"Fun" target ideas for BB Gun

[pbwalker]

I'll be taking my little girl out to the lease with me this spring to go "hunting" (in her mind at least). She has been asking to go from whitetail opener and it hasn't stopped yet. I'm a proud Daddy.

I picked up a Pink Daisy a few months back and figured shooting it out there is perfect. But I'm drawing a blank for fun targets that will let her know she hit it. She's young (almost 4), and I'm going to have to show her how to aim, hold it, all while I hold the forend. I want to make the targets as big as possible to ensure she hits it (to help with the excitement factor). Short of balloons, I can't think of anything else. Soda cans came to mind, but I don't know if she will even be able to hit them yet.

So...any ideas? The idea section of my brain has apparently closed down for the evening.

I could show her one of my Tannerite cocktails, but I'd like for her to want to shoot in the future.

[Seabear]

You're headed in the right direction. Think safety first, (eyes mainly).

Like you said, ballons and coke cans, for bigger targets go with coffee cans. Maybe go to the store and by a cheap Wally World frying pan with a lid. Clang, bang...maybe a foil roasting pan, the Daisy should make it complain without a huge hole. Should last a long time.

3 going on 4 may be a tad young, but girls get going quicker than boys at that age. Just realize her attention span may or may not be as lengthy as yours. Good luck and have FUN!! They grow up quick, my little hunting and fishing buddy is 25 and gonna be a momma this June.

[apostate]

How about 1 gallon milk jugs? If you have a small child you probably have a steady supply of empties. You can fill them with water to make fountains or hang them from a branch with a string so they dance when hit. Used cardboard shipping boxes also work hanging from a string for airguns or airsoft, and if you hang one from a corner you can make it spin with edge hits, but don't fill them with water.

Either way, clean up afterward. Another good lesson for the little ones.

[puma guy]

Our oldest grandaughter just turned 4 and wants a pink rifle with a scope on it. She has eagle eyes- we've taken her to the lease a couple of times and she always sees deer before we do, turkey. too even though she'd never seen one before. You might try clay pigeons. They're bright and reactive enough to signify hits. Old CD's also make good targets.

[Warhammer]

Go buy a bunch of old fashioned round suckers. They are cheap, brightly colored, have their own target stand (the stick), are biodegradable, and they shatter satisfyingly when hit. (Plus you can eat one if you get a sweet tooth!) I've used them for years.

[RECIT]

Coffee cans are big enough and make a sound when hit.

[shootthesheet]

I put a piece of sheet metal about 1 foot square on a 3 foot stake out at 15 yards. Painted a big bulls eye and then stuck one of those little black targets that show when they are hit (can't recall the name). Not only does my 5 year old hear a sound when he hits the target but he can see a mark if/when he hits the bulls eye. The BBs don't bounce back but I make him wear eye protection anyway. I think more than 15 feet the accuracy isn't good enough. Might be able to do it at 10 without any problem.

[pbwalker]

3 going on 4 may be a tad young, but girls get going quicker than boys at that age. Just realize her attention span may or may not be as lengthy as yours. Good luck and have FUN!! They grow up quick, my little hunting and fishing buddy is 25 and gonna be a momma this June.

Agreed 100%. I don't expect to her to shoot anymore than 10 BBs. She's a youngin' for sure, but sharp as a tack. She amazes me on a daily basis. I also made sure I had Mommies buy-off before even mentioning it to her. She already has 3 of the 4 rules memorized...the 4th takes some coaching to jog her memory. She probably doesn't understand the rules yet, but we'll work on that as she gets older.

I figure if she can pop a balloon and some other targets, it'll plant the seeds for later on as she grows. In all honesty, she'll probably not grasp the concept of a sight picture, so I'll basically be holding the Daisy while she just pulls the trigger.

Thanks so much for the suggestions folks! I'll be sure to get some pics when we go.

[fishfree]

put a little flour or corn starch in the balloons to get a puff of 'smoke' when they pop!

[threoh8]

Cheap cookies / animal crackers, once she gets the idea of using sights.

[Kiowa Scout]

pbwalker,
What Daisy did you get for her. I have 3 girls (6, 4, and 2). My oldest won a Daisy Buck lever action BB gun a couple of years ago. The trigger is so hard on it that she cannot even pull it.