St. Louis kids learning to how to balance on water and in life

ST. LOUIS – There are few things that beat being out on the water on a summer day. Some St. Louis kids were paddleboarding on the water in Forest Park, learning how to break barriers.

“Today’s lesson is going to be about balance: how we balance on the board, and how we balance ourselves in life,” Kristen Terrill said.

Terrill is the creator and owner of Paddle Freely, an organization partnering with the Gene Slay’s Girls and Boys Club of Saint Louis. She says kids will learn things out on the water that they may not learn in school, such as being cool, calm, and collected.

“There seems to be a lack of places kids can go to talk about life and values and how to live their best lives,” Terrill said.

One staff member, Destini Britton, says the class allows students to have fun as they learn important skills.

“They enjoy being outdoors and being on the water and experiencing things that they have not done before,” she said.

One student could be seen doing a headstand on a paddleboard I the middle of the water. Terrill says the paddleboards are an ideal tool to teach balance.

“I think about balancing hard work with play; I think about taking care of ourselves and helping others,” she said.

So far this summer, students have learned to climb on a paddleboard, how to use the paddles, and how to stand on them.

The lesson they’re also learning along the way is patience.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to FOX 2.