Kayaking with kids offers a perfect escape, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of the outdoors and create lasting memories. However, planning a kayaking trip can be a bit daunting, especially when you’re bringing along your young adventurers.

Fortunately, we can use technology to make our excursions easier and more enjoyable. With the right apps, you can ensure that your kayaking trips are well-planned, safe, and fun for the whole family. Here are our top five apps to help you get out on the water with your kids, plus two bonus options for enhancing your adventures!

GoPaddle is an excellent app for both novice and experienced kayakers. It provides detailed information about put-in and take-out locations, including user reviews and photos, so you can choose the perfect location for a family outing. The app also includes safety tips and guidelines, which are especially helpful when kayaking with children.

Features:
- Find nearby kayaking spots with reviews and photos.
- Amenities lists.

Why it’s great for families:
- Helps you find safe, family-friendly locations.
- User reviews give insights from other paddlers.

River App is perfect for checking river conditions before you head out. It provides real-time information on water levels, flow rates, and weather conditions for rivers around the world. This is crucial for ensuring a safe trip, especially when kayaking with children.

Features:
 - Real-time water level and flow rate information for over 9,000 US rivers.
 - Shows rapids sections.

Why it’s great for families:
 - Ensures you’re aware of current river conditions.
 - Helps you choose safe times and locations to go kayaking with your kids.

For those planning to kayak in coastal areas, Tides Near Me is an essential tool. This app provides up-to-date information on tide times, heights, and tidal currents, which can significantly impact your kayaking plans.

Features:
 - Tide times and heights.
 - Tidal current information.
 - Sunrise and sunset times.

Why it’s great for families:
 - Helps you plan trips around safe tidal conditions.
 - Ensures you’re aware of optimal times for kayaking with kids.

MyRadar is an essential app for monitoring weather conditions, ensuring you and your kids stay safe on the water. This app provides real-time weather updates, including detailed radar images, to help you avoid unexpected storms and plan your trips around favorable conditions.

Features:
-Real-time weather radar and updates
-Interactive maps with various weather layers.
-Advanced wind data for better trip planning.

Why it’s great for families:
-Hyper-local forecasting with advanced technology.
-To-the-minute push notifications to keep you ahead of storms.

Relive is a fantastic app for tracking your route. It can also create 3D video stories of your kayaking adventures. This is a great way to document your trips and share them with friends and family.

Features:
 - Track your route with GPS.
 - Add photos and videos to your route.
- Create and share 3D video stories of your adventures.

Why it’s great for families:
 - Creates memorable visual stories of your kayaking trips.
 - Kids can relive their adventures and share them with others.

Bring along the binoculars! Merlin Bird ID is a fantastic app for birdwatching enthusiasts. While kayaking, you and your kids can identify and learn about the various bird species you encounter. The app is user-friendly and perfect for beginners.

Features:
-Identify birds by answering a few simple questions or by recording their calls.
-Explore a vast database of bird species.
-Listen to a huge collection of bird calls and songs.

Why it’s great for families:
-Makes birdwatching educational and fun for kids.
-Encourages kids to observe and appreciate wildlife.

Seek by iNaturalist is an incredible app for nature exploration. It allows you to identify plants, animals, and fungi you come across during your kayaking adventures. Using your phone’s camera, you can learn about the natural world around you.

Features:
-Identify plants, animals, and fungi with your camera.
-Earn badges for observations.
-Access detailed information about species.

Why it’s great for families:
-Turns your kayaking trip into a learning adventure.
-Encourages families to explore different habitats like rivers, lakes and ponds.