Boating with kids

Kids absolutely love boating, and it's exciting too. The whole holiday is often one big adventurous party for them: new places all the time, outdoors all day, lots of swimming, jumping off the boat, fishing, you name it.

But that party doesn't just happen by itself: as a parent, you'll need to think ahead a little. It may be stating the obvious, but we'll say it once more. Safety comes first:

• Make sure the little ones wear a life jacket whenever they're near the water.
• Always put plenty of sunscreen (with a high enough factor) on yourself and your kids!
• Check www.zwemwater.nl for the best places to swim & see straight away whether the water is safe.
• Take the interests and needs of children into account during the trip.

With good planning and a bit of creativity, boating with kids in Friesland is a fantastic experience for the whole family! That good planning starts at home: before you set off, find out which route you want to take. Are there playgrounds near the marina? Can you moor in lovely villages with plenty to do for children? Of course, you can simply go for a cruise and see where you end up, but for kids it's much more fun to have outings along the way. Even if you're only ashore for an hour, your child will step back on board full of enthusiasm for the next stretch of the route.

It's pretty obvious, but we'll mention it again anyway: games and activities on board! Bring some board games, cards or other activities to keep the kids busy during the trip.

Get your child involved in the boating too, if they're old enough. Let them take the helm for a moment and explain what certain buttons are for. That way they feel useful, and it makes boating extra fun. A pair of binoculars always goes down well too: suddenly your child turns out to be a keen birdwatcher, or checks at every bridge whether you'll fit underneath. Success guaranteed.

The SUP board is popular with kids too. Paddling off to explore, or climbing out of the water dozens of times, trying to stay standing and pushing each other off. That gives you, as a parent, a little time off (or you can join in, of course!).

As a parent, you probably want to keep the use of mobile phones and tablets to a minimum, especially on holiday, but they can still be useful. When you enter a lock, or want to moor in a tricky spot, the skipper and the deckhand have their hands full manoeuvring safely, and it can be very handy for both the parents and the kids if the kids are focused only on their screen for a little while.

When you plan a route, you'll find lots of tips for activities with kids on this website about Friesland. Over the years, we've also collected a few for you:

Terherne

This village is known for the Kameleondorp. The Kameleondorp is based on books by Hotze de Roos, author of the books 'De Kameleon'. The books are set in the village of Lenten, which has been recreated in Terherne. With various packages, the Kameleondorp guarantees hours of play, discovery and fun! Even when the weather isn't so great, you can enjoy yourself here for hours.

Photo: gezinopreis.nl

Koudum

Marina De Kuilart is a beautiful marina and campsite with lots of sports and play facilities. There's a playground where kids can climb in a pirate ship, whizz down the zip line and build sandcastles on the little beach, a sports field with a football pitch and tennis court for the whole family and, especially for teenagers, a challenging skate ramp. An entertainment team organises a variety of activities for children, from arts and crafts to water sports. The indoor pool guarantees loads of fun: the covered pool has no fewer than three slides!

Joure

Sometimes it rains. The subtropical pool Swimfun in Joure is then an excellent way to do something different. With plenty of swimming fun both indoors and outdoors. There are slides to whizz down, and you can float along the rapids on an inflatable ring. Swimfun guarantees a day full of water fun!

Heeg

In Heeg, right on the Heegermeer, you'll find the little beach and playground Pharshoeke, where you can have a lovely swim with the whole family and where the kids can have a great time in the playground too! The family slide, also known as a Waverider, is about 12 metres long, starts at a height of roughly 3.5 metres and goes down in a wave-like motion.

Sneek

Fancy doing something different? Then head to the children's farm in Sneek.

At Kinderboerderij Sneek you can have all sorts of adventures!

As well as various animals (including goats, chickens, a pony and a donkey), there's a large playground where your child can swing across on the zip line like a real Tarzan. There's also a water playground. On warm days, it's a lovely place to cool off, for young and old alike. Kids can play to their hearts' content while parents relax in the water garden. There are also little rowing boats you can take out for a short trip, and for the real water babies there's a fantastic raft.