Nyfiken på paddling – Curious about paddling

Opening new pathways into outdoor recreation

Nyfiken på paddling (“Curious about paddling”) is an initiative designed to reach children, young people and families in communities where outdoor recreation, paddling and organised club activities are not always a natural part of everyday life.

Through welcoming, low-threshold activities – including family days, opportunities to try paddling and specially organised paddling schools – we bring paddling closer to where people live. The aim is to create positive first experiences of being on and around the water, while introducing participants to nature, Sweden’s Right of Public Access (Allemansrätten) and the sense of community that a local canoe club can offer.

An important part of the initiative is building relationships. Local canoe clubs work together with municipalities, schools, youth centres and other organisations that already have strong connections within the community. This helps us reach people who may otherwise face barriers to participating in outdoor activities and creates pathways from a first encounter with paddling to continued participation.

The project also helps canoe clubs develop new ways of welcoming a broader range of participants. By testing activities in three pilot areas in Sweden, we are building knowledge and practical methods that can be shared with more clubs – helping make paddling and outdoor recreation more accessible, inclusive and welcoming in the long term.

Our ambition is not simply to invite more people onto the water, but to create opportunities to discover nature, build confidence and find a place in the outdoor community.

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