How to Choose a Youth Archery Kids Bow and Arrow Set

Looking for Help Choosing a Kids bow?

You’ve come to the right place. 3Rivers Archery has been helping parents get their kids started in youth archery for more than 30 years. We know kids. We know bows and arrows, and we’re going to make picking out the right bows and arrows for your kids easy.

Is My Kid a Right or Left Handed Archer?

Bows are either right handed or left handed an how do you know if your child shoots a bow left handed or right handed? A right handed bow shooter pulls the string with their right hand. A left hand shooter, their left.

How Do I Determine If My Kid Is Right or Left Eye Dominant?

One important thing to check for when choosing a bow and arrow set for your child is determining which of their eyes is their dominant one. We all have a dominant eye. Have your child stand face-on to a wall about ten feet back and with both eyes open, have them point at some spot, a clock for instance. While still pointing, have them close their left eye. Is their finger on the spot? If so, the are Right Eye Dominant and should shoot right handed if they can. If, when they close their left eye, their finger is not on the spot, have them open their left eye and close their right. If the finger is now on the spot, they are left eye dominant and should shoot left handed if possible.

Which Youth Bow and Arrow Archery Set For My Kid?

Age is a big consideration when picking out an archery set for a kid. As is the actual size and strength of your child. Our recommendations here are for kids of average size, strength, and build. If your child is especially big or strong and you find they are near the end of one age group and the beginning of the next, you might want to go up to that next age group for him or her.

We have just the right set for you among these listed below.

Our Child’s Youth Archery Set, (shown below) is the first bow and arrow set most kids start with. You may even remember having one of these “toy” archery sets when you were that young. They’re a lot of fun and perfect for kids between the ages of 3-4 years.

Child’s Archery Set

The bow works for both right handed and left handed shooters and pulls about one pound. The arrows have suction-cups on the front for safety. (We used to let our two and a half year old son shoot our front door and refrigerator with his.) Even though it is a “toy” bow, it should always be treated with respect. Adult supervision is required and all children who are going to shoot this (or any) bow and arrow set should be taught proper bow and arrow safety.

Next in line is our 1st Shot Junior Youth Archery Set (shown below). It’s for kids between the ages of 4-7 and includes a fiberglass bow that allows either right handed or left handed shooting and pulls approximately 8-12# when drawn back 14-16″. Also included are: Two Safetyglass™ arrows, a vinyl belt quiver (holder of arrows), and a shooting tab (A piece of “leather” that protects the shooter’s fingers from the string). These arrows have target tips on them and could cause damage if shot at anything fragile.

(Adult supervision required)

1st Shot Youth Archery Set

Again, the 1st Shot Youth Archery Set is suggested for kids between the ages of 4-7. This solid fiberglass bow is very tough and should last through many years of use allowing you to “hand it down” from child to child.

If your kids are between the ages of 7-10 our Lil’ Indian Youth Archery Set is just what you need (shown below). The set comes with a 50″ solid fiberglass Sentry recurve bow that allows either right handed or left handed shooting and pulls approximately 15# when pulled back 24″. Also included are: Three feather fletched fiberglass youth arrows with steel target points, a belt quiver (belt required), an armguard, a bullseye paper target, and a shooting tab. This archery kit comes with everything need to have your child shooting 10 minutes after your package arrives!

(Adult supervision required)

Lil’ Indian Youth Archery Set

For older kids, of the 10-18 range, you’ll need to start paying attention to the weight of the bows and have a feel for how strong your kids are. You never want a bow that’s too strong for them to pull, but you want one that is heavy enough to make them work at pulling. Our 3Rivers Youth Archery Bow Kit was designed for kids in the 8-18 year range. It’s available in right or left handed models in weights of 24# (Ages 8-12) and 36# (Ages 12-18). Please note that some kids between the ages of 16 and 18 are ready for adult bows. This youth archery page is targeting kids who have never shot archery before and are just getting started. When you get into the higher age brackets you have many more adult bows to choose from.

The 3Rivers Youth Archery Bow Kit (Pictured Below) comes with everything your child needs to get started shooting bows and arrows. These kits come with a nice take-down (comes apart in three pieces for storage or travel) recurve bow with a warm hardwood riser and laminated hardwood and fiberglass limbs. Also included are: A bow stringer, a belt quiver (belt required), three durable 27½” feather fletched fiberglass arrows, an armguard, a shooting tab, an arrow rest, 25″ x 25″ paper FITA target, and a bow case. Once your kids graduate from this last kit, they are ready to move into the adult longbows and recurves.

(Adult supervision required)
3Rivers Youth Recurve Bow Set for ages 10 to 18 years old