Learn to Swim at Home

Parents can help their children learn to swim in the bathtub and on land.

How?

Help your child learn how to blow out of their mouths.  Children do this when they blow out birthday candles or blow through a bubble wand.  Teach them words like “blow out” or even “exhale”.  If your child doesn’t know how to blow out to bubbles in the water, parents can put a straw in their mouth to help their mouth make the proper shape.  Parents can also teach their child to “hum”.  When a person hums a song (Happy Birthday to the fish) water doesn’t go up their nose.  It’s a calm, comfortable way to go under water while ensuring water doesn’t go up their nose).  Be sure to hum on the way down and up.   Swimmers can also blow at feathers on land  to have the immediate response of them moving in case they need help with the blowing out motion of the mouth.

Where?

In the tub your child can blow at the water or, if they are comfortable, “blow bubbles” in the water.  If this is scary, put water in a container and ask them to blow bubbles into that.

Why?

Using the following methods can help your child be more comfortable blowing bubbles and putting their faces in the water.  This will help them learn faster, since they will be a little more comfortable in the water.  Although we address and teach all of these techniques in our classes, “Practice Makes Perfect.”  Just like when learning the piano, if a child practices what they have been taught, they will progress more easily.

Play Games!

Encourage children to put their whole face in the water while blowing bubbles or humming.

Challenge your child by timing their abilities: “Can you blow bubbles for 5 seconds? How about 10 seconds?”

Suggest becoming a “motor boat” so your child will blow bubbles over and over again.

When a child can put their whole face in the water (up to the hairline at least) and blow bubbles (so water doesn’t go up their nose) it builds confidence and trust in the water.