How to Play Skill Building Swim Games

In between the freestyle and backstroke lessons are opportunities to improve kids' swimming skills through silly, creative games. Here are a few ideas.

Instructions

    • 1

      Hold hula hoops in the water and have the kids swim through them, pretending they are mermaids or scuba divers exploring an underwater tunnel.

    • 2

      Dump a "treasure chest" of dive sticks and coins into the pool and have your swimming pirates retrieve all the booty they can with one breath.

    • 3

      Float a dozen small boats across the water and encourage your Great White Sharks to eat as many as possible without touching the side or bottom of the pool.

    • 4

      Using kickboards as rocket ships, have the kids blast off from one side of the pool and see how fast they can race to the other end, using only their feet as engines.

    • 5

      Line up a series of pool noodles so your dolphin children can dive over and under the noodles and then jump up for fish treats at the end of the pool.

    • 6

      See who can make the best imitation of seaweed by doing an underwater handstand.