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My son is 7. Last year, I took him to the gravel ponds at Chatfield a few times, first with a duckie, then a hard boat and we just paddled around and goofed off. He had a blast. I put him in a hard boat (no skirt), and I dumped him over in shallow water so he would know what it felt like if he went over. That is as close to rolling as we'll get for a good while.
This year, he has paddled the flat stuff on Pumphouse and Ruby/Horsethief, no skirt, and can't get enough. I teach him some safety things like what a strainer is, hand signals to let me know he is OK, and we worked on eddy turns and ferries a little. I'll also let him take the oars on the raft when he asks and show him a few things.
My advice, don't even think about rolling until they can paddle around and are having fun. Honestly, I think that goes for adults trying to learn too. Let your kid dictate the pace, there really is no rush and the emphasis is (or should be) FUN.
Lastly, getting him in a kid sized boat might help so he's not wrestling with an adults gear. He might also get excited as there will be some pride in paddling his own boat, even if you just rent it.
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