Floating on water
The child stands on the pool floor with arms extended sideways. It then leans slightly forward and releases its feet from the ground, lying on the water in a prone position. The head is also placed on the water so that the child looks vertically at the ground and the entire face is under water. This position is assumed for at least 5 seconds.
This exercise trains the two core elements of getting used to water and floating.
Prerequisite exercises:
Please read the Safety notes before you start.
Preparatory exercises
Hold your breath
Grab a swim noodle, a swim board, or something similar and place it on the water. The child should hold onto the swimming noodle with one hand. Then get your child in the mood for the “diving competition”. On Go, the child should go into hiding until you pull the swimming noodle away. At the beginning of each round, it is announced for how long. First two seconds, then three, then five, then seven, until the child no longer has enough time.
This exercise is a lot of fun for most kids. The increasing level of difficulty guarantees small experiences of success. This exercise allows children to stay underwater longer after a short period of time. This is a basic requirement for the core “airplane” exercise, as it requires you to hold your breath for at least five seconds.
Christmas tree
This exercise involves practicing the correct posture while standing. The best way to do this is by showing. First, stand up straight and then push your legs shoulder-width apart. The last thing to do is raise your arms. The child should imitate every step. Then hold your breath visibly for five seconds.
This exercise seems very banal. However, it helps your child to understand the correct posture better. It is easier for children to copy an upright posture.
Free fall
Stand straight in the water. The legs are closed and the hands rest on the side of the body. Then simