To Parents and Educators:

The introductory information below is provided for parents and educators, but is helpful guidance for everyone. Since most of this site is targeted to kids, it's visually-driven. While it's been said a picture is worth a thousand words, a picture or graphic holds a child's interest much longer and is more inviting. With this premise, we encourage visitors to roam and explore. This approach combined with the information below, information and additional activities contained in "Teach and Learn" and most importantly YOUR guidance, provide the best learning package for our future boaters.

The Boating Safety Sidekicks web site was produced to entertain and educate children about the importance and ways to boat safely. Activities and information can be used directly from the web site or in conjunction with the Boating Safety Sidekicks activity book offered by the National Safe Boating Council.

The area entitled "Teach and Learn" shows how you can use the activity book in conjunction with a lesson plan to provide a comprehensive page-by-page learning experience.

Clicking on each of the Sidekicks characters, takes you to an individual profile about that Sidekicks and ways they boat safely.

For children of all ages, "Boating Safety Sidekicks Coloring pages" and "Boating Safety Sidekicks Go Fishing" are two areas containing coloring pages ready to download.

"Types of Boats" provides a glimpse of the different boats you'll see on the water and the activities usually associated with each boat. The message here is that there's diversity in the boating community and there's plenty of fun on the water.

"Kids Know Boats" includes a multitude of activities and information geared towards understanding boat operation and survival in the water. The boating quiz in this section provides a self-test to provide confidence and inspiration for what they know and curiosity for what they need to learn.

"Sidekicks Sidelines" and "Boating Safety Wordpics" offer an easily approachable and fun way to learn.

Undoubtably the most important area is "Know Your Flotation Devices." It provides a visual definition of the different types of flotation devices as well as a link to obtain 'Saved by the Jacket", real life accounts by those saved by life jackets.

We appreciate your interest and involvement in boating safety education. Supporting a child's start in boating contributes to the formation of a safe boat operator. Please mark this site as a "favorite" and return to our port again and again to see our latest offering. Thank you for navigating these waters!