Steps to Teach Kids Archery

Teaching your kids archery doesn’t have to be difficult. It just requires a lot of patience and commitment from you. It also helps if you’re knowledgeable of how to do Archery. Let’s talk about what’s needed to teach your children archery in 5 steps. When these 5 steps are completed, your kids bow and arrow will be the correct size and they will have the best experience in archery.

Here are 5 steps to help you teach your child how to learn archery.

Step 1 – Go to an Archery Shop

What’s your first step? Make sure you have the right equipment for your child. If you go to just any general store, and pick up just any bow and arrow, you run the risk of having the wrong size, wrong draw weight and length for your kid.  And, this could lead to your child not liking archery.

You need to go to a real archery shop to make sure you get the right size archery bow. The shop will spend time with your child so they’re fitted with the correct archery bow. Can they only hold a certain weight? If that’s the case, it’s okay. The pro in the shop will provide suggestions that’ll help you make a good buying decision for your child.

It’s necessary to keep in mind that you should get a bow that your child can grow with. Kids grow fast, and the last thing you want is to buy the bow today, and then two weeks later your child has outgrown it. There are many companies that will make a draw weight adjustable and PSE, so your child can enjoy archery with the same bow for years to come.

Don’t just get the bow, also get a target. There are a lot of fun targets on the market that your child may enjoy shooting at. Also, remember adults shoot from approximately 20 or 30 yards. Your child may not be able to do this for some time. So, find a target that is comfortable for them. This will enhance their enjoyment of archery. Find a way to make it a game. And, let them know it’s okay if the arrow bounces off the target.

Some kids love the targets shaped like animals. While they’re practicing their skills, these type of targets help them learn about the anatomy of the animals. If they have an interest in bow hunting, they’ll have a better idea of where to shoot. Use large targets so their chances of hitting the target are greater. This will help keep up their enthusiasm.

You can even keep it very simple. Set up balloons as targets. The objective is to pop as many balloons as they can. However, keep in mind that if it’s windy, the balloons will be difficult to hit, and could cause frustration. For other homemade target ideas, try pizza boxes or pie plates.

Step 2 – Which eye is dominant?

Time to determine eye dominance for your child. This is essential for accurate shooting since the bow strings should be directly in front of the dominant eye.  Rumor has it that your dominant hand will be your dominant eye, but that is not always the case.

How to find your dominant eye?

• Extend both hands forward placing them together to form a triangle between their thumbs and index fingers.
• Look at the triangle and center an object with both eyes open at first.
• Then close your left eye while still focusing on the object. If it stays in the center of your triangle, then you are right eye dominant. If it is no longer visible, then they’re left eye dominant
• To make sure, perform the test again. This time close your right eye to see where the object lands

Step 3 – Correct draw length and draw weight

When getting your child their first bow, their comfort is your top priority. The right bow will help them relax and focus. This puts them on the path of developing good archery skills.

Start with getting the correct wingspan for your child. This is a great starting point of your child’s proper draw length. To get this measurement, do the following:

• Have your child stand with their back against the wall extend their arms outward
• Measure the wingspan from the fingertip to fingertip
• Take the measurement, and divide by 2.5.
  • This will give you a draw length.
  • For example, if the wingspan is 45”, divide by 2.5. It will equal 18″. This is their draw length.

Having the correct draw length is key to accuracy, form and great shooting.

When looking at draw weight, your child may have difficulties reaching their draw weight fully. Or, their draw action is inconsistent. If any of these things are happening, the poundage is probably too high.

Here’s how you determine this: Have the child sit in a chair with their legs open and the bow straight out in front of them. In this position, have them try to come to a full draw. If this is not possible without raising it 4 to 6 inches above the line of sight, they’re probably shooting too much weight.

If this is the case, lower the poundage. The child should be able to draw the bow back in a relaxed manner, which will lead to a smoother draw back.

Step 4 – Create success

It is now time to create success with good form. But first, we need to make sure the target is set up correctly. The targets can be made or bought. They don’t need to be fancy, just large enough for the child to see. Choose an open area, just in case there are a lot of wild shots. The target, at first, should be about 5-8 yards away. Once their skills improve, then move it further away, gradually.

Next, it’s time to make sure the newbie has the proper stance. Have their toes at a 90 ° angle, or a little less. The arm that holds the bow should be outstretched towards the chosen target.

Have the new archer line up the anchor point with their string hand. This is usually at the bend of the mouth /jaw. (They should find the comfort spot, and stick to it to gain accuracy and arrow speed). Now, let’s practice the consistent release. They will need to learn that the fingers don’t move, they relax. This allows the string to slip from the fingers. While maintaining focus and patient aiming, their arrows will soon, be hitting the target.

Do you think your child needs a 7-pin sight? Or a drop away arrow rest? The more they shoot, the more you can bring in all of the accessories. For them to learn to shoot accurately, do not start with too much. It can lead to confusion and complications. If your child feels discouraged, it’ll be difficult for them to enjoy archery.

If you do get accessories, go for the simple ones. Let them color coordinate if they like, just to help them with their enjoyment. But, don’t get all the added extras. Maybe a colorful single pin sight or an arrow rest to help with the fallout. Two other simple accessories are a kisser button and a bow sling. Having the kisser button will give them a second point of reference when aiming, and keep their head from tilting differently each time.

Step 5 – Remember short attention span

Try to keep your shooting sessions short. That will help them to stay focused. If you see they start to wander or stop trying, you’re done for the day. Understand that some days they may shoot three to five arrows, other days maybe they want to shoot 20 to 30 arrows. Either way, they’re practicing, and their skills will improve. Also, keep in mind, don’t try to teach them everything in one day, this will be overload for them.

This is the time when you have to exercise patience, and relax. I know you may want to tell him everything you know about archery, but they’re not ready to hear it. Keep it fun and relaxing. Build on the techniques each time they pick up their bow. And, that is how they’ll build a good foundation.

Conclusion to teaching your child archery

This can be a fun sport for you and your child to do together. Have patience, and do not push them so hard, they back away, and never want to pick up their bow again. Make sure you get all of the proper equipment to start off with. This will help your child become more comfortable with the bow from day one. So, remember don’t pressure them, make sure you keep it fun and follow the 5 steps.

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