Swimming Practice at Home

There are many ways you can help your children at home to gain confidence and skills – and they’re not all water based!

Blowing Bubbles

• Using a bubble wand outside is a great way to learn breath control out of the pool, and encourages the long, slow bubbles we love to see in the water! Get your child to practice taking in a deep breath and blow the air out slowly to make as many bubbles as possible.

• Another way to practice breath control is using a straw and a bowl or tub of water. Float a ping pong ball or even a lightweight bath toy in the water. Your children can have races by blowing through their straws and moving the objects from one side to the other

 
Play in the Shower or Bath
Students who are afraid or not comfortable submerging their faces can practice in the shower or bath.

​The key is to start with a small amount of water (soap and shampoo free of course!) trickling down from the top of their heads – only some will reach their faces and is a great way to slowly introduce them to water on their faces in a familiar and fun environment. You can even encourage your children to wear their goggles in the bath and let them explore at their own pace – they will probably be having so much fun they don’t even realise they have submerged their face! Remember to remain encouraging, do not force it and always supervise them! Every child learns at their own pace.
 
Kicking

• Kicking their legs alternately can be tricky for little ones to master, but is something they can still practice at home. A great way for younger kids to practice kicking is in their car seat. Try playing a version of ‘Red Light, Green Light’ by asking them to freeze their legs when you say “red light” and kick fast when you say “green light.” Once they have mastered following these instructions, you can add in “yellow light” with slow kicks.

• Another way to practice kicking is lying on their stomach in bed, with their legs straight kicking fast with little, straight legs. The aim is to try to keep their legs as straight as they can – a little bend is fine to be able to move their legs up and down but their feet shouldn’t be coming up very far off the bed.

 
Arms

• Practicing the Freestyle arm action is another activity that can be practiced in bed. Lying on their stomach towards the edge of the bed, your child can rotate the arm closest to the edge in the Freestyle movement – down to the floor, back to their leg, up to the sky and stretch out in front. To practice with the other arm, get them to lie in the opposite direction!

Breaststroke

• For anyone learning Breaststroke, you will know that it can be a tricky concept to master. Often the most challenging part is the getting the kick right. One way to practice this at home is to get your child to practice walking like a penguin! Start with their feet together, and then with their heels remaining together get them to start moving their toes out to the sides. 

The aim is to get them with their feet looking like a ballerina’s – don’t worry if they don’t look like this on the first try, it takes practice! 

Taking small steps (to retain the correct position) they can practice walking and soon you will have a penguin in the house!