You shouldn’t commit to a particular cottage if you are too worried your toddler will wander onto a main thoroughfare on the outskirts of the property. If a certain risk inherent to the property preoccupies you, then you won’t have any fun at your retreat. Nonetheless, it is impossible to avoid risk completely. If you are searching for a recreational property devoid of risks and dangers, you won’t find one. After all, a cottage can’t deliver a risk-free experience - just as your house in the city and the surrounding streets aren’t 100 per cent child safe.

Parents have different worry quotients

Cottage properties highlight the reality the parents of young children often have different worry quotients. For example, I know of a set of parents who passed up a wonderful property with classic Canadian Shield terrain. The cedar-shake cottage, set on a shoreline framed by a rocky drop-off, offered exquisite views of Georgian Bay. But their children were young, and they worried about the rocky landscape. Others, however, might not give up on such a beautiful property because of fears about the rocky terrain. They might decide to adapt themselves to their children’s needs when they are toddlers by taking them to a sandy beach near their cottage. After all, the rocks will only be problematic for a few years and the property will always be spectacular. There’s no right or wrong. You just have to know your risk tolerance and your comfort level. I’ve witnessed people at either end of the spectrum. There are those who take their young children out in a boat without life jackets and those who are horrified to see their kids run barefoot on a cottage lawn. Nonetheless, one cardinal rule is young children cannot be left unsupervised at the cottage – just as they can’t be left alone in the city.

Varied geography provides a range of options to suit all sorts of families

The Kawarthas offers diverse geography and a variety of waterfront types – even on the same body of water. As its geography is far from homogeneous, you can search for a waterfront property that suits your family’s needs – you aren’t constrained by a specific terrain.

Finding a child-friendly cottage isn’t complicated

Finding a child-appropriate cottage in the Kawarthas doesn’t have to be a complex endeavour. Children can play and engage in various outdoor activities in a cottage environment when parents provide the appropriate supervision, adopt strategies to manage risks, and train their children.

Take a big-picture approach to kid-friendliness

It is a mistake to focus exclusively on the dangers posed by a cottage property in deciding whether it’s a kid-friendly space. Instead, it’s worthwhile to take a big-picture approach to your decision about whether a cottage property is the right fit for your young family. Don’t give the property a thumbs up, or a thumbs down based on how dangerous you think it is for children. Instead, think about whether the cottage is somewhere you can imagine your family spending happy, languorous summer days. What does the property offer your children that would be fun and entertaining for them in future years? Based on our experience working with buyers and our storylines as veteran cottage owners, we’ve created a list of features of a recreational property important to parents as well as those characteristics children readily identify with:

Things parents with young children seek in a recreational property

1. Outside the cottage and the general surroundings

• The desire for safe and favourable swimming conditions drives their search for a property with shallow waterfront, a sandy lake bottom, and a gently sloping shoreline. Parents with young children want wade-in waterfront and a small beach where their toddlers can frolic in the shallows and toss sand.
• They also seek a direct line of vision from their perch on the cottage deck to the water when their children swim. These parents typically avoid recreational properties that are steep to the water. (It is usually more difficult to see children in the water from the cottage if the property is steep to the water)
• Water that’s sufficiently calm to allow kids to swim, paddle a canoe, and sail
• A stretch of the property where children can play safely and run around, such as an expanse of grass. Ideally, this space is separate or contained to a certain degree
• A bunkie that offers a retreat for games on rainy days and a hideaway for Tom Sawyer-inspired sleepovers
• A cottage situated at the end of the road as fewer cars travel all the way to the end. This off-the-beaten-path location reduces the risk road traffic poses to children and opens up opportunities for games like street hockey
• A critical mass of children in the same age range as their kids

2. Inside the cottage

• A separate or designated play area where kids can play games
• Fuss-free, low-maintenance floors and surfaces
• Bedrooms on the same floor to ensure they are on the same level as their children

Things parents with young children don’t like

1. Outside the cottage and the general surroundings

• A property with a rocky terrain given the risk of injury
• A recreational getaway close to a major road or thoroughfare as traffic is heavier and speeds are higher
• A property with frenetic boat traffic nearby that threatens children swimming and venturing out into the lake in pedal boats, canoes, and kayaks
• Lots of stairs leading down to the waterfront as mishaps are a worry

2. Inside the cottage

• The master bedroom on the main floor and children’s bedrooms on the second floor (they don’t want their children to be alone on a separate floor)
• A cottage with a lot of interior stairs

Things children crave in a cottage

Although the needs and wants of parents and kids often coincide when it comes to a cottage, here are a few things that stand out for kids:

• A sandy lake bottom and shallow water
• A waterfront where they can catch kid-friendly fish straight from the dock
• A pit for campfires and marsh-mellow toasting
• A backyard with grass

Other neat features we know kids like

• A backyard that can accommodate a trampoline
• A spot that’s just right for a tree fort
• A level area where they can pitch a tent
• A place where they can watch the stars on summer nights

Nearby natural attractions that engage children

• A secret lookout
• A marsh or a pond where they can catch minnows, frogs, and explore with their dip nets
• A handful of small islands that double as boating destinations and a venue for picnics
• A favourable hill for tobogganing in the winter

Other attractions kids like

• Go-kart facilities
• Ice cream shops

Things kids don’t like at a cottage

• A waterfront choked with weeds and algae (they don’t like finding themselves tangled up in weeds)
• Mucky lake bottoms (they find muck icky between their toes)
• Sharp clam shells on the lakebed, which can easily lead to painful cuts
• Places that are magnets for mosquitos and blackflies

Attractions older children like nearby

• A road system for mountain-biking
• Provincial parks with trails for hiking, skiing, and snowmobiling
• A rocky outcrop for diving or jumping into the water
• High-speed internet

Children like to socialize at the cottage

Although parents may crave isolation at their weekend retreat, solitude isn’t necessarily ideal for their children. The Kawarthas offers opportunities for children of all ages to socialize in the summer in structured and unstructured ways. The range of options for making new friends is especially advantageous if you have children who don’t want to be limited to social interactions with their siblings. Ask your real estate representative if there are families with children of ages similar to your own nearby. Children can also make new friends in the summer at the public beaches in the Kawarthas. Lake associations and local road associations are great sources of information about activities that will engage and entertain children. For example, they can tell you about a sailing club on your lake that offers programs and social events for kids. Another effective strategy is to invite your children’s friends to the cottage for the weekend every once in a while. They’ll love it.

The car trip matters a lot to kids. Make sure it’s no longer than two hours

You can make the drive from Toronto to the Kawarthas in about two hours. In fact, you can reduce a routine car trip by one hour by choosing the Kawarthas as your cottage destination over other seasonal communities in Ontario. The length of the car trip makes a huge difference for the passengers in your car.

As Gail McCormack, broker and owner of Kawartha Waterfront Realty says, “the kids and the dog will thank you for it.”

Once you’ve created a list of features that are important to you and your kids, you can focus your search for a cottage in the Kawarthas.