so I take the kids (age 6, 5 and 2) canoing by myself every summer about 3 times a week on the pond in front of my house, and in the river behind my house (slow moving). We live near the Rum river and it has some great swimming beaches. Next summer I was wondering if I should attempt to take the kids (they will be 7,5 and 2) up the river by canoe to a sand bar to swim. The oldest will be paddling in the front, me in the back. The 2 year old with me, and the 5 year old in the middle. Does this sound to risky by myself? the 6 and 5 year old can easily swim in a life jacket no problem. the 2 year old is learning how to swim and not just float. I will have my waterproof cell phone with.

Depends on the weather I would think...

I paddled with three kids and just me and got stuck at the end of our lake once due to wind. Oldest could not help keep the bow tracking and in 18.5' canoe, I couldn't do it alone from the stern. Wind kept flipping us around no matter how hard we tried. We portaged 1/2 mile home on a sidewalk.

My first BW trip with just kids, oldest was 8. We had some wind on the way out, but the canoe was loaded and stable and she 'crow barred' the bow on track every time we needed it. It was hard paddling, but we made it out OK.

So - if you think you can navigate the weather OK, I'd say you should be good to go. Cell phone in your PFD pocket, no high water, calm day... Take lots of pics!!

yup, I figure if we flip and for some reason can't get to the canoe the worst that can happen is we float back to the landing since we are going up river.

Are there many down trees on this river? If not, go for it. If so, I would be more leery of it...don't want to flip and have a floating kid get stuck in a strainer.

good point Nola... maybe paddle it beforehand with another adult - to make sure the trees that fall over winter have been removed, etc. If current is strong enough to worry about strainers, then I might be nervous anyway with kids solo at those ages...

There is a little river near me that has slow-moving current, but many strainers, so it's actually somewhat dangerous if you flip. And people sometimes flip either because they are being stupid/lazy (thinking oh, this is a slow river, no problem...) or because of the strainers themselves. Or, maybe they are not paying attention because they are thinking about the bull and his harem that are hanging out in the water. (actually saw this, LOL) There are many farms along the route and the cows just go right in (and along the way, you may have to duck under a barbed wire hung across the river to keep the cows on the farmer's property...it's an adventure!)

I think as a family we will try it first and then once at the beach hubby and I will talk it over

Whenever you go, take some pics!

Nola - sounds like fun!