Whitewater rafting is often seen as wild and adventurous. And it certainly can be! There are certain Class V rapids that can only be successfully navigated by the most experienced of rafters. However, there are also rapids that are calmer and easier to navigate. As such, whitewater rafting can be a more family-friendly activity than you might have imagined. You don't want to bring an 18-month-old along, but an agile 12-year-old should have no trouble participating in a lower-key adventure. There are, however, a few tips to follow when whitewater rafting with kids.
Ask about age restrictions prior to booking.
When booking a whitewater rafting tour, check to see whether the tour you choose has any age recommendations or restrictions. If it does not, you may want to call the rafting company and ask them if the rafting trip is appropriate for your kids' ages. If they tell you that this particular rafting tour is not kid-friendly, they should be able to recommend another one that is. Some rafting companies have specific tours set aside for families with kids.
Talk to your kids about rafting beforehand.
Some kids can be a little apprehensive about rafting at first, but once they get out there, they let loose and have a good time. You can help your child feel more comfortable rafting from the get-go by talking with them about it and maybe even watching some whitewater rafting videos together. If you're excited to go rafting, they'll pick up on your excitement and feed off of it.
Let your kids learn from the guide.
When you're on the rafting trip, resist the urge to coach your children too much. Let them listen to the guide's instructions on their own, and if they aren't doing something correctly, let the guide be the one to correct them. Whitewater rafting works best when there is one leader of the crew, and if you step in and coach your child too much, you may be interfering with that leadership. Plus, it's good for your child to learn to take instructions from other adults, and to work as a part of the real rafting team.
Whitewater rafting is an intense outdoor activity, but it can still be really fun for kids. You can also stay relatively safe as long as you wear a flotation device and follow the guide's orders. Adhere to the tips above, and expect to have a great time.
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