Nine Kid Activities on a Boat

Whether you are planning a weekend sailing trip with the kids or living aboard with your brood, kids on boats can be an interesting experience. One moment of boredom can turn into a minor disaster. Like the time my friend's son turned off the motor while we were returning to our slip. If you need something to entertain your young ones while on board, I have nine great ideas to keep the kids out of trouble. I picked activities that do not require electricity since it may not be available.

Fishing

This is the easiest one. Check your laws about fishing licenses then grab a pole, bait and a six pack of... Pepsi. Even if they catch nothing, the kids that fish off the back of our boat spend hours casting and reeling the line back in and casting out again. Any catch can become bait or dinner, depending on size.

Watching the fish

My youngest son (okay, and I do too!) love to sit in the cockpit of our boat watching the fish that swim by. We make a game with points for the largest fish, scariest fish, ugliest fish and anything else that comes to mind. We also search for sting rays, sharks and the occasional octopus that attaches to the hull of the boat. The San Diego, California area also has a cool treat after dark. If you peer over the side of the boat, you might site glowing jellyfish! Observing any type of marine life is fascinating and educational.

Cards

Our favorite card game is called Fluxx. It's a constantly changing game where the goal and rules can change at any time. Playing Old Maid, Go Fish, Speed, Bull-crap and many other card games are a great way to pass time on a boat. Especially on rain days. They make plastic playing cards that can get get and Uno splash features waterproof playing cards and a new spin on an old favorite. It's perfect for boating!

Look out!

Children that are a little older can go up on the foredeck and act as a lookout for the skipper while underway. Not only will they be occupied but you will also have a detailed account of anything that is in the harbor, lake or ocean with you. This comes in handy when you are searching for buoys and buoy numbers. A set of binoculars makes it that much more exciting.

Photography

Do not pick your expensive digital camera for this activity! You can buy Kodak waterproof cameras for $7.99 for your kids to use. Not only will you have a great photo album, but your kids will love taking pictures of the trip. And if the camera falls in the water, no big deal. It's waterproof!

Make a floating boat

Using items already on your boat, have the kids each make a boat that floats. This can be quite fun to do and the results are interesting.

Magnetic Board Games

With the rocking of the boat, board game pieces tend to go flying never to be seen again. Magnetic board games solve this problem for kids who want something to do. They have checkers, chess, backgammon, chinese checkers and tic-tac-toe and hours of fun.

For the younger kids

When we have younger children on board with us, we give them a pile of stuffed animals to play with. It acts as a cushion should the boat rock and knock them over as well as keeping them entertained inside the cabin when they just want to play.

Steer the boat

When you aren't surrounded by other vessels and the coast is clear, let the kids learn to sail. My youngest son has been sailing in groups and solo since he was 8 years-old. It gives them a sense of pride to get to "drive" something and gives the parents a break for a little bit too.