My grandson started at about 2. I made him a bow out of a pc of oak flooring. Had to help him nock and draw for a while,but he got the hang of it quickly. We used archery as a motivation for potty training.
He's 4 now and hooked for sure.


Hey Dave Thomas, that little girl of yours has done some growing since I saw you last.

There's a video or two of Taylor shooting ariels on the classics archives, I think.
Just get em in close and don't worry about their form. Keep it fun and put lots of balloons on the bale. Kids love reactive targets. DB

My good friend John Dill started his son out in the crib. He's 18 months now and has shot at two 3d events with us this year. Here is a pic I took at the NC state shoot last year. John Davis Dill.  

Gwyn asked if she could try it at 5 yrs old. Sal (mystic Guido) gave her this nice oak bow.
 
 

I would watch the rubber blunts use for small kids.  Generally you are shooting at close distances with kids and it is easy for a rubber blunt to bounce back at you.  I never used those bullet point "kid's arrows" for the same reason.  

I really think that your better grade of pointed field points are the safest option when used under close supervision.

Shooting with kids is all about fun.  Start her now, don't make it an endurance contest and she will be hooked for life.

I started the grandtwins when they were 4 - the following Christmas I made them board bows and the grand son got hooked. I guess I should have made the grand daughters bow in pink or something. We went to a 3D shoot and he had a blast. Now he wants more archery stuff for Christmas.

QuoteOriginally posted by gregg dudley:
I would watch the rubber blunts use for small kids.  Generally you are shooting at close distances with kids and it is easy for a rubber blunt to bounce back at you.  I never used those bullet point "kid's arrows" for the same reason.  

I really think that your better grade of pointed field points are the safest option when used under close supervision.

Shooting with kids is all about fun.  Start her now, don't make it an endurance contest and she will be hooked for life.

True, if your shooting at hard objects at a close distance they could bounce back.   :rolleyes:

I started all my kids between 2 and 3 years old.

There were a few basic principles I followed though.  

First, keep it fun.

Second, don't sacrifice doing it right for the sake of keeping it fun.  

That is, DON'T let them get into bad habbits right from the start.  Kids love archery and if you get them used to the fact that there are rules involved right from the start, you will have a lot fewer problems later and they will become better shots and safer shooters of ANY type of weapon.  It's really not hard to get them to shoot properly and if they learn it initially, they will retain it all their life.

A piece of cardboard or plywood about 3 or 4 ft square can be a great training aid.  Place it on the ground the proper distance from the target and stand the kid in the middle of it.  Stand them at the proper angle to the target with their feet spread about shoulder width so they are comfortable.  Let them shoot a few shots and fine tune to where they are comfortable and are shooting well.  Then trace around their feet with a marker.  Explain that they need to put their feet in the "footprints" each time they shoot.  This helps a LOT each time you get back from retrieving arrows.  You don't have to explain each time about turning sideways and all that stuff.  Just gently remind them to step in the footprints and everything else falls into place.  You can even adjust how open or closed their stance without them noticing just by changing the angle of the plywood in relation to the target.  If you happen to shoot in your driveway like I do, you can substitute sidewalk chalk and draw right on the driveway.

As a bit of fun, instead of just tracing their feet, you can add toes and claws to make the tracks look like bigfoot, bear tracks or whatever.  They get a kick out of it.

Third, for really young kids, always use real "kids arrows" like the 1/4" dowel kind that are lightweight and have a real field tip and feathers not the blunts or bullet shaped crimped on things and plastic vanes like on the wallmart arrows.  The biggest thing that seems to discourage a young archer is not missing the target.  It's hitting it and having the arrow bounce off or not stick right and fall out.  They fly way better too.  Adult arrows that were broken and then cut down to kid size and retipped are not bad with a center shot bow but with anything non center shot, they really don't go where the kid aims very well and are usually so heavy that they either fall short or dont' stick.  Bigger kids can usually use them ok but I kinda always figure I try to set a kid up with arrows that are matched properly.  You would be suprised at how young of an age they can actually get to be really good shots if all their arrows hit where they are pointed instead of having a bunch of mismatched junk where even if the kid shoots right, the arrows group like a shotgun blast.  Keep their gear as well tuned as your own and they will be outshooting you a lot sooner than you would believe.

Fourth, NEVER make them shoot when they don't want to.  If you keep it fun and praise them, they will pester you to shoot all the time.

My son started at 3 and was outshooting me at about 9.

You put some thought into that Dave. Those are some great ideas.

Thanks

Started my grandson last summer at 2 1/2.  He hit the target (3-D bear) with his first shot.  Second shot missed so he picked up the arrow, jabbed the bear, then beat it over the head with the bow!  He only shoots a couple arrows at a time (short attention span), but all I'm trying to do is create an interest.  I think I'll hook him next summer.

My Grandson with his bow at 2 yrs old.  Notice the concentration.

He loves to follow my when I shoot and pull the arrows.  When he got the bow he really wanted to hit the target.
We'll be at it again soon and he'll be 3 in April.  So it will just get more and more fun I am hoping.

BigArcher

Here's my son in 1971 trying to learn the ropes on a Bear Grizzly.
 
At around 5 emulating a bowhunter.
 
My daughter was a little older, around 8 when she wanted to shoot a little.
 

I'm a little negligent as I have 5 grandchildren ages 2-8 and haven't taught any of them yet.  Need a couple of kids bow though.

My sons started by carrying my arrows at two or three.As I walked from round bale to bale shooting as I went.It did'nt take long before they wanted a bow of there own.Keep it fun,kids love to just flight shoot.Watch that arrow fly is a lot better than starting them out on a target.Thats not fun for a child.But seeing how  far that arrow go's is much better than tight groups.So don't try to drive good form, anchor points,stance,etc.There just there to shoot and have fun,all of that will come in time.kids have a short attention spand.So if there not haveing fun they move on to the next thing.

 REMEMBER KEEP IT FUN and they will learn to have fun.

Chester,,I started my son around that age,,I would just help him with it and basically shoot the bow for him but he was behind the arrow. That way he could see it fly,,He loved it. Now he's three  and shooting himslef and just having fun,, Remember, its all about them having fun. I posted some videos of my son shooting. He has a blast shooting. The black rhino bows are nice to start on for sure,,JB

I started my daughter a little older than everyone else.  She watched me shoot but never seemed to have any interest in doing it herself. It finaly happened 23 years latter.

Long time coming but well worth the wait.

Keep in mind Folks  

the number one source of injury for the little ones while shooting archery is pulling arrows out of the target and sticking the nock end into the face or eye of another child who is excited to pull their own arrows from the target.

   

Archery disciple does not stop when the bow is put down...

We (yeah, wife included) started our two boys around three or so with little laminated longbows that actually cast an arrow fairly well.  It made a difference in teaching them basics then and letting have fun at shooting too.  An arm guard is probably the most important thing next to the bow and arrows at that point.

One thing we did was to always stop before they were ready to, that way they remained hungry for it and looked forward to the next time.  They were so hooked, and still are, that instead of certain kinds of discipline (warming their pants, unless that was what was needed) we take the priviledge of shooting their bows.  That is a lesson that has many prongs, including a constant reminder to me too.

Anyway...start'em up young and enjoy it.  Our investment paid off the last two years in one aspect, in that we enjoyed venison in the freezer from our now twelve year old.  Nothing quite like the taste of a good steak that your son provided for you...I know why Isaac wanted that in his final days.

Well as you probally already know you cant pushem and dont let them stand too close to the target. The arrow can bounce back and hit them.also remember to always check their arrows a wood arrow can fly to pices even out of a kids bow. Always talk to your child no matter how young they are. they understand more then we give them credit for.explain form a little at a time. add something every few trips out. If they like it and stick with you will be amazed how good of a shot they will become.

I started my son this past spring and he's 2 will be 3 in April.  I just go out with him and help him as long as he's interestd.  Once he gets bored we stop whether we shot 2 arrows or 200 arrows.  I just got him a cheap bow and try to keep it fun.

My dad started me when i was 2 and i did fine.