mtemm, my daughter is 2, I held her the whole time on the boat. She seemed to enjoy it, well except for having to put the rain poncho on. You get wet, but if you stay towards the back of the boat it isn't too bad. I stayed on the bottom level both times, the back the first and the front the second. My older kids went on the top and got real wet. It isn't a long boat ride, maybe 15 minutes or so (or it didn't seem long). When you get near the falls, the boat will move up and down and side to side, but not so much that you will lose your balance. I was surprised that the water wasn't rougher.