Activities for Swim Lessons

Activities for Infants and Toddlers

• For infants and toddlers, most activities will involve getting them adjusted to the water. Here are some activities for infants and toddlers.

  Birthday Party: Have a pretend party in the water. Everyone blows out "candles," which really is having the participants blow bubbles, sings songs and get gifts under the water.

  Motor Boat: Make a large circle. Parents or guardians hold children in a floating position outside of the circle. Children then start the motor boat by blowing bubbles. To have motor boats move faster, have the children speed up blowing bubbles and to reduce speed, have the participants blow bubbles slowly. Parents and guardians can then move their children on the back in a floating position.

  "Pop Goes the Weasel": In a circle, parents or guardians hold their children. While moving in a circle, sing the children's song "Pop Goes the Weasel." At the end of the song, parents or guardians lift their child up in the air and then lower him or her back into the water at their shoulders.

Activities for 4- to 7-Year-Olds

• There are many activities for 4- to 7-year-olds to do in the water.

  Rocker: Have the participants line up near the wall of the pool. Make sure the swimmers hold on securely to the side. Begin with tiny rocking motions, then advance to bigger motions as the participants feel more comfortable.

  Treasure Hunting: This activity promotes underwater exploration and helps build confidence. For this activity, you will need objects that sink, like a quarter. Put a variety of objects that sink to the bottom of the pool. Tell students they are going on a treasure hunt and have them submerge to find the items. If the water is too deep, hold items so they do not float all the way to the bottom. You can help participants go underwater by gently press them on the back.

  Finding Fish: This activity helps to enhance rhythmic breathing. Line the swimmers in a single file against the pool wall. Let the participants "listen to the fish" by having them place their heads in the water so one ear is in the pool and their faces are at the side. Let the swimmers "converse to the fish" by having them turn their heads so their faces are toward the bottom and blow bubbles.

Activities for 8- to 13-Year-Olds

• Activities for 8- to 13-year-olds include:

  How High Can You Go: The purpose of this activity is to let the swimmers feel the push of the breaststroke kick with feet and ankles properly placed. Form a circle with students in the deep end. Allow students to place a kickboard under each arm while they hold themselves vertically in the water. Let students perform the breaststroke kick and try to kick their bodies as high as they can out of the water.

  Floating News Report: This activity can be played with any number of participants. Each player will need a sheet of newspaper. Swimmers line up at the starting line with their backs to the finish line. At a signal given by the instructor, swimmers glide on their backs, kicking and reading the newspaper aloud. Participants must not get the newspaper wet. The one who crosses the finish line first is the victor. Anyone who drops the newspaper or stops reading out loud is disqualified.

Relays and Races

• Relays and races are other activities for swim lessons.

  Relays and races include:

  Baton race: In this activity, a baton will be needed for each team. The starting player for each side is given a baton. He or she swims or walks, depending on their level, to the wall, touches it with the baton, then head back to the team and gives the baton to the next person on the team. The relay keeps going until everyone has completed the event. The team that completes the relay first wins.

  Paddle Boat Race: For this activity, each team will need a kickboard. Teams stand in single file at the shallow end. On a signal, the first player from each team gets on the kickboard and paddles to the opposite side of a designated swim area, turns around, and returns back to where he or she started from. If someone falls off the kickboard, he or she must return to the beginning and start over. The team that completes the race first wins.

Tag Games

• Tag games are another form of activities that can be done during swim lessons.

  Tag games include:

  Sharks and Minnows: Players are divided into two teams, the sharks and minnows. Participants play in shallow water lined up opposite each other, across from a line established by the teacher. Players stand in a stride position facing the teacher with one foot on the line and ready to run towards either goal line, which is a safety area. The teacher stands at one end of the two lines and calls for either sharks or minnows. If the instructor calls for sharks, they pursue the minnows, and vice versa. If a shark tags a minnow before the minnow gets to the safety area, the minnow becomes a shark. Sharks are pursued by minnows when the teacher calls for minnows. After each chase, players return to their starting position on the line again unless they were tagged by an opposing player. The squad with the more players at the end wins the contest. Each team must be given the same number of chances to chase.

  Marco Polo: In this activity a blindfold will be needed. The person who is "it" wears a blindfold and must keep his or her eyes closed. Players disperse in the water and the person who is "it" must tag a player. The person who is "it" can try to find other players by yelling out "Marco" and the other players must respond by saying "Polo." When a player gets tagged, he or she is the new "it."