Why Games Matter More Than Mileage

Any adult who has paddled a long stretch of the Great Ouse or a quiet canal with a seven-year-old knows the pattern. The first forty minutes are glorious. Then come the questions: how much further, are we nearly there, my arms hurt, I'm bored. Children don't measure a journey in kilometres; they measure it in interesting things that have happened. A handful of simple games turns a long, tiring paddle into a series of small, winnable challenges, and everyone arrives at the get-out smiling rather than frayed.

The trick is to introduce games before boredom sets in, not after. Keep them in your pocket like a spare snack and bring one out when you see shoulders drooping or paddling getting sloppy.

Spotting Games For Flat Water

Spotting games cost nothing, need no equipment and work beautifully on a river or canal where there is plenty to see. They also keep young paddlers looking ahead rather than down at their own feet, which improves their trim and their steering.

• Colour spotting. Call a colour — red, yellow, blue — and everyone has to spot something that colour: a narrowboat, a mooring post, a life ring, a jacket on the towpath. First to spot it chooses the next colour.
• Bridge countdown. Count bridges, locks, or bends as you pass them. "Three more bridges and we stop for lunch" is far more motivating than "about two miles".
• I spy, paddling version. Classic I spy works fine, but agree that nobody has to stop paddling to answer. A drifting boat is a grumpy boat.
• Animal, vegetable, mineral. Ideal for wide, featureless stretches where there is less to see — the Fens, a big loch, a long straight canal pound.
• Boat bingo. Before you set off, agree five things to spot on the water: a heron, a swan with cygnets, a canal boat with a chimney, a dog on the towpath, a fisherman. Tick them off as you go.

If you have two children, put them in the same boat for spotting games and let them be a team. Rivalry between boats is fine; rivalry inside a boat usually ends in tears and a wobble.

Wildlife Bingo Along The River

Make a simple bingo card at home with a pen and a piece of card, sealed in a dry bag, and you have a game that lasts a whole season. Use species you genuinely have a chance of seeing rather than wishful thinking.

• Everyday points: mallard, moorhen, coot, Canada goose, grey heron, swan.
• Mid-value: cormorant, grebe, tufted duck, dragonfly, terrapin on a log.
• Bonus points: kingfisher, otter, water vole, a heron taking off, a deer drinking at the bank.

Give the kingfisher a big score — it is a flash of blue, usually seen from the corner of your eye, and the child who spots one will talk about it for weeks. Add seasonal squares: cygnets in late spring, ducklings in May, swallows skimming the water in summer, banks of mistletoe or berries in winter.

One important rule: spotting means watching, never chasing. Teach young paddlers to keep their distance, to stop paddling and let wildlife drift past, and never to head straight for a nest, a loafing flock or a heron on the bank. A quiet boat sees far more anyway.

Gentle Races And Paddling Challenges

Races are brilliant for short bursts of effort, but keep them gentle, short and safe. Choose a stretch with clear water, no moored boats, no anglers and no other traffic, and agree the finish line before you start.

• The slow race. The winner is the last boat to cross the line without stopping or touching the bank. It teaches fine control better than anything else.
• Ten-stroke sprint. Exactly ten strokes, then everybody stops. A great way to burn off energy without turning the trip into a time trial.
• Reverse race. Paddle backwards between two markers — excellent for boat handling, hilarious for everyone.
• Follow the leader. Weave round buoys, pass close to a marker, turn a full circle. Let each child have a turn as leader, which gives them a taste of route-finding.
• Silent mile. Nobody speaks for a set distance and everyone listens. Count the sounds you hear: a woodpecker, a lock gate, a train, sheep.

Keep races to a minute or two. Long races on open water encourage sloppy, exhausted paddling, and tired children lose their technique and their temper.

Stories, Quizzes And Canal Radio

For the long, quiet stretches, imagination does the heavy lifting. Try river radio: one child is the presenter, the other the wildlife reporter, and they narrate what you pass as though broadcasting it live. "And here on the left bank, a heron, standing entirely still, refusing to comment." It sounds daft and it works.

Round-robin stories are just as good. Someone starts with "The thing in the reeds was not a swan..." and each paddler adds a sentence. Add a silly rule — every sentence must mention a snack — and you have half an hour filled. Paddling quizzes work well too: name three birds with long legs, name a fish that lives in this river, what does a lock do?

Keeping The Games Going, And Knowing When To Stop

Plan your day in short blocks: paddle, game, paddle, snack, game, paddle, stop. Aim for around an hour on the water before a proper break on the bank, with shoes on and something to eat. Hungry children cannot play anything well.

Bring a dry bag with a treat, spare gloves in cold weather, and a hat. Watch for the signs that a game is no longer fun — silence, slumped posture, a child resting the paddle across the boat — and suggest a stop instead of another round. Finish while everyone still wants a bit more. That way, the next trip is something they ask for, rather than something you have to persuade them into.