Fishing with Toddlers, Part 1
I wrote a post about fishing with babies while my son was a toddler. It seems I now need to share about what is currently going on with our outdoor adventures. At the time I’m writing this blog post about fishing with toddlers our son is 16 months, so I titled it Part 1 assuming I will have updates as he continues down the toddler journey.
Toddlers are a whole other ball game. They now walk, and somewhat talk, and have opinions. Getting outdoors with a toddler can save both him and I. He is in a tremendously better mood when we are enjoying nature, especially fishing.
Go Big!
If you have not gotten over the hurdle of outdoor adventures with your child, now is the time. Like we say in our mission “nature is amazing for children”. In our child’s first year he has been hiking, back country skiing, fishing, on a ski hut trip, camping, rafting, you name it!
The key is being prepared for the appropriate weather, time frame, and type of adventure. I will focus this blog post on a one day fishing adventure with kids (camping complicates things).
What to Bring
This list is not too dissimilar to my fishing with babies list, slight tweaks to address food and boredom.
Diaper bag or small backpack (already has most of the essentials, and hopefully yours is the backpack style)
Then add the following to your diaper bag or small backpack:
Hiking child carrier (we have one similar to this Deuter Carrier Backpack)
A couple diapers, wipes, and extra super market bags (for garbage diapers, carry in - carry out)
Liquid container or two (bottle or sippy cup)
Adult water bottle (for yourself and babe)
Baby sun hat (or warm hat, weather pending)
Baby safe sunscreen (find one you think is OK)
Long sleeve shirt, pants, socks (all lighter material if hot, more clothes = less sunscreen = less goop)
Shoes
Warm suit or jacket (weather pending)
Second set of clothes (now it’s in case they get wet in the river vs. infant blow outs)
A few fun outdoor toys (bubbles, shovel, pale, depending on how much hiking you plan - fill a pale/bucket with rocks and your kid will be entertained throwing them back in the river for hours and hours)
Snacks, so many snacks. Anything you think is easy for them to eat on the go. They get hungry back there, looking around at nature.
Small freezable lunch bag - don’t go crazy this one on Amazon is under $20 and will do the job (put any perishables like cheese sticks, lunch, and milk in here)
Try Going Alone
In the fishing with babies blog post, I recommended bringing someone. You will be fine going alone. If you’re nervous don’t stray far from the car, pick an easy fishing spot. However, at this age you can throw them in the backpack and you can enjoy a day on the river with only you and your little one.
On one day fishing with our toddler alone, our husband claims he said “fish” for the first time after he caught a brown on the Rio Grande River. This first word is still up for debate!
Let Them Fish
It is crazy to think that at 16 months old toddler can figure out fishing, but believe me. Our son has been back there in the backpack observing and learning. One of the times I took him out of the carrier for a break, he picked up the rod laying on the ground. He then bee-lined it for the stream (watch out! They move fast when determined). The rod was not ready for casting but our toddler swung that rod up and down just like mommy and daddy.
He then pointed in the water and looked at me as if to say “that felt like a fish!”.
Now we have a small practice kid spin rod we picked up at Walmart, but hopefully in a few months we can get him a small fly rod of his own.
Who is most excited about this trout? Definitely the small child in the backpack yelling “fish, fish, fish!”
