8 Tips for House Boating with Kids

House boating as a family vacation is something that we love to do. We find it incredibly relaxing. Your family will have no where to be, but with each other.  Here are some tips to make it a great family trip:


1.You are on the water the entire time, even when your are beached; so make sure there is adequate railing all around the boat. The front deck, the back deck and up top. Make sure that the top has railing all the way around including gates that will keep the children from being able to go up and down the stairs.

2.Take your own life jackets.

3.Budget accordingly. House boats do not get good gas mileage. You will spend a lot of money on gas depending on how much you drive it around.

4.Do not forget some essentials for the kids. Floaties, board games, kites, bubbles, water trampoline, ski boat or jet ski (if you have one), and fishing rods.

5.Only rent a house boat that has a hot tub. This one element adds so much to the trip.

6.Take your own camping chairs. Some that are easily moved around, so that you can sit around a fire each night.

7.Bring all the fixings your will need to make smores. Including the roasting sticks and bundles of wood. I would take at least 3 bundles for a 7 night trip.

8.Look at the area you will be house boating all ahead of time. Make sure you have everything you will need if you decide to go hiking. For example a backpack to carry your two year old in.
 
House Boating on Lake Shuswap, B.C.
House Boating in Canada

Lake Shuswap houseboating

We really enjoyed our family vacation of houseboating on Lake Shuswap. It is a massive lake with spots to beach everywhere! I think this has to be the most beautiful, peaceful place I have ever been.

     One morning when were were sitting on the back deck having our coffee we watched bald eagles swoop down and catch fish. Another morning we woke up to watch a little black bear roam around the area where we were beached! Our children love seeing all of the wildlife. We were able to fish a great deal. (As long as it is your kids fishing you do not need a license.) We took their kiddie rods with us and they got a kick out of trying to catch something. This is where our son caught his very first fish!

There are a lot of houseboating companies out there. I can't recommend one over another. The main thing is to make sure that whatever one you go with gives you a boat with a hot tub!

Remember Canada gets warm during the day. It may even hit 80 while you are there, but in the evening and at night it can get downright cold. So keep this in mind when packing.

Also, do not forget your roasting sticks, marshmallows, and the other stuff if you want to make smores. We had a camp fire every night with our kids. It was one of the highlights of being on the lake. Find out if your boat has outdoor chairs provided. If not bring your own that way you can sit around the camp fire comfortably.


There are two great hikes that you can go out near spots that you beach at. One is Albas Falls. This hike can be done two ways depending on the ages of your children. You can stay on the road and just take short detours off of it to see parts of the falls or you can take the actual hike through the woods. Through the woods is the way to do it if your kids can handle it. It is very steep and slippery at places. For little children this would be a very difficult hike and they would probably not enjoy it. But if you can take the one through the woods you will see one waterfall after another. Albas Falls:

The other hike is Margaret Falls. This is an easy hike and easy for children. Ask the people at check in where to beach your boat to get to both hikes. Here is a picture of Margaret Falls.

Two important tips to keep in mind if you are driving over from USA. Get groceries before you leave the USA. Food is a lot cheaper here so you will save yourself a lot of money by buying before you get to the area. Also, get gas right before you cross the border. Again gas is quite a bit more expensive. So fill up before you cross that way you won't have to buy as much gas in Canada.

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