Parent and Child Skills to practise at home

Keep practising your swimming skills from home, here are some ideas to try.

1. Take your little one under the shower and play a game of Ready Go. Say "Ready Go" and move you and your baby under the shower letting the water pour over their head.

If this is too much for them, get a cup and play Ready Go in the bath. Say "Ready Go" and pour the water over their shoulders and back of their head, eventually over their whole head.

***** Remember take your time teaching breath control. On the command “Ready Go” they must close their mouth.

2. If your child is young enough you can practise 'Cuddle Kicking' in your home pool. Hug your child chest to chest, hold their legs and move in kicking motion using the word cue "kick, kick, kick".

You could sing “This is the way we kick our legs, kick our kick our legs. This is the way we kick our legs in the swimming pool".

If you don't have a pool you can still practise kicking. Hold your child with their back to your chest, hold their legs and move in a kicking motion, walking across your lounge room. Don't forget to use the word cue "kick, kick, kick".

3. Kicking Practise for the older babies.

If you don't have a pool you can practise kicking on the bed at home. Lay your child on their tummy and start kicking fast for 10 seconds and rest for 5 to 10 seconds, then repeat. Have fun and don’t forget to say, “Ready Go” to start the kicking.

This can be an activity in the bath on their tummy in shallow water and on their back. Please ensure your child is always supervised.

4. Kicking on their tummy on the bed, rollover and pretend float for count of 5 slowly then rollover and start kicking again.