First bow for my toddler

[jlong17]

Hey fellow archers! I’m relatively new to the archery game, so I don’t have a ton of experience and knowledge. I’m looking at getting my little girl a bow for her 3rd birthday and was looking for advice and recommendations. How did you get your little ones into the sport? Little girl specific tips/pointers?
With the increased politicization of every single organized team sport my wife and I are thinking of just avoiding that mess and instead focusing on other sports to build character and life skills... and archery seems to be something solid to try.
Thanks I advance!!

 

[Dsnow9]

We started with a little suction cup bow at two. For her 4th birthday we upgraded slightly to something with points. The at a little over 4.5 she is finally starting to be able to use the bigger bow as well as the suction cup bow. The suction cup bow was great because she could run around the house and practice hunting her stuffed animals too! Here is the link for the bigger bow. Bear Archery Valiant Bow Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ4JJD...abc_5S9K6YVY7DVBGX6ACVAH?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

 

[Northwoods]

My daughter developed an interest in archery from watching me shoot all the time. Last summer we went and picked out a Genesis bow for her 7th birthday.

 

[jlong17]

We started with a little suction cup bow at two. For her 4th birthday we upgraded slightly to something with points. The at a little over 4.5 she is finally starting to be able to use the bigger bow as well as the suction cup bow. The suction cup bow was great because she could run around the house and practice hunting her stuffed animals too! Here is the link for the bigger bow. Bear Archery Valiant Bow Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ4JJD...abc_5S9K6YVY7DVBGX6ACVAH?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

View attachment 179359View attachment 179360

Ah man, that’s awesome! So much to look forward to, but enjoying the stage were at right now. Time is definitely flying

 

[Dsnow9]

Ah man, that’s awesome! So much to look forward to, but enjoying the stage were at right now. Time is definitely flying

It will be here before you know it!

 

[jjl8440]

I started my daughter at 3 years old with a Mini Genesis and got 4 years out of it. Easy to resell (even a pink one). Then I got her an Infinite Edge (Bowtech) and at age 12 she now shoots an Eva Shockey. We have a great time shooting together.

 

[Rodmor80]

Just bought my 4yo a suction cup bow to get her started.

 

[Foggy Mountain]

A very light recurve is the answer. If she can draw back very little the weight is negligible. My daughters started under 2. They’d stand up close and I’d load the target with over inflated balloons so they’d break.
Make a big deal over her shooting, she wanted to keep doing it. Once tired we stopped. That’s key. Her timeframe.
Hate to say this but eye dominance is important. If you’re gonna teach her, teach her properly.
If she stands 15 feet away, both eyes open and points at your nose tip her finger will be under dominant eye.
Another good check for kids is have them look through a record or cd. They’ll use dominant eye. Do not tell them what you’re doing.
I do lots of kids classes and have for years. . Many find a genesis bow, even a mini too heavy to pull and def too heavy to physically hold comfortably. Kids a lot older are even that way. It’s a perfect 2nd step bow and I highly recommend it down the road. Not just yet though. A kids recurve is super light. Good luck

 

[Mountain Man]

A very light recurve is the answer. If she can draw back very little the weight is negligible. My daughters started under 2. They’d stand up close and I’d load the target with over inflated balloons so they’d break.
Make a big deal over her shooting, she wanted to keep doing it. Once tired we stopped. That’s key. Her timeframe.
Hate to say this but eye dominance is important. If you’re gonna teach her, teach her properly.
If she stands 15 feet away, both eyes open and points at your nose tip her finger will be under dominant eye.
Another good check for kids is have them look through a record or cd. They’ll use dominant eye. Do not tell them what you’re doing.
I do lots of kids classes and have for years. . Many find a genesis bow, even a mini too heavy to pull and def too heavy to physically hold comfortably. Kids a lot older are even that way. It’s a perfect 2nd step bow and I highly recommend it down the road. Not just yet though. A kids recurve is super light. Good luck

@Foggy Mountain, what draw weight would you recommend for a 5 year old? I’m currently living in the Netherlands and there is a local archery shop that sells small recurves. They are not cheap, but I would like to get my kids more into archery just like the OP. Can you please provide some recommendations on recurves?

Also, I just did the dominant eye test asking my kids to point to my nose. My son (right handed) used his right eye. He ended up eventually naturally shutting his left eye without me saying anything after a few seconds of having both eyes open. My daughter (left handed) covered her right eye…so should I be teaching her to shoot right handed from here on out? She is pretty obviously left handed when it comes to writing/coloring/eating/etc. so I have been teaching her to shoot her bow left handed. I’m gathering I need change tactics but would value any additional advice.

