Don,

You can't go wrong with a Parr. The Parr is a very nice looking and efficient little hull. I built one for my boy who is about to turn 6, and the only problem is that we don't go out often enough. In fact, we were going to go paddling today, but I had a busy night at work and went to sleep when I got home this morning.

One of the things I like about the Parr is its beam. I can't imagine putting my son in a kayak with a 20" or 22" beam. Even though it would be more stable, he would have a hard time paddling it. If you'll be building for a bigger kid, the Cirrus SLT from One Ocean Kayaks might be a good choice. I might build one for one of my nephews as soon as the kits are available.

The link below the attached image has some pictures of my son's kayak. The pictures are on the first three pages. The last picture of his kayak is the one on this post, the rest are of my kayak.

Good luck and let us know what you choose.

Pedro Almeida

http://www.oneoceankayaks.com/kayakpro/kayakgrid.htm