potential risks at the beach<\/a>, including jellyfish and sunburns. <\/p>\n\n\n\nIf they have swim fins, let them know they can wear them later on. When they’re first learning, they won’t need them. Fins will only add more complexity. Once they get the hang of things, they can wear them whenever they feel it’s necessary.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally, attach the leash and explain why it’s important. Without a leash, the board can get away from them, so they should wear it whenever they want to ride. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 3: Let Your Child Lead <\/h3>\n\n\n\n As a grown-up, it’s easy to forget how overwhelming the ocean can be for children. So, let them lead the way. Have them hold their board and step into the surf, but don’t push them to go deeper until they’re ready. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Depending on your child’s comfort level, they may want to dive right in. Or they may want to stand in the shallow water for a bit, just getting their feet wet. Either way is okay!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Once they’re ready, you can help them move a bit deeper into the water until they’re between knee and waist-deep. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Make sure that you walk straight forward into the ocean. It may be tempting to turn to the side as waves come in, but doing this with a board in hand can make things harder as the water can push the board over and prevent your child from controlling their board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 4: Read the Waves <\/h3>\n\n\n\n As you head out, it’s vital that you pay attention to the waves and help your child notice them too. This is an important skill for any water activity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Start by looking at the horizon line. Then, compare the horizon to the angle of the cresting waves and determine the wave’s highest point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whichever side slopes steeper from the high point will be the direction the wave breaks and the direction you’ll want to ride it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
As you do this, you’ll want to make sure the waves aren’t breaking into rocks or anything hazardous. It might not be the best time to learn how to bodyboard if they are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 5: Get into Position<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Once you’re at the right depth, somewhere between your child’s knees and waist, you can help your child get into position on the board. They should lay on the board, holding it towards the top, with their feet hanging off the back. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Tell them to lift their chest and look straight ahead. Then, standing behind them, you’ll help angle the board into position, towards the direction of the breaking waves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Step 6: Let Them Go! <\/h3>\n\n\n\n As a wave approaches, tell them to start kicking and paddling. Of course, neither will do much if you’re maintaining control of the back of the board, but it’s good practice for when they’re on their own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the last few moments, before the wave catches their board, let go. You can also give them a little push to ensure they catch it. Then, you can watch them ride the wave all the way in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hopefully, they love the experience and are all smiles as they glide to shore. If they are, they’ll probably want to do it again. So, repeat the process, but give them a little less help each time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
After a few rounds, they’ll probably be ready to try boogie boarding without your help. So grab your camera or your own board, and enjoy watching them ride the waves themselves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n After following these steps a few times, your little one should be able to boogie board in no time. (Credit: AnjelikaGr\/Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nMaking Bodyboarding a Positive Experience<\/h2>\n\n\n\n Boogie boarding is supposed to be exciting, but sometimes a kid’s first experience can be nerve-wracking. If your little one is really nervous, they get too cold, or they wipe out, they may not be interested.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are some tips for how to make bodyboarding a positive experience:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If possible, pick a familiar beach.<\/strong> If you don’t have a beach you’ve been to before, go without the board once or twice before your lessons begin.<\/li>Keep them warm.<\/strong> If you’re not close to a warm-water beach, a wetsuit can make a huge difference for the better.<\/li>Let them see you enjoying the water.<\/strong> Even if you don’t boogieboard yourself, show your kid that the ocean is fun!<\/li>Pick the right board. <\/strong>Remember kids boogie boards should be picked according to size, material, and other important features. You want your child to be able to control their board and like it.<\/li>Stay in shallow waters. <\/strong>If they go too deep, it may be difficult to swim back to shore if necessary. This can create fear and even panic in younger children and some bigger kids, too.<\/li>Have a pep-talk beforehand. <\/strong>Build your child up and talk to them about what to do if they wipe out. Let them know to stay calm and swim back towards shore.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nFinal Thoughts <\/h2>\n\n\n\n We hope this guide has gotten you excited to teach your child how to boogie board! This beach activity is ideal for little ones because it’s fairly easy to teach and learn, relatively inexpensive, and safe. Not only do many kids love it, but it’s also great exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Enjoy your time on the beach!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Boogie boarding or bodyboarding is one of the most exciting beach activities. It can keep kids (and adults!)…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":854,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/852"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=852"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/852\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=852"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=852"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/beachfix.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=852"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}