Swimming games
when kids are in the water having fun, they’re not only enjoying but also learning how to swim. Making learning to swim a fun experience is with games and activities during the same time you can make this happen. We asked our experts which swim games and activities are best to have your kids frolicking in the water, practicing more of their swimming skills while growing a new-found confidence.
Warm-Up Activities
Start Kids Out in the Water Before hitting up any of these pool games, kids PLUS will need to warm-up and start feeling comfortable. They are also fun warm-up exercises for our little swimmers to do before they get into the pool.
Simple Splash Games
Playing splash games is actually the simplest way to become familiar with your son or daughter for water. Begin with “Simon Says In the Water” You can chant orders like “Simon says, clap your hands! or “Simon says kick your tiny feet” The game is structured in a way that children are naturally drawn to, which enables them to get used basic swimming locomotion. Purposeful splashing helps kids to become comfortable in the water and provides exercises that develop important motor skills.
Water Aerobics for Kids
A second option is to use something like basic water exercises as a warm-up. An excellent example is “Jumping Jacks in the Pool.” So they can stand in the shallow end and do jumping jacks, but with some resistance from the water. The activity even helps to warm them up and get your dog’s joints moving in the morning. Water marching (kids march in place across the pool to warm up) strengthens leg muscles and builds stamina.
Skill-Building Games
With the kids warmed up, we then move onto games that develop key swimming skills. The main advantage of these games is that they are fun, nevertheless the children learn key swimming strokes required to advance in levels.
Kickboard Races
Kickboard Races – Kickboards are an excellent way to excite kids and make race events more competitive than their liking. Kids can use a kickboard for each individual event designed or map out the track according to your preference, swimmers should be encouraged to get past another pair of feet before they arrive at the other end in order to increase peer rivalry and excitement respectively kicking strong legs / stronger leg muscles) Give each child a kickboard and have them race on their legs from one end of the pool to another. Give it a fun little spin and have them do underwater relay races — kicking down the pool with that kickboard, then handing it to their teammate in order to race back again. This is a game which helps with kicking strength but also teamwork and friendly competition.
Treasure Hunt
For kids, the idea of looking for treasure appeals to their sense of exploration and this game lets that take place in a pool. Throw various types of weighted toys or rings at varying depths in the pool and have children dive to retrieve them. This is a game that can keep the children practice in underwater swimming and fly-leg-breath skills, but they have no pair of fins. You can even scale the game with high point value treasures being more difficult to retrieve for added strategy.
Pool Version of Red Light, Green Light
Survivor Pool: Swim Teacher tip of the week, put a new twist on an old game by adapting this classic playground activity for use in your pool to provide kids with an amusing and interesting way to work out horizontal movements both thrusting off from down. This is just like the pool edition of “Red Light, Green Light” except in this one someone stands next to a swimming and shouts “Green light!” and “Red light! for them to stop. This is a fun water game that not only teaches your little ones how to control their movements in the water but also helps improve coordination.
Group Activities
Swimming is always more enjoyable as a group activity. This promotes teamwork, coordination and communication between children.
Water Polo for Kids
Some kids may find water polo a bit too intense so try to relax the rules for them. J(credit) Three — use a large, soft ball and create goals on either side of the pool. Teams are supposed to play the ball in order for them to try and get a goal by putting it inside of the other team’s net. Ideal for developing stamina, hand-eye coordination and an understanding of team work. Plus, it’s a ton of fun!
Relay Races
Relay Races: Ancient Spin on Pool Time Design relay race ideas including noodle races, pick a kid to ride pool noodles across the pool without falling off or passing beach balls from swimmer to swimmer. This way of doing activities allows the children to work in groups, cheer for each other and have fun all whilst being a team player. Relay races also are a great way to break swim lessons up with some active fun.
Cool Down and Relaxation Games
Winding down and relaxing in the water Theres been plenty of excitement, so balance this with a few cool-down activities.
Float Like a Starfish
Tell children to lie on their backs and splash around with her arms out from side to side in the water (children look like a starfish) This easy exercise that is also calming helps children improve their buoyance and comfort in water. A quiet way to end a swim, giving children the sensation of floating in peace.
Ring Around the Rosie
End with a water version of the classic nursery rhyme game, “Ring Around The Rosie. Instruction Sing the rhyme, walking around in a circle with hands joined and walking gently through the water. Some queueing for when they hit the “We all fall down!” at which point they can release their hands to plunge into the water (with head above of course) It would be a pretty innocent activity that you can play with anyone, and just for cooling down after those other activities.
Safety Considerations
Swim games are fun and great exercises, but safety always takes precedence over play. The following are essential precautions to safeguard these platforms.
Supervision is Key
Do not leave children around water unattended even if they are strong swimmers. Swimming should only take place with an adult present to supervise. Kids can often get carried away when playing games so we must remain always alert to the warning signs.
Play age-appropriate games
Different swimming programs are appropriate for different ages and ability levels. Be sure to select games that are appropriate for the child in question, based on their swimming level and comfort zone when it comes to water. It could be anything from splash contests to floating, both of which are perfect for younger kiddos or those who are semi-newbies in the swimming pool; on the opposite end of the spectrum: treasure hunts and water polo/games that might only be best suited for serious ocean pros.
One of the best ways to ensure this is by making it a fun, enriching time for them via games and activities. These games make swimming exciting and also helps kids improve the critical skills like kicking, floating, breath control etc. Playing while teaching your child to enjoy swimming will help lay a solid foundation for the activities of water all throughout his or her life. Therefore next time you happen to be within the swimming pool, provide a few video games an attempt watching ones children since they obtain more potent in addition to are experiencing enjoyment though some people does.
