handling a kayak alone.  They can also carry their own small kayak, which is so helpful for a family with multiple children! 
• For petite teens consider the Prodigy, which is a high quality,  lightweight, easy to navigate kayak that is good for kids and even petite adult paddlers up to 150 lbs.
• For larger or older teens consider the 9.5 foot Perception Tribe.
• For taking your teen and whole family out to the lake for a day of kayaking, consider getting a 2-pack of Lifetime Tioga sit-on-tops.  They are an affordable and dependable first family kayak.   
• There are many kayak options for kids this age.  For our suggestions read this next.  
• Sit-on-top kayaking can be learned quickly, without lessons, on calm water on a nice day at the lake at this age.   
• Sit-inside kayaking at this age requires learning some basic safety lessons from an experienced paddler and developing some basic skills before anything other than flat water recreational kayaking should be attempted. 
• For kids interested in river kayaking, you may consider kayak lessons for this age to learn rolling and wet exits and other kayaking skills.
• Take a group of inexperienced kids this age to a lake on a sunny day with a bunch of recreational sit-on-top kayaks for a world of fun (don't forget sun block and  life jackets), but don't expect inexperienced kids this age to be able to navigate a white water river trip safely without time having developed basic kayaking skills and some advanced teaching by someone experienced. 

14-years-old and up

• Can manage a medium adult-sized kayak alone.  
• A beginner at this age can easily use and enjoy a sit-on-top kayak on calm water (lake or slow moving river) with no previous experience.  Sit-on-tops do not take on water and are recreational kayaks that are easy to use.
• Consider the Perception Tribe or for family outings the 2-pack of Lifetime Tiogas for excellent starter kayaks for your family.  
• A 14 year old can paddle a sit-inside kayak on calm water and should begin learning some basic safety lessons of using sit-inside kayaks (rolls and wet exits). 
• A 14 year old is ready to learn the skills to use a sit-inside kayaks on more advanced water.  Look for lessons in your area if this is an interest. 
• Read kayak paddle suggestions
• Read more kayak suggestions for this age here.  

Tips for Beginners

Duffer is a non-paddling guest sitting somewhere in the boat, usually the middle. 

The bow paddler is the person in the front seat of a tandem kayak or canoe, while the stern paddler is the one sitting in the back. 

There needs to always to be someone who is capable of paddling in the stern (back) if you have a child as the bow paddler (someone needs to be able to paddle, right?). 

Kids and beginners need to always be in the front of the kayak so the more experienced paddler in the back can give directions and steer the boat.    

Kids who grow up in the water with parents who kayak and who brought them on their kayaks from a young age are not going to match these guidelines.  The above guidelines are for beginners on flat water (lake, pond, marsh, etc.). 

These suggestions are not for whitewater kayaking.  For river kayaking or whitewater, remember, too much too soon can scare very young kids and turn them away forever, and if you are not at all experienced as the parent, you need a guide or teacher to work with your group before you can take yourself or your kids down a river safely.

You CAN, however, take your kids and yourself with NO experience to a calm lake with life jackets and recreational kayaks and play around while you get the hang of it. 

This is especially easy with sit-on-top kayaks, as there is no risk of capsizing or taking on water.  Start slow and have fun and be safe.  Soon you will be ready for more but take it one step at a time, especially when kids are involved and if you are new to all paddling and water sports.    

The above are only general guidelines meant as a starting place.  There are MANY FACTORS, such as the development of the child, SKILL and EXPERIENCE of parents, TYPE OF WATER KAYAKING ON, CHILD'S INDIVIDUAL NATURE, TYPE of kayak, and WEATHER.      
 
These are the most common questions about age and kayaks I hear and a quick answer:

What age should I buy my kid a kayak?

• ​If your child is four or five I would recommend buying a child-sized kayak and getting started right away.  The Lifetime Wave is the most widely used first kayak for kids but read here for all the kayak options.  

Can a 10-year-old kayak in whitewater? 

• It depends.  Not without prior experience certainly.  First of all, they need a teacher and practice of many essential safety skills first, and second of all, consider the nature of the child's personality.  Some kids get terrified and are turned off for life if they go too soon or before they are ready, while others can't get enough and pick up the skills easily.  Usually, kids feel most comfortable trying rapids when they are closer to the 12 to 14 year age range, though many kids with adventurous spirits and lessons learn younger.  Kids don't know their limits or what they need to know to be safe, so you are responsible for making sure they are prepared with knowledge, skill, and maturity before each new level of kayaking.      

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Can you take babies and toddlers kayaking? 

• If you are new to kayaking, get a babysitter and have fun learning to kayak yourself before revisiting this question.  

How old does my baby need to be to take with me in my solo kayak (for those who ignored the above question and answer)?

• You will not be able to hold a baby and paddle so you need to be in a tandem kayak.
• If you are holding a baby in a tandem kayak or canoe, they need to be old enough to be able to hold their head up well enough to survive with a life-jacket on if they were thrown into the water and floating around alone (lovely thought, right?). 

Can I tandem kayak with a baby or toddler? 

• If your partner is proficient at paddling the tandem kayak, then you may hold your child in your lap in the front seat of the kayak (bow) and take a short spin on flat water.  

How old do you have to be to paddle a kayak?

• At 4-6 years old many kids enjoy getting their first child-size paddle which will serve them well up to about 12-years-old. 
• At 4-7-years-old, many kids may like to "help paddle," a tandem, but it is not until a child is 8 or older that they are a very useful paddler on a tandem kayak, which is why they need to be with an experienced paddler.  

*Safety Legal Disclaimer: Everything on this site is a matter of opinion, gathered from experience and many hundreds of other's opinions,  and should not be taken as professional advice.  Please use the suggestions as a starting place to conduct your own research and make decisions based on what is safe for you and your family.  Above all, I urge you to make smart choices and keep your kids and yourself safe.  Kayaking is loads of fun, but you need to use your common sense and always err on the side of safety when there is any question of skill level, weather, etc.     

HAPPY KAYAKING!

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