10 Tips to Encourage Young Swimmers

By Erin McNeill

Water safety and knowing how to swim is generally at the top of the list for most parents and caregivers of young children. Did you know that you can teach your child to be more comfortable in the water and even begin to start her on her path to swimming? Here are a few tips to get you started!

1. Start slow – Begin by playing on the steps of the pool or in the shallow part of the lake or pond. Have her reach for toys just below the surface of the water and as she gets more comfortable with that, place the toys just out of reach so that she has to get her face partially wet to retrieve the toy. Have her start blowing bubbles in the water with you, make it into a game of racing boats, whoever makes bigger bubbles wins! You want your child to be comfortable when she is in the water with you!
2. Back floats – Learning how to float on your back is unnatural for your child! Being by supporting her head on your shoulder, with her body pointed away from you. You want her ears to be in the water if possible, but take it slow. Place your hands on her back and keep her afloat. Have her spread her arms and legs out and make a starfish! Sing a song or two to her while she is floating, make it a peaceful time for her. Let her know that you are still there and that she is doing a wonderful job! As she gains ability, instead of hands on her back, just use fingertips to keep her afloat.
3. Take your child under water with you – Begin by counting to three, holding your breath, and ducking under. Let your child watch you a few times, and then have her join in. Always use 1-2-3 before submerging your child, so that she can prepare by holding her breath!
4. Use the side of the pool or dock – Have your child sit on the edge of the pool or dock and practice falling in. At first, be right there to catch her and show her that you won’t let anything happen to her. As she gains confidence, let her fall further into the water and kick her way up to you. Eventually, you’ll want your child to feel comfortable falling into the water, coming back to the surface, and kicking back towards the wall or land. Practice this with her often so that she knows how to respond if she accidentally falls into the water!
5. Jumping in and turning around – Once your child has mastered entering the pool from a seated position, encourage her to start jumping into the water! Again, start slow, but work up to her jumping in by herself and getting back to the side of the pool. It’s more work, but it’s also a lot more fun for your child!
6. Flipping over for air – When your child is practicing floating on her back and is fairly confident at the skill, have her start taking a deep breath and flipping over to her belly, and then back onto her back. When s she starts swimming on her belly, this skill can be used to come up for a breath as she needs it.
7. Belly floats – Belly floats are a survival skill in the water, little energy is needed to maintain a floating position and as long as your child can flip over for air, she will be able to help herself in an emergency.
8. Torpedoes – Torpedoes are a fun way to introduce a forward swimming motion to your child! Have her put her hands out in front of her, clasped together if she can, and from a few feet away from the stairs have her hold her breath and “zoom” her towards the stairs. Your child should gain the sensation of propelling herself forward through the water! As she masters this skill, move back a bit further and try again from there. Be aware that as you move to new lengths your child may need a bit of extra help getting to the side, always be right there for her.
9. Kicking – You can start teaching kicking to your child by having her hold onto the side of the pool or the stairs and have her kick as hard as she can. You want her legs to be near the surface while she kicks, this will help her maintain a horizontal position while swimming. Once she is comfortable, give her a kickboard, have her put her face in the water, and kick towards the edge of the pool with it. While you are still teaching kicking to her, it’s a good time to introduce flipping over for air (going to the back float). You can do this without the kickboard a few times and then introduce the kickboard as needed. You’ll need to be right there, hands ready, to help her master this task.
10. Scooping – Finally, you’ll introduce scooping to your child. Have your child pretend that there is gold at the bottom of the pool and that she is digging for it. Have her use her hands to “scoop” the water while on her belly. Once she has accomplished this have her kick and scoop at the same time and use the same “zooming” techniques from earlier paragraphs. When she is ready, add in flipping over for air, and soon you’ll see your child swim from one edge of the pool to the other!

Please remember that you need to keep an eye on your child at all times around bodies of water, even if she knows how to swim. Each child will progress differently and it may take you a few weeks to get your child swimming or it may take you a few seasons! Work with your child and keep her comfortable! Swim with her often and make it fun!

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