Here's 7 days teaching tips from Chris Shore, the founder of AquaPlane, on how to build your child's water confidence and make sure they get the most out of swimming lessons:
Day 1: Confidence Building
When learning the life-skill of swimming confidence is key! All aspects of children’s swimming should be FUN. Splashing in the water, diverting attention through the use of toys such as floating ducks are perfect.
Day 2: Developing floating
Floating helps a child’s body position in the water. Supporting your child’s shoulders encouraging a starfish-shape is the most efficient and FUN way to learn floating. Encourage holding a breath and keeping still to help your child float easier. First practice on their back, then on their front with their face in the water
Photo credit: @Girlstribe
Day 3: Submersion
Submersion can easily be developed from floating, apart from the child’s face is in the water. To encourage face in the water, start with blowing bubbles. Get your child to blow a floating object on the water so its FUN and distracting. Through practice and FUN games your child will be putting their face in the water and blowing bubbles in no time.
Day 4: Gliding on the Back
When your child has mastered the previous tips, we need to get them moving through the water. Now it’s time to turn their floating starfish into a floating pencil, arms and legs tucked in to the body, on their back. Support your child and slowly walk backwards in the water so they can FEEL the movement through the water. Encourage a “small fast toes” leg kick.
Day 5: Push and Glide
When they have mastered gliding on their back, repeat with face in the water. Arms now move above their head making a “rocket” shape. Explain that their arms now act like a sharp pointy arrow to go through the water quicker. Progress to children pushing from the side with their “rocket shape”.
Day 6: Lateral Breathing
Now your child should have mastered the Push and Glide, and now ready to take a breath. Through supporting your child when they are in the “rocket” position. Encourage them to breath to the side, to take a “sneaky breath” so no one can see them. Practice to both sides encouraging them to roll to the side rather than lifting their head up and “acting like a dog after a biscuit”. Always remembering “little fast toe” kicking to help their movement through the water.
Day 7: Add the Arms
Once Lateral breathing has been accomplished, introduce the arms. On their front, start with single arm movements, keeping the “rocket” arm shape. “All the way back, and over” works well. On their back, single arm movements from their side. Tips such as “straight arms”, “arms over to chop off your ear” and “pull to your side” works wonders. Remember to encourage “small fast toes” leg kick.
Do you have any top tips on getting the most out of AquaPlane? Share them in the comments below.
