Kid’s Kayaking Programs with Coastal Expeditions!

Looking to get your little adventurers outside and add a change to their routine? All of our kid’s programs, after-school programs, and all of our educational tours are perfect for that! Today we are going to be talking about our After School Sea Kayaking Program for kids ages 9-12! 
Welcome back to the Coastal Expeditions Blog, adventurers! What exciting and wonderful things have you been up to lately? Today’s blog is dedicated to our youngest adventurers and their parents. After this past year and a half of dealing with a pandemic affecting our children’s education and their educational experiences, we know that you want to break up the monotony of them being glued to a digital screen! We can help with that! We offer multiple kids-based programs to introduce them to the great outdoors, teach them a few new skills, and help bring out their inner adventurer. Once a child has made a connection with nature, it is forever with them. Coastal Expeditions programs and camps are designed to teach them how to interact with this incredible network of creeks and rivers that wind through our local landscape safely and comfortably. Have no fear parents! Our educators teach water safety, paddling techniques, birding, shelling, fossil hunting, crabbing, estuary basics, and so much more that your little ones will always be so safe. Even better news, we offer programs all year round! Take the adventure and classroom outside when you need it most!
We have a total of six different options for you and your family to choose from for your young adventurers; Day Fossil Adventure, Full Day Bulls Island Adventure, Young Naturalist Camp at Shem Creek, Young Naturalist Camp at Kiawah River, Tidal Trek Camp, and our final camp (and focus of today) our After School Sea Kayaking Program! This session began in March and is a 4-session program that teaches kids the basics of sea kayaking and paddleboarding. These sessions teach paddle strokes, safety, and trip planning! These four sessions will safely and effectively teach your children how to paddle in tidal saltwater creeks, They will be steeped in pluff mud and know the magic of the salt marsh after learning:
  • Proper sea kayaking entrances and exists
  • Paddle strokes
  • Towing
  • How to create a float plan
  • Caring for equipment
  • Much more
This program is not just four sessions teaching children how to kayak, your children will be getting a very well-rounded experience! Our program leaders will teach their students about the surrounding ecosystem, from bird identification and shark tooth hunting to estuary dynamics and local history. The sessions will allow your child to begin to safely explore via kayak on their own. Act fast, there are only ten spots available in each of the three sessions of the kayaking program, and the first two four-week sessions are about to end! Still not convinced that kayaking is the right activity for your child or concerned that it might not be safe? We understand being nervous, but we always approach each of our tours and camps with the utmost safety and expect our students to do the same. However, we did want to share a few thoughts and facts about how beneficial kayaking can be for your children just in case!
Just like introducing your children to nature at a young age, there are so many benefits of introducing your child to kayaking at a young age! Plus, this helps break up their screen time, TV time, and videogame time, helping your kids create incredible memories and learn on a whole new level. It is also a great way for our little ones to relax and rewind, they need a chance to do that too!
  • First off, kayaking is fun and something new and exciting! There is nothing quite like getting into a kayak and being handed that paddle for the very first time! It’s a thrill and will provide an adrenaline rush like no other.
  • Kayaking is a great form of aerobic exercise, which for our growing kids is so important! The amount of activity kayaking gives helps children become and stay as active and healthy as any sport. It helps them stay and become sharper and stronger as they grow.
  • It is a great chance for kids to meet new friends and new kids outside of their schools, circles, and backgrounds.
  • This form of activity and exercise releases endorphins in your child’s brain, which is the chemical that gives you a sense of accomplishment, joy, and happiness. It helps build self-esteem and inspires them to face and take on bigger challenges.
  • Kayaking is a wonderful opportunity to introduce your children to nature together as a family.
  • It is a great sport to enjoy together and spend more quality time together as a family.
  • Kayaking will offer your child lifelong skills.
  • It is a form of free and unstructured playtime that is a pure thrill, as long as they are following all safety precautions.
  • It’s an opportunity to learn about and experience the ideas of risk vs. reward, perhaps for the very first time. It’s an interactive form of teaching and it helps them learn how to evaluate risk and balance it with a reward in a very safe and protected environment.
  • No one gets anything right the first time, and while it might be frustrating for your kids to learn this, they won’t be master kayakers on their first day of camp. However, working towards mastering this very fun activity can help teach them about and strengthen their persistence! If they keep working at it, they might become the pros they want to be. This ideal can be applied in many different areas of their lives.
  • Kayaking is a perfect introduction to nature. They will be experiencing it first, they’ll learn how precious it is, and they’ll learn how important it is to save and protect. When you learn to love our environment, there is no bigger inspiration to keep it safe.
  • Kayaking, being very hands-on, requires your full attention to control the vessel you’re in on top of a body of water that you’re not in control of. Sometimes a rock, rapid, object, or another natural occurrence can appear out of nowhere. That will cause a young student to think and act fast to make sure they don’t run ashore or flip out of their kayak. This will help introduce and strengthen their creative problem-solving skills under pressure.
We can’t wait for your whole family to join us this summer on all of our tours and expeditions, and we hope our young adventurers are ready to learn new and exciting skills. Most importantly, we can’t wait for you to come and have fun with us! Curious about our kid’s programs? Do you have any questions, comments, or concerns? Please feel free to reach out to us! We want to make sure this summer and every season you spend with us is the best one yet! Keep your eyes peeled on our blog spot! We are going to keep talking more about our kid’s programs and we can’t wait to share more with you! Be safe and have fun out there adventurers! Make sure to come and share an adventure with us soon!
Explore. Chat. Visit. And come on back, y’all.
@coastalexpeditions

St. Phillips Island & Beaufort Rentals

Offering Kayaks and Paddleboards

Take in the stunning beauty of local creeks and waters from one of our kayaks or SUPs. Walk-ups are welcome or call / text to book and we’ll be ready when you are. All gear and instruction provided.

Call or text 843.884.7684 to book.

Outpost Location

Need A Guide?

If you really want to get a feel for the local history, identify the native wildlife, and get to special places, you'll need someone experienced to show you the way. We'll get you there.

Check out our St. Phillips Island & Beaufort tours.

Rent a Kayak or Paddleboard Click to Book via Text

Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant Rentals

Offering Kayaks and Paddleboards

Take in the stunning beauty of local creeks and waters from one of our kayaks or SUPs. Walk-ups are welcome or call / text to book and we’ll be ready when you are. All gear and instruction provided.

Call or text 843.884.7684 to book.

Outpost Location

Need A Guide?

If you really want to get a feel for the local history, identify the native wildlife, and get to special places, you'll need someone experienced to show you the way. We'll get you there.

Check out our Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant tours.

Rent a Kayak or Paddleboard Click to Book via Text

Isle of Palms Rentals

Offering Kayaks and Paddleboards

Take in the stunning beauty of local creeks and waters from one of our kayaks or SUPs. Walk-ups are welcome or call / text to book and we’ll be ready when you are. All gear and instruction provided.

Call or text 843.884.7684 to book.

Outpost Location

Need A Guide?

If you really want to get a feel for the local history, identify the native wildlife, and get to special places, you'll need someone experienced to show you the way. We'll get you there.

Check out our Isle of Palms tours.

Rent a Kayak or Paddleboard Click to Book via Text