While we were on vacation this summer, we stayed in a handbuilt log cabin on a small homestead in the Missouri countryside. It was the kind of place where life moves slower—and where the animals have just as much personality as the people. The goats (who kept escaping their pen), a couple of easygoing horses, curious chickens, and more farm cats than I could count made the place feel alive in every direction.

The owners kindly offered to let Channing and Thy try out their shooting range with the BB gun while we were there. Channing began on the big guns range, taking aim at metal targets the owners had set up. He loved the satisfying “ping” each time he hit his mark. By the end of the day, he had set up his own pop cans to shoot off a log and also tried shooting at a hand-drawn paper target tacked to a tree.

And honestly? He was a natural. He credited his accuracy to his advanced video gaming experience (which, I have to admit, might actually be helping with his hand-eye coordination).

Before he ever pulled the trigger, we talked through basic gun safety:

Never point a weapon—loaded or not—at people or animals. Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re ready to shoot. Always use the safety. Keep the muzzle pointed toward the ground when you’re not aiming.

These rules might seem simple, but they’re essential. BB guns may not have the power of a rifle, but they can still cause serious harm if handled carelessly. Building safe habits now will carry over into anything he uses in the future.

Why Gun Safety Matters for Kids

Gun safety isn’t about encouraging kids to be around firearms—it’s about making sure they know what to do if they ever encounter one. A child who’s been taught respect for a weapon is far less likely to treat it as a toy.

The Benefits of Target Practice for Kids

Target practice teaches patience, focus, and coordination. It encourages problem-solving, since each shot is a little experiment in adjusting aim and posture. And it builds confidence—there’s something satisfying about hitting the target you’ve been lining up in your sights.

In the future, Channing will need to take a hunter safety course before he can use his BB gun for small game hunting. For now, it’s about having fun, gaining skills, and learning the responsibility that comes with using any kind of weapon.

Now that we’re back home in the city, we’ll have to find a new place for him to practice. But this week gave him something special—a true “country kid” experience that a city kid rarely gets.

Between the goats escaping, the chickens pecking around, farm cats weaving between our legs, and Channing out at the range with a big smile on his face, it felt like a perfect little snapshot of rural life. And I think it’s safe to say, he’s hooked.