The first kayak I built for my grandchildren is a 6' SOF with removable outriggers. As they started using it when they were less than 2 years old, it was never intended that they would propel it themselves. They really enjoyed being towed behind one of their parents or a grandparent. :) It was largely just to determine if they enjoyed being on the water.

When it came to build something more useful, I had some theories about what design would be most useful and versatile.

I don't believe that children need to be in something that is so stable that they can't possibly capsize. That just means they are in a kayak so wide that they can't paddle it properly and it will be inefficient.

My theory is that the kayak should get its volume from being long and narrow, not short and wide. That makes the kayak quite efficient to paddle and quite fast for a child's kayak. So I built a stripper that is 12 feet long and just under 18" wide. Experience has shown that it is an acceptable size for a 3 year old but still suitable for a 10 year old. It is also obvious that a 4 year old child feels more stable in that than an adult might feel in a 20" to 22" kayak.

I am convinced that within reason, it isn't the length that makes a kayak too big for a child, it is the width and the height. So getting those things right is quite important.

If children's kayaks are a reasonable length then they will grow out of it because they can't fit their backside, legs or feet into it, not because the whole kayak is too small, too slow or unable to support their weight.

Applying those theories also means that the child get a kayak that looks like a proper kayak rather than a kayak that looks like a toy.

I like to think that Joe Greenley of Redfish Kayak subscribes to the same ideas. His "Parr" looks the way I think a child's kayak should look.

I have already posted images of my granddaughter's kayak in this thread.