Best water sports for kids in NYC

Looking for an aquatic adventure with a view? Every Saturday until August 31st, Brooklyn Bridge Park offers a public kayaking program between Piers 1 and 2. The BBP staff first provides quick tutorial of boating basics before the whole family heads out into the East River. For the more competitive waterbugs, the park also offers Kayak Polo & Kids Kayak Polo until August 24th. Thursdays 5:30pm to 6:45pm, Saturdays 10am to 3pm.Through August 31st. 334 Furman St, Brooklyn, NY. (718-222-9939, brooklynbridgepark.org). Free.

These piers, sprinkled from Tribeca to midtown, provide activities - including stand-up paddleboarding (at Pier 84) and kayak polo (Pier 66) - for all levels of experience and skill. Pier 66 is also the home of New York Outrigger, a nonprofit devoted to the unique water sport derived from traditional Polynesian seafaring. Though children younger than 14 aren’t allowed to enter NYO’s free program for beginners, they’ll have just as much fun watching the sleek canoes sail by. Dates and times vary by pier; see website for details. Piers 96, 66, 40, 84 and 26. Free.

Manhattan Sailing School offers beginner classes for adults and for budding junior sailors through two-day intensives or a once-a-week evening course for five weeks. Kids ages 8 to 13 can also sign up for the Operation Optimist weeklong summer camps, though you might have to wait until next year, however—slots fill up fast. Daily through Aug 29. 8:45am–5:15pm. North Cove Marina, 375 South End Ave. $590 per course.

The Downtown Boathouse offers free kayaking at various locations around the Hudson (including one of our favorite summer staycation spots, Governors Island), with the added benefit of changing rooms, lockers, locks and even sunscreen. Parents, be warned: only one child is allowed to ride with you at once, and you’ll have to return to shore within 20 minutes. Dates and times vary by location. May through October. Pier 26, Governor’s Island, Pier 40, Pier 96 & 72nd St. Free.

Hop in to one of the VCB’s 25-ft Whitehall gigs, a traditional 19th century rowboat (and the inspiration for Whitehall St in the Financial District!), where a trained coxswain will lead up to four passengers on a trip around the Hudson. The organization also hosts community boatbuilding on Monday and Wednesday afternoons, should kids prefer to stay on dry land. And as of this year, the VCB is the only operator of rowing on Prospect Park Lake. Head towards Well House Drive on the lake’s south side and join in free, walk-up rowing sessions from 12pm to 4pm on Saturdays in August. Tuesdays, 5pm, and Wednesdays, 5:30pm through November. Pier 40, West St & West Houston St, New York, NY. Free.

This all-volunteer organization was created in hopes that eager New Yorkers would experience everything Staten Island had to offer from a unique offshore view. Trips are limited to just 15 minutes, though there’s always the option of hopping back in line for another spin. Saturdays and Sundays through August 24th. 12pm to 3pm. Staten Island, Parking Lot #1. Free.

Here’s a water sport where even babies can get in on the fun: the folks at Manhattan Community Boathouse allow children as young as six months to climb aboard during free walk-up kayaking hours. Families can also drop in to Pier 96 in midtown’s free public classes, where they’ll cover paddling and water safety basics. Note that Upper West Siders may have to wait in a potentially lengthy line on especially nice days. Pier 96: Saturdays and Sundays, mid-May though mid-October, 10am to 6pm; Weeknights, June through August, 5pm to 7pm. 72nd St Dock: Saturdays and Sundays, June through September, 10am to 5pm. Manhattancommunityboathouse.org. Free