 

[Foggy Mountain]

For bows alot with a recurve depends on how long the draw is, that’s why they’re great, the go up weight as the child grows but something around 15lb at 28” would set em up pretty good for a while I’d think. Make sure it’s relatively light physical weight too.
Now idk of there are any exactly I’d recommend. It’s not super important. Important thing is introduction and making it fun. Remember if you use the balloons over inflate so they break real easy. Young kids arrows tend to have very little energy.
Teach your kids to shoot w both eyes open. When they do everything else that’s the way it’s done. Only people shooting the wrong eye must close one to eliminate dominate eye (not recommended). Sorry I don’t have exact bows but I’ve taught, used everything.

 

[Foggy Mountain]

This little guy was 5 here. My gf nephew. He’s shooting the bow my daughters used. I’ve never seen another

 

[Mountain Man]

For bows alot with a recurve depends on how long the draw is, that’s why they’re great, the go up weight as the child grows but something around 15lb at 28” would set em up pretty good for a while I’d think. Make sure it’s relatively light physical weight too.
Now idk of there are any exactly I’d recommend. It’s not super important. Important thing is introduction and making it fun. Remember if you use the balloons over inflate so they break real easy. Young kids arrows tend to have very little energy.
Teach your kids to shoot w both eyes open. When they do everything else that’s the way it’s done. Only people shooting the wrong eye must close one to eliminate dominate eye (not recommended). Sorry I don’t have exact bows but I’ve taught, used everything.

@Foggy Mountain, Point taken about having them shoot with booth eyes open. I’m still not 100% clear on if it is vital their dominate eye be the back eye furthest from the bow. I know that matters a lot with firearms so I am trying to figure out if my daughter needs to switch to shooting bows right handed.

 

[Foggy Mountain]

The eye needs to be over the arrow and it’s especially critical once and if sights or sighting is used. I’ll try to explain and I hope you follow me. Take an arrow yourself. Draw it. No bow. Your dominant eye is looking down it. Say it’s your right. Now close it. Reaim with your left. Open your dominant eye. It’s not looking at target.
Ok so you put sights on bow. Pretty simple. Doesn’t matter how your aiming right? The sights will fix it. If you’re at 20 yards you can get point of impact matching point of aim. Ok now go to 10 yards, you’ll shoot to one side. 30 yards the opposite side. You’d be shooting contrary to your vision or across your dominant eye. At a set yardage you could make it work. Closer or further it’ll be right or left.
It’s def 100% vital imo. Some say we’ll close the dominant eye. It’ll force focus with the eye matching the hand. Imagine a little sister, mom or dog comes into room. With the eye shut at what point do they see it. Test this yourself. Get a broomstick, mount it like a shotgun. Swing it right to left towards your door, tree, bush whatever keeping your left eye shut. When did you see the door, tree, bush? Imagine it was a child. Also imagine the bow it stationary but the object moving towards you. Same exact thing bud. Hope you followed me.

 

[Mountain Man]

I followed. Thanks for the additional information. I’m now unsure what my daughter’s dominant eye is. When she pointed to my nose her finger clearly was under her right eye. Now this morning I finally found a CD to perform that test and she looked through it with her left eye. Both tests were performed numerous times with consistent results. This is going to drive me crazy until I can figure this out.

 

[Foggy Mountain]

Ok so ask her to point at a distant object both eyes open. Cover one eye, if the object doesn’t move her uncovered eye is dominant. If it does the uncovers one non dominant.
During the cd test are you sure both eyes were open and during the finger point test look not at what hand she used but which of her eyes her finger was under.
There are other tests too. The aperature method. Similar to cd test. Thumbs in, four fingers up like stop motion. Both hands like this. Make a triangle to look through by bringing those hands together
Have her center your nose. The eye you can see is her dominant eye. Idk how I’ll pic that. No one is up. I’m gonna try and find an example in one of my manuals

 

[Foggy Mountain]

Here ya go to help explain. Have your wife or someone make sure both eyes stay open

 

[Flatbrimmer]

All this talk of shooting with both eyes open…. ? Never done that before and I feel great shooting… the thought of what I miss or MAY miss out of my closed eye is valid enough to make me test this out thoroughly. I’m sighted to my right eye, and my sight picture doesn’t move when closing the NON dominant eye, obviously. So- what’s the harm? This is good info, what’s the works cited on that picture you posted @Foggy Mountain

 

[Foggy Mountain]

That particular picture is from a NASP certification book. USA archery shows the same as do almost all shooting sports. It’s that important. Look at every top shooter. You see none close one eye.

 

[Foggy Mountain]

Here’s a video that wlll explain some. I don’t teach covering target but lollipop method but it’ll help you get drift

 

[Foggy Mountain]

That shows recurve but same said for all shooting sports