If you’ve ever been snorkelling in crystal clear water with colourful coral and marine life, you’ll know it can be one of the most enjoyable activities available to us.
What makes it even better is it’s something people of all ages can enjoy, and this includes your kids.
If you haven’t taken your kids snorkelling yet, here are 7 reasons why you should:
1. It’s Great For Their Health
A recent study found that two-thirds of children are not getting enough physical activity to sufficiently aid their growth and development.
With childhood obesity on the rise, and an increase in sedentary lifestyles, it’s important to do all we can to keep our kids active.
As discussed here, one of the best ways to stay active is to exercise “with a purpose”.
Snorkelling is a great example of this, and your kids are likely to rack up hours of low-impact exercise without even knowing it.
2. It Teaches Them About Marine Life And The Environment
As these kids discovered, when you look under the water, you get a whole new perspective on the types of life that exist on our planet and why it is important to look after our natural environments.
This family found that once they got home, their daughter had a newfound passion for marine life.
She wants to study sea urchins, the strange spiky creatures that we dread seeing under our feet, so we look them up online. Whatever they want to know, we try to find the answers. This is how passion is found, and how a lifelong desire to add and give back to the ocean starts; I can see her analyzing and planning and working on building her “reef”, and I wonder if she realizes that she can continue to do this her whole life if she chooses. – theeverydayjourney.com
3. It Teaches Them To Overcome Fear
Any snorkelling adventure is full of temptations: to explore a little further, or dive a little deeper. But the underwater world can be as intimidating as it is exciting.
Kids will learn to push their boundaries and be rewarded for their efforts – a great life skill to acquire at a young age.
4. It Strengthens Their Swimming
It’s hard to overstate the value of being a competent swimmer. While swimming is a fun activity in itself, it is also an essential life skill for anyone who spends time around water.
Being able to swim also opens up a whole range of other activities for your child to enjoy, such as kayaking, surfing, scuba diving and sailing.
It can, however, be difficult to encourage our kids to practice swimming. What better way than to mix it with an exciting activity like snorkelling?
5. It’s An Adventure To Look Forward To
Involve your kids in the planning of your snorkelling trip. Get them to help choose their gear and start discussing the types of things they might see underwater.
The anticipation and excitement will build as the day approaches, getting everyone ready for the adventure.
It’s cliche, but having a good attitude is one of the most important factors for an enjoyable day out.
Getting your kids excited prior to their snorkelling trip is one of the best ways to ensure everyone comes with a positive attitude.
6. It’s A Great Family Activity
As discussed here, snorkelling is one of the best family outings available.
Not only does it combine physical exercise with a real sense of adventure, but it genuinely offers something for everyone.
Spending quality time together is often a recommendation of psychologists, psychiatrists and family counselors, but often it is difficult to find a family oriented activity that everyone will enjoy. Snorkelling is a great sport for the entire family. It’s a wonderful way to build bonds and reinforce positive relationships between everyone. – scubadoctor.com.au
7. They Will Love It
We all know kids love the water. Whether it’s jumping in puddles or squirting each other with Super Soakers, kids have always been fascinated by water.
If you plan your snorkelling adventure correctly, it’s likely to be the highlight of your holiday and will create some magical memories for both you and your children.
Finally, while snorkelling is no doubt one of the most exciting family activities available, it does have its dangers.
Make sure everyone in your group snorkels well within their abilities and you follow snorkelling safety best practices.
