This is a guest post by Darren Zapsky at the Moshannon Falls Canoeing Resource. If you would like to guest post on CampingBlogger, please see the About page for my contact information.

Most canoeists would agree that canoe camping is an outdoor experience most kids will never forget, but many parents are uncertain of the appropriate age to begin their child in the activity. I’ve seen kids begin their first canoe camping experience as young as three years old, and these kids developed the confidence to paddle their own canoe or kayak by the time they were nine or ten years old.

If you want to begin your kids in canoe camping here are a few tips to help make the experience safer and more enjoyable for you and your children.

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Online travel site Tripbase is putting together a project on “Best Kept Travel Secrets” and has asked me to contribute something from a family camping perspective. This sounds like it’s going to be a really great resource, as I’m just one of over a hundred sources contributing to the effort. I’ll be sure to give everyone a heads-up when they publish the series.

Many parents we have met feel a bit overwhelmed at the thought of spending a weekend in the backcountry with their kids. Camping with kids is a great way for families to spend time together and have fun in a different kind of setting, which helps keep the experience interesting for everyone. Here are three of my secrets to camping with kids.

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If you are planning a family camping trip this summer, you are probably wondering how to keep the kids entertained. The kids are going to have a great time, particularly if camping is a new experience for them. They’re going to have a great time helping you setup the tent, gather firewood, cook meals – all the normal camping “stuff” that parents take for granted. It’s a good idea to plan some activities and pack some games, for those times when you are relaxing at your camping spot. Here are ten ideas that you can use, as you plan your family camping adventure.

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Much like any kind of traveling we did “pre-kids”, camping used to be one of those spur-of-the-moment activities where we would throw some food and clothes into a bag and head for our favorite camping spot, on any given Friday afternoon. Oh how times change!

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Coyote Lake – Harvey Bear Ranch County Park was created in 2005 when the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department struck a deal with the Harvey Bear family to preserve the families land as a multi-use park and additional greenbelt in the Santa Clara Valley, just south of San Jose.

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