Swim Lesson Ideas for a Five-Year-Old

Tree Chop

• This first activity is a good way to get kids into the water or to use at the end of a lesson.

  Begin by having the child squat (bent knees, arms locked around the knees) near the edge of the shallow end. Ask him what kind of tree he wants to be; it can be a made-up tree or a real tree. Sprinkle water on the child, just a little bit so he gets used to the water on his body. Tell him you are "watering" the tree so it grows up big and tall.

  At this point tell the child to stand up and stretch out to simulate a growing tree. Gently make a chopping motion near the ankles saying you are "chopping down" his tree. This is the signal for the child to jump into the water and into your arms.

  If the child is not ready to jump into the water, try having her climb down the side of the pool. That way, she can play the game to distract her from how scared she is of the water.

Playground Games to Use in the Water

• Red Light/Green Light
  Have the child hold onto the side of the pool, facing away from the water. When you say green light, tell him to begin kicking his legs; when you say red light, he must stop. This works on building leg muscles and shows him the proper way to kick (straight out behind him, with straight legs only a slight bend in the knees). You can add other color lights: blue light means to blow bubbles in the water, yellow light means to kick slowly.

  Simon Says
  This is a copycat game. You say, "Simon says dunk your head under the water," and the child will have to do it. If you just say, "Dunk your head under the water," than anyone who does this is out of the game. To make it more fun, you can just give the child a warning or make her do five head dunks instead. Some ideas for Simon says are: head dunks, blowing bubbles, touching the ground with her hands under water, swimming out to you and back, and kicking.

Somersaults

• Somersaults are something boys and girls love that will get them into the water, although this is a little more advanced. To do a somersault, have the child stand in the water with no one else nearby. Have him tuck his chin into his chest, looking at his feet. Then, have him tuck his knees into his chest and begin to roll upside down in the water. Have him keep looking at his feet and using his hands to push them around. This will take some practice, but remind the child to keep tucked in a very tight ball.

Floating

• Practicing floating will help children when they learn front and back strokes. It will help them keep their body parallel to the top of the water and their bodies straight. Start by having the child lie her head on your shoulder. Pick up the rest of her body with your hand underneath the small of her back. Tell her to arch her tummy up in the air, lift her behind and try to keep her toes out of the water.

  As she advances and is more comfortable with this, lessen the amount of weight you hold until you can stand over her with only one hand under her back. At this point you can try to remove your hand altogether. Keep practicing.

Dolphin Dives

• Dolphin dives are a fun game for kids of this age that helps with real dives later, freestyle stroke and eventually, butterfly.

  This is a relatively simple exercise. Have the child stand near the edge of the shallow end. Hold his hands above his head in a streamline position (arms straight above his head, covering his ears, one hand on top of the other to form a point). Bend at the waist and jump to the bottom of the pool, forming a curve like a dolphin.

  While underwater, touch the bottom of the pool with both hands and shoot out of the water, ending while standing on your feet. The whole process should look like a dolphin going under and over the water, in waves.