People of all ages are drawn to water because of its captivating and calming properties. Those looking to relax with family members, including children, will enjoy being in an alluring environment that inspires reverence and restoration.
San Diego sailing adventures are a great family bonding experience for a wide number of reasons. Read on to learn some of the best.
An Environment of Togetherness
When you go sailing with your family, you carve out time to be in a small space with them. You’ll be in close physical proximity and have the time to talk and bond in new ways.
You’ll be able to discuss elements of the sailboat as well as your environment. Those on sailing adventures get close to reefs and cool sea life. This gives you something attention-grabbing and unique to point out to kids and talk about with them.
It’s also difficult for parents to connect with self-isolating teens in many instances because of distractions and reclusive tendencies. Sailing nips those problems in the bud! Sailboats aren’t roomy enough for them to hide, and you’ll be able to finagle them into some quality time that they’re sure to secretly love (despite some for-show eye-rolling.)
Plus, the lack of good cell phone service means that kids (and parents) won’t become distracted by texting, games, or social media feeds. Everyone will be more present on the sailboat than they would likely be on land. This makes family bonding the #1 priority during your time on the water.
Sailing Adventures Are Collaborative
When you book family fun with Sea Monkey Adventures, you’ll get on a boat with a friendly captain. This means that people of all ages and skill levels are welcome on the 35-foot yacht. You don’t need to worry about not knowing what to do since you’ll always have help.
However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t learn new skills with your family when you go sailing. In fact, it’s encouraged. Sailing is widely acknowledged as an activity that requires teamwork, making it perfect for improving family communication.
You and your kids can work together toward the common goal of moving the yacht forward. You’ll need to communicate about navigating the ship, hoisting the sails, and solving problems that come up.
This means that you’ll be able to engage in something that brings you closer together through active conversation!
Working together doesn’t just make your family feel emotionally closer. It also teaches kids about the importance of teamwork and collaboration.
Remember that children model their behavior and values after their parents. If you value connection and communication, they’ll be more excited to work with other people toward common goals in the future as well.
A Can-Do Attitude
While you can go sailing, even without any experience or skill, it’s a good opportunity to learn new things. This can help kids become more open-minded about different experiences. It can also broaden their horizons and make them feel excited about new things.
Most importantly, it gives you the chance to demonstrate the ability to bring a positive can-do attitude to completely new experiences.
If you seem excited and motivated, your kids will pick up on that. They take cues from their parents about how to feel about certain activities and experiences. If you show your kids that learning the ropes and understanding the world around them is fun, they’ll internalize this mindset, too.
This is great because it makes your sailing adventure more fun. But it doesn’t stop there. Developing this positive growth mindset means a more open-minded child who’s excited to try various things.
Growing Confidence
Another reason that sailing helps kids get a better mindset toward life is that it builds confidence.
Sailing is challenging and requires a lot of patience. You don’t just need to be goal-oriented and talk to your family members about what you’re doing. You also need to be adaptable to different tides and weather conditions (such as when clouds come out).
This requires kids to be able to bounce back when faced with difficulties and challenges.
Overcoming these obstacles lets both you and your kids feel more confident in your problem-solving abilities. Your whole family will feel ready to take on the world, which builds a sense of everyone’s individual ability to succeed. Your children will feel more like hard work pays off and will be able to apply this idea to other parts of their lives.
This doesn’t just make kids more willing to try new things. It also nurtures their personal growth. They find new strengths that they have and learn how to get over their weaknesses, which helps them become self-aware and self-sufficient.
They’ll be better able to handle challenges in the future and can achieve their goals better!
Teachable Moments
In addition to learning that new experiences are fun, kids will also have tons of great teachable moments while on a sailing excursion.
First, it requires a lot of interpersonal skill development. Both parents and children need to communicate about their environment and the tasks needed to sail correctly. While the captain will be there to help, you’ll still want to try some things on your own for fun!
Second, you’ll have lots of teachable moments about planning and accountability. You’ll need to plan out your sailing adventure, figure out where you want to go, and determine what you need to do to get there. Even if you have a pre-planned course, it’s good to talk with kids about how you’re getting from point A to point B.
You’ll also be able to answer lots of questions about the things you’re seeing on your excursion. Your captain can teach kids about the work that goes into setting sail and maintaining the boat. You can personally teach kids about cool wildlife that you see, like fish and turtles.
Plus, sitting down with charts of the waters before an adventure is a lot of fun, too. You can go over maps of the San Diego waters around you and show kids how to find their location. Reading a map is an important life skill that they’ll have a chance to acquire!
Creative Opportunities
When you’re sailing, there will be periods of lots of activity. But there will also be a lot of downtime when you and your family are left to your own thoughts.
Your excursion will be over two hours long – when you’re a kid, that’s a lot of time to fill!
While reflection and contemplation are great for a while, you can bond better by staying engaged at sea. Board and card games are a great way to pass the time while enjoying the sea breeze. Mini-game boards like pocket Yahtzee and magnetic chess are easily portable.
You also might want to bring painting or sketching supplies on board. Every member of the family can try to create a painting or drawing of the seascapes and marine life you’re looking at. You can chat about your drawings and compare what you focused on to see what stood out most to everyone.
Trivia games are also a lot of fun, and they work to engage kids with their surroundings just as art does. You can challenge everyone to identify marine life and give them some fun facts when they do. Try to make a friendly contest to see who can identify the most animals and learn facts about them!
Memorable Fun
When kids and parents sail together, they can leave their worries and difficult commitments back on the shoreline. It gives you the chance to enter a more carefree headspace where your mind is busy in the present. This serves to ground everyone regardless of age and helps you live in the moment.
Because of this, sailing is like a mini family vacation. Whether you’re looking to escape from daily life in San Diego or want a mini adventure while on your larger one, you’ll be able to remain super present while on your excursion.
This makes the experience memorable for kids. It’s peaceful and they don’t need to worry about school or chores. It can serve as a sort of oasis from the troubles of daily life.
In several years (or even decades), your kids will be able to look back fondly on the time you went sailing together. After all, the communication and relaxing vibes foster a lot of emotional proximity. It would be no surprise if your family adventure was a turning point in your relationships.
Set Sail on a Family Adventure
Now that you know why sailing adventures are a great family bonding experience, it’s time to plan some family fun in San Diego, CA. We’re excited to offer private sailing excursions for families of up to six people regardless of their ages and experience level.
Whether you prefer a morning, daytime, or sunset sail, we have the perfect experience open to you. Book a sailing service from Sea Monkey Adventures to begin bonding with your loved ones and creating memories that you’ll cherish for a lifetime.