How To Make Infant Swim Lessons Less Intimidating

However little, the infant and toddler swim lessons can be the most intimidating of the bunch. Here’s how to take the intimidation factor out.

Teaching an infant how to swim can be incredibly nerve wrecking. I say these not in terms of their safety, but more so on what activities to include during the lesson. Having an infant is truly a blank slate.

That being said, it is crucial to keep in mind the steps before the basics, steps including comfort in the water, the ability to grab the wall and of course, jumping in. These skills seem like no brainers to most swim instructors, which is where the main problem remains.

We are so use to teaching children to swim, whom typically have those before basic skills that our infant/toddler mindset gets a little rusty. Moreover, here are some tips on how to make your infant lesson go a little smoother:

1. Make a Lesson Plan:

For many of you, you have been teaching lessons for a while now. Lesson planning seems a little outdated because when you have been doing something for so long, you don’t necessarily need to write out what you want to do. It comes naturally, like an old habit.

I assure you that before each infant swim lesson you want to have a game plan. Each lesson is critical because when dealing with a child’s mind below the age of three, repetition is the main ingredient to success.

So what exactly should be on that lesson plan you ask? Simple.

2. Getting Comfortable:

The pool may not seem big to you, but to those little eyes they might as well be in the middle of an ocean, no wonder they’re scared!

Don’t try anything fancy with them at this point. Step one is to just get them comfortable in the water-and with you. If they get thrown into kicks and dunking within the first five minutes, good luck trying to get them back in.

Hold them and just walk around for the first couple of minutes singing a song to them. The sound of your voice will help distract them and make them feel more at ease. From that point on, you can begin the front kicks.

3. Kick, Kick, Kick

Remember how I said repetition is key? This doesn’t just apply to the activities in each lesson, but in your voice too. These are called voice commands. Every time you are having your infant do something, you want to repeat them the same phrase so that they then associate it with the activity.

Hold the child facing you, thumbs to the chest and fingers wrapped around their back. Begin walking around the shallow end of the pool repeating the phrase, “kick, kick, kick.”

If they do not do kick automatically by themselves, simple move your hands down, still holding them facing you and move their legs manually yourself still repeating our vocal command. Spends some time doing this exercise because remember: it may seem like you are spending too much time on one activity, but in reality, it is exactly what they need, and no, they are not bored.

4. Humpy Dumpty:

Remember Humpty Dumpty from your childhood?Well, he’s back. Having the child sit on the wall, sing “humpty dumpty sat on the wall humpty dumpty had a great fall!” On the fall,bring the child into the water and resume your kicking position utilizing the vocal commands and kick out away from the wall and again back into the wall.

Important: When returning to the wall, have them grab it so they know that is how they get out. If not automatically, manually do it for them.

Repeat exercise four times.

5. Back Float:

This is the most terrifying and time-consuming exercise. Do not be discouraged if this takes a while and they are completely uncomfortable with it. Since they cannot see, they are scared to be on their backs so spend the most time doing this exercise. Place their head next to your neck and point upwards to keep their head back or give them a toy to look at.

Again, spend the most time on this because it takes the most time to get comfortable with, and don’t get frustrated, patience is key; you are doing the best you can!

Repeat humpty dumpy, but practice the back float and later back kicks.

6. Wheels on the Bus:

At the end of the lesson, I always like to close with a fun song. “The Wheels on the Bus” is a great interactive song to get them moving and smiling. Move them in circles when the wheels go round, to the side with the swishers go back and forth and of course up and down as the people in the song do.

Having a lesson planned with certain activities to do is a critical part to each infant swim lesson. When you know what to do for how long, it makes the time go by fast and feel productive.

With each lesson the child will become more and more comfortable with the water and the activities you do.

The above tips are things I utilize every infant lesson and find extremely helpful. Remember: they will not be able to swim freestyle after these lessons, they are just little; but with your help, they will become more comfortable, and by the end, and with more lessons to come, they may even be able to float.

Keep confident, and keep it fun, and you are well on your way!

About the Author: Clairissa M.
Sunsational Swim Instructor in Boca Raton, FL
Clairissa M. is a recently graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Communications and spent her undergrad time as a Division II swimmer. After graduation, she knew she was not ready to give up her love of swimming so she found a new way to continue: teaching. In addition to working with Sunsational Swim School, she is also a swim instructor at a YMCA in South Florida. There, she is able to both coach a team and teach others to swim of all ages. Clairissa see’s swimming as more than just a survival skill to know, but a life investment.

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