Four Fun Games to Teach Children to Swim

Four Fun Games to Teach Children to Swim

Swimming pools are the perfect way to spend some quality time with your family! Some of our favourite childhood memories involve enjoying a dip in the summer and all the fun games that we play.

Often, we don’t even remember quite how we learned how to swim, besides the occasional lesson at school. However, as many will attest, it is certainly something you have to learn and is easiest to master when you’re young.

If you want to get your children into swimming, there are many different ways you can do it, all while making sure they’re still having fun! From simple introductions to more active games for stronger swimmers, check out some of these ideas for young learners.

When Should I Teach My Child to Swim?

At what age you should begin introducing your children to the water is a big question. In reality, the issue is less about what age to start and more about ensuring that no matter what age they are, they’re introduced to the water slowly.

Many parents start teaching their children about swimming in their earliest years, with some organisations suggesting you start them from age one. However, there are also examples of successful swimmers who have not learned until later in childhood.

Again, the issue is less about when they start. To ensure your child can enjoy a lifetime of swimming, make time to introduce them to the water in a slow, careful but always fun manner!

For Beginners – Playing With Fishes

When a baby or toddler is experiencing a swimming pool for the first time, it can be hugely overwhelming. At first, you should look to ensure they’re using kiddie pools or shallow ends where they can stand (or even sit) in the water. Making sure they can be in the water safely and comfortably is a hugely important first step when learning to swim.

Once they are comfortable just being surrounded by water, you can begin to get them more acclimatised to the pool. Some of the most popular games to achieve this involve imaginary fishes, bringing your child closer to the water in a fun and imaginative way.

Imaginary Fish

One game is ‘catching the fishes’, where you ask your child to catch as many imaginary fishes as they can by pulling the water towards them. This action introduced children to the arm action of swimming.

Another game is ‘talking to the fishes’. Here, you ask your child to listen to the fishes by ducking their head underwater while you blow bubbles, then switch roles. This game asks children to put their head underwater and control their breathing, both of which are essential swimming skills.

Traffic Lights

The next step is to get your child used to kicking in the water. Traffic lights is a great game for this, and it also gets children used to supporting themselves in the pool a little bit more.

Ask your toddler to hold onto the edge of the pool, staying close to them so they can feel supported. When you say “green light”, the child should kick his feet in the water as quickly as he can! When you say “orange light”, they should slow down, and “red light” means stop. Ask your child to try to keep his toes pointed, which can generate extra propulsion when it comes to them swimming for real.

Motorboat

One of the most challenging skills to teach young swimmers is being on their front. Motorboat is a classic activity that is used by almost everyone when it comes to learning about horizontal swimming.

For this game, you ideally need a float that your child can place under their body. Either hold the float’s end or, if there’s no float, underneath their arms so they’re facing you. Either way, the main things is that your child feels safe and supported. Then, begin walking backwards, slowly bringing your child with you along the water. Ask them to kick their feet and, if they’re having fun, encourage them to go faster! This activity is excellent for getting children used to a swimming position.

For Intermediates – The Leap

Once your child is comfortable in the water, can submerge their head and has basic swimming skills, it’s time to get them used to being on their own in deeper waters. Again, this can be a nerve-wracking experience for kids, so take your time and keep it enjoyable!

The most popular way to release your child into the water is often called ‘the leap’ or ‘Superman’. Ask your child to hold onto the side of the pool as they did in the traffic light game and position yourself behind them, just out of reach. Then, ask them to put their feet on the wall and push off, landing in your arms. A similar game does this the other way around, starting the child on your knees and asking them to reach for the wall – both achieve the same result

Your Child’s First Swim

Once your child is happy and comfortable jumping backwards towards you, slowly extend the distance. Eventually, you can ask them to kick their legs to make sure they reach you, which will be the first time your child truly swims in the water!

Hopefully, these simple games will help you introduce your child into the water! What’s great about these games is that they can be enjoyed from the comfort of a home pool, allowing you to practice with your child whenever they want.

At 1st Direct Pools, we sell everything you need for your home swimming pool, including swimming pool chemicals, covers, pumps, filters and more. Browse our range today, or check out our blog for more swimming pool tips and ideas.