Paddling as a Way to Explore Nature for Deaf and Hearing Children Alike

With a few simple modifications, deaf and hard of hearing children can safely enjoy canoeing and communing with nature on the river. At the Tennessee School for the Deaf where I work, we take our students on a canoe trip every fall and it is undoubtedly one of the highlights of the fifth grade class year. If you want a great way to introduce your own children to nature from a different perspective, why not give canoeing a try?

Canoes are considered one of the best human-powered vehicles in that they require no fossil fuels. Canoes allow you to reach areas undisturbed by human activities and to move about without disturbing or destroying the wildlife. Learning to paddle a canoe takes some practice, but it is a skill that’s never forgotten!

Basic Guidelines for Canoeing with Your Child

It helps if you have some canoeing experience and your child should know how to swim. Most outfitters can provide beginner lessons regardless and give you access to a canoe, paddles, and personal flotation devices (PFD).

Be Safe

Always wear a life jacket! Life jackets don’t do much good if you and your crew aren’t wearing them. Remember, the best outdoor trip is the one from which everyone returns safely.

• Be sure that every member of your crew has a Coast Guard-approved PFD in good condition, the right size, and fastened properly.
• If your child is fighting you about wearing a lifejacket, think about your own behavior. Are you wearing your own life jacket or just sitting on it? 

What to Bring

If you don’t have it when you leave the take-out or dock, you won’t have it on the water.

• Seal a first aid kit in a water-tight baggie.
• A little preventive athletic tape over potential blister spots can help prevent pain at the end of the day.
• The sun will reflect off the water giving the skin on your undersides extra exposure. Be sure to put sunscreen on yourself and your crew before pushing off the bank.
• A hat with a brim and sunglasses will also decrease sun exposure and prevent glare.
• Bring filled water bottles as exposure to sun and wind will increase dehydration.
• Bring snacks and a lunch if you plan to be out for more than an hour. Put everything in a water-tight bucket or sealed plastic bags and tie them in on the canoe’s crossbars to keep from losing them if you are accidentally upended. http://www.paddling.net/guidelines/showArticle.html?73 Geocaching.

Where to go?

After considering your gear and provisions, you’ll need a destination.

• For beginning paddlers, gentle flat-water is the safest.
• If the wind is not strong, it is easy to paddle on a pond or lake.
• Ponds and lakes also eliminate the complexities of a car shuttle. Outfitters usually provide this service for you on rivers.
• Many state parks with flat water also offer canoe rentals.
• Once you pick your canoeing spot, assist your child in mapping out the journey (try

Preparation on Land

While preparing the canoe and your gear, think of what is possible for your child to do and assign him or her reasonable chores for them to help.