We get asked this question by quite a few BWCA families who want to bring their kids to the woods. I say you are never too old or too young to visit the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. The challenge with canoe camping in the BWCA with small children is getting them to keep their life vest on. If a child doesn't fuss when they are wearing a PFD then by all means bring them to the Boundary Waters.
We made our kids wear their lifevests almost constantly when they were little. I still worry sometimes when they are out on the dock without them on. There's no need to take it off even around camp or when swimming. Having your child wear their lifevest at all times takes a little bit of the worry away when camping in the BWCA.
No one wants to harm their child so common sense is key when bringing your children to the wilderness canoe country. The sun's glare can be extremely harsh so lathering tons of sunscreen on your child, having them wear a wide brimmed hat and keeping them out of the direct sunlight is very important.
You'll want to protect your child from other elements of the BWCA as well. If a child is not paddling then they can get pretty cold in the middle of a canoe especially if it is raining. A good set of rain gear, an umbrella, a tarp or other protection from the rain is needed. Bug bites can affect children's sensitive skin so dressing them appropriately, using bug deterrents and having bug screen along can help keep them safe. Remember to bring along some sort of itch cream in case the bugs do reach your child.
The attention span of all individuals is different. There are some two-year-olds who will refuse to sit in a canoe for 8 hours just as there are adults who will refuse to do the same. Knowing how much paddling to do and more importantly, when to stop will make life much more pleasurable while camping with your family.
Some people need to be entertained or they will get bored from doing the same thing over and over. Paddling the wilderness lakes of the Boundary Waters may not seem repetitive to you but to others it might. Tie toys to the inside of the canoe for tots to play with, play I Spy, sing songs, tell stories, read a book, take pictures, use binoculars and think of a number of other creative ways to pass time while in the canoe.
Plan the BWCA trip according to your group's abilities. A trip with alot of long portages isn't going to be easy with some small children. One hike from an entry point parking lot into a wilderness campsite might be just perfect. That way you're always within a short distance if you need to cut your trip short.
If you're really worried you or your child won't do well while camping in the Boundary Waters then plan to stay in a cabin near the BWCA. That way you can take day trips to introduce your child to the wilderness lakes and islands. Enjoy swimming, picknicking and paddling during the day and return to a cozy cabin at night. If everyone does good then make the step up to a wilderness canoe camping trip in the BWCA.
We made our kids wear their lifevests almost constantly when they were little. I still worry sometimes when they are out on the dock without them on. There's no need to take it off even around camp or when swimming. Having your child wear their lifevest at all times takes a little bit of the worry away when camping in the BWCA.
No one wants to harm their child so common sense is key when bringing your children to the wilderness canoe country. The sun's glare can be extremely harsh so lathering tons of sunscreen on your child, having them wear a wide brimmed hat and keeping them out of the direct sunlight is very important.
You'll want to protect your child from other elements of the BWCA as well. If a child is not paddling then they can get pretty cold in the middle of a canoe especially if it is raining. A good set of rain gear, an umbrella, a tarp or other protection from the rain is needed. Bug bites can affect children's sensitive skin so dressing them appropriately, using bug deterrents and having bug screen along can help keep them safe. Remember to bring along some sort of itch cream in case the bugs do reach your child.
The attention span of all individuals is different. There are some two-year-olds who will refuse to sit in a canoe for 8 hours just as there are adults who will refuse to do the same. Knowing how much paddling to do and more importantly, when to stop will make life much more pleasurable while camping with your family.
Some people need to be entertained or they will get bored from doing the same thing over and over. Paddling the wilderness lakes of the Boundary Waters may not seem repetitive to you but to others it might. Tie toys to the inside of the canoe for tots to play with, play I Spy, sing songs, tell stories, read a book, take pictures, use binoculars and think of a number of other creative ways to pass time while in the canoe.
Plan the BWCA trip according to your group's abilities. A trip with alot of long portages isn't going to be easy with some small children. One hike from an entry point parking lot into a wilderness campsite might be just perfect. That way you're always within a short distance if you need to cut your trip short.
If you're really worried you or your child won't do well while camping in the Boundary Waters then plan to stay in a cabin near the BWCA. That way you can take day trips to introduce your child to the wilderness lakes and islands. Enjoy swimming, picknicking and paddling during the day and return to a cozy cabin at night. If everyone does good then make the step up to a wilderness canoe camping trip in the BWCA.
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