Every year, more and more kids are heading to the nearest archery range to try out the sport. Luckily, getting these kids into archery is not only fun, but also easy to do. A bow and arrow for kids is the first step in getting them involved.
The Benefits of Archery for Kids
Many people are unaware of all of the different benefits that archery can provide. Most of these benefits make it worthwhile, but most kids enjoy all of them! The benefits of archery for kids include:
Increases Mental Focus & Self Discipline
Archery helps a child develop stronger mental focus. Shooting a bow with consistent accuracy takes a lot of mental focus. The more practice a child does, the more mental focus they will develop. It also helps them develop self-discipline. Learning to shoot a bow and arrow can be difficult and through that challenge comes patience and self-discipline.
Improves Hand-eye Coordination
Archery is a skill that trains your hands to aim based upon feedback from the eyes. With a little bit of practice, a child can become much more coordinated. This helps in many different areas during child development. Improvements can be seen in reading, writing, balance, and sports activities among others. Strong hand-eye coordination is a major advantage during those early formative years.
Increases Self Confidence
Practicing a skill like archery can help boost the self-esteem of a child. Over time, as they feel their mental and physical skills improve, their confidence will increase. Friendly competition, tournaments, and even hunting will push self-confidence to a whole new level.
This self-confidence becomes the basis and launching point for the rest of their lives. Developing strong self-confidence at a young age allows them to understand the process and apply themselves in all other areas of their life.
Improves Social Interaction Skills
While archery can be an individual sport, it can also be a team sport. For example, competing in a tournament is often done with archers grouped together for scoring. Even if you are not competing, you can still get together with peers and friends to practice at the archery range. This makes it a great place for kids to improve their social skills with adults and other children alike.
Reduces Stress
A large part of archery is mental focus. This mental focus will help a child reduce stress. Many people compare archery to meditation, as the two are very similar. When you clear your mind and focus on performing a good shot, the stress and anxiety of daily life almost disappear.
This type of stress reduction can be enjoyed for a lifetime. I started shooting at 5 years old and I still find archery to be a great source of stress reduction to this day. Modern day society is stressful and introducing your child to archery just might give them a lifelong outlet.
Is Archery Safe for Kids?
Many parents may be concerned about the safety of their kids while shooting a bow and arrow. Believe it or not, archery is actually very safe. Not only is it safe but in terms of injury, it’s one of the safest sports in the entire world. It ranks just below golf and fishing, while just above badminton and table tennis. A child is much more likely to injure themselves playing a sport like soccer, basketball, or baseball than they are shooting archery.
The Equipment They Need
The exact equipment a child needs to get started largely depends on their chosen style of archery. From target archery to field archery and recurve bows to compounds, each style needs different equipment.
Bow and String
Kids can be well suited with either a recurve bow or a compound bow. No matter which type of bow you choose for them, the most important part is to get a bow fits them properly. While many beginners start with a recurve bow, compound bows do have the advantage of let-off. This makes it easier for them to hold the bow back a full draw.
Arrows with Tips, Nocks, and Fletching
Besides a bow, kids obviously need arrows to get started. There are three main materials to choose from which are wood, fiberglass, and carbon. Wood arrows are very inexpensive and used with recurve bows. Carbon arrows are heavier and stiffer than wood and best suited for use with compound bows. Lastly we have fiberglass arrows, which is a great option for beginners. Fiberglass arrows are inexpensive and very durable, making them perfect for kids. They can also be used with both recurve and compound bows. If you’re looking to learn more about different types of arrows, we have an article to help you choose the right type of arrow.
Release Aid
A release aid is a device used to help you draw and shoot a bow. For compounds, a mechanical release aid is usually used. For recurves, finger tabs or guards are used to help aid you in drawing and releasing the bowstring with your fingers.
Release aids are very important to help protect your child’s fingers. I started out with a finger tab but eventually moved to a caliper release once I started shooting compound. It’s completely personal preference and we have a beginners guide to archery release aids if you’d like to learn more about the options available.
Arm Guard
An arm guard helps protect your child’s arm from getting hit with the bowstring while shooting. They’re generally made of a leather type material or plastic and attach to the forearm. While this isn’t considered necessary by experienced archers, it’s important for beginners while they learn technique to avoid painful slaps from the bowstring.
Arrow Quiver
An arrow quiver is designed to hold all your arrows in a single location. There are many different types of quivers to choose from. For kids, two great options are hip quivers and ground arrow holders. A hip quiver allows them to carry arrows wherever they may go. A ground arrow holder keeps their arrows at a single location while they’re shooting. This means they don’t have to worry about carrying them around.
Optional Accessories
A few optional accessories you may want to consider include things like sights or stabilizers. Bow sights can be used with both recurve and compound bows and make aiming much easier. Stabilizers, although they make the bow a little heavier, help reduce vibrations and stabilize the bow for increased accuracy.
Finding the Right Equipment
As you can see, there are many different pieces of equipment to consider when getting started with archery. When it comes to purchasing equipment for a child, there are a few simple things to understand and remember before making a purchase.
Draw Length
Finding the right bow will largely depend on your child’s draw length. Both recurve and compound bows have certain draw lengths that match up to a child’s size. There are a few simple ways you can find your child’s draw length. One of the easiest ways is to take your child’s height and divide it by 2.5. The principle here is that the human body is proportioned and this will give you a rough estimate of draw length.
Another method you can use is very similar and involves measuring their arm span (preferred method). Measure the tip of their middle finger to the tip of the other and then divide by 2.5 once again. These two methods can be quickly used to gain a rough estimate of draw length in order to find the right bow. It’s very important to find a bow that matches your child’s draw length or there will be issues.
Draw Weight
Along with draw length, draw weight is critical when selecting a bow for a child. A kid’s physical condition, age, stamina, and motor skills all come into play here. There are many suggestions on starting draw weights depending on a child’s age. These are great starting points, but it will come down to a little bit of testing to find the perfect weight. When in doubt, start on the lower end until your child can build up to heavier weights with more practice. If you need more help in this area, we have another article to help you determine your bow draw weight.
Arrow Spine
Arrow spine refers to the measure of flexibility an arrow has. You need the right arrow spine for clean arrow flight and consistency. The spine you need correlates to your draw length and bow poundage. Most arrow manufacturers release arrow charts to help you find the correct spine you need. If you want more information about arrow spine, we have a few arrow charts you can take a look at. If you have any trouble, most bow shops will also be able to help.
Finding Help
Speaking of finding help, most bow shops can help you find the equipment you need. Many archery shops even rent equipment to try out. They are a wealth of knowledge and will be able to answer your questions. They can even help customize a purchase for your kid if you’re feeling a little overwhelmed.
Where to Practice Archery
Once your child has their very own bow and arrow, now you have to find a place for them to practice! There are a few basic options on where to shoot their new bow and arrow. These options include:
In Your Backyard
Your backyard will likely be the easiest and most convenient place for your child to practice. However, this is not always an option. First, check to see if your city has any rules and regulations regarding archery practice on private property. Second, you must ensure that it’s safe enough. Third, you must have enough space in your backyard to practice archery. If you can get past these hurdles, your backyard can be the perfect place to practice.
At an Archery Range
One of the best places to practice is at an archery range. This is the safest and most professional option. Archery ranges have targets already set up as well as other accommodations that can make it an enjoyable experience. However, they usually charge a small fee to use the range. This helps cover maintenance, operations, and materials.
Indoors at a Bow Shop
Many bow shops allow you to shoot at their indoor range for free when buying a new bow. Afterwards they may charge a small hourly range fee, much like an archery range. This can be a great option for beginners as someone knowledgeable will likely be around to help if you run into any issues with the equipment.
Teaching, Form and Technique
After getting the right equipment and finding a place to practice, the next task is to learn proper archery form and technique. Developing proper form is very important and allows you to accurately and safely shoot a bow and arrow. There are 11 steps for archery success and they are as follows:
- Stance
- Nock
- Hook and Grip
- Posture & Alignment
- Raise the Bow
- Draw Down
- Anchor
- Transfer to Hold
- Aim
- Release/Follow Through
- Feedback
Review the article linked above for an in-depth look at the 11 step shooting process and you’ll have enough knowledge to guide your child to becoming a proficient archer.
Classes Available
There are many options available when it comes to archery classes or lessons for children. A quick search in your area should yield plenty of local classes that are younger shooters, especially those that are just beginning. In addition to local classes and clubs, there are plenty of archery organizations that provide archery training. A few to look for include National Archery in Schools Program and the Scholastic Archery Association.
As a quick side-note, we are currently working to release our first online training course, Archery Foundations, and we’ll be releasing it later this spring. As a valued reader, we’re offering 25% off before launch. Simply visit the Archery Foundations page, enter your email, and you’ll receive a discount when we launch!
Conclusion
If you’re wondering how archery might fit into your child’s life, here’s a quick summary of how it has fit into mine…
I started with archery at my local 4H camp at 5 years old. My dad noticed some natural ability and decided to develop that ability along with his own. After some practice, my dad and I qualified for the I.B.O World Championship in 1993, which took three qualifying tournaments. My dad and I were in the top 3 for every qualifying tournament and my dad eventually achieved 2nd place in the world for his class.
That being said, this did wonders for me as a kid for my ability to focus, learn discipline, and gain self-confidence. Getting your kid started with archery is one of the greatest things a parent can do. Archery has so many benefits for kids and can provide them with a lifelong hobby. A simple bow and arrow for your kid is a great start to what’s to come for their future.
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