HOw to Teach a child to swim?
It is easy and takes little effort! And most of the steps can be taught without pool.
Teaching swimming for children requires patience, never force a child to swim, this how m make them scared off water and cause them to panic when slipping and falling in the water. All they have to learn is breathing control and make a quick decision to turn around and get back to the wall. If all toddlers would know this fatal drowning accidents would be greatly reduced.
Also don’t overprotect children, let them crawl or walk to the water with someone ready to fish them out of the water.
Many times kids forget whether they are wearing floaties or not, it is good to be aware of this and that their confidence is at the right level.
Learn to swim step by step
- Breathing control
- Ability to return to the side when accidentally falling in water
- Learn a swimming technique
A few easy steps teaching a child to swim at home
1: Blow bubbles
2: Blow full cheeks
2: Blow full cheeks
Blow bubbles underwater this can be done in the bathtub or a bowl, no child is scared off a bowl of water. This helps the child to understand that they are not a fish and can only breathe exhale underwater.
age: from 1-2 year old
2: Blow full cheeks
2: Blow full cheeks
2: Blow full cheeks
Blow full cheeks and keep head underwater, this teaches children how to block there nose underwater.
age: from 1-2 year old
3: Candy bobbing
2: Blow full cheeks
4: Time underwater
Play candy bobbing, or let small kids count fingers underwater
age: from 1-2 year old
4: Time underwater
6: Spend lots of time in the water
4: Time underwater
Use a stopwatch to time how long the child stayed underwater, kids love to break records and compete with their buddies.
age: from 2-3year old
5: Learning to return to the side
6: Spend lots of time in the water
6: Spend lots of time in the water
When inexperienced swimmers (especially kids) fall in the water they don't know how to get back to the side. Once kids can control their breathing teaching them to turn around quick when falling in the water is pretty easy. Once a child is comfortable doing this at one location practice at multiple locations.
age: from 2-3 year old
6: Spend lots of time in the water
6: Spend lots of time in the water
6: Spend lots of time in the water
For a two year old an inflatable pool is very helpful in learning how to swim and spending countless hours in the water
age: from 1-3 year old
7: Buoyancy
9: Learn a stroke
8: Panic test
Our lungs are like an inflatable life vest. Practice keeping the lungs full of air and only exhale slightly. Do this in the water with the nose up with the back of the head underwater this makes it easy to just float in the water and practicing backstrokes become easy.
age: from 1-3 year old
8: Panic test
9: Learn a stroke
8: Panic test
Ask the child if it’s ok to push (throw) them in the water when they don’t expect it. Some kids love it, others get angry and panic. If they panic work on it
age: 2-4 year old
9: Learn a stroke
9: Learn a stroke
9: Learn a stroke
Once mastering all previous steps it's time to learn a stroke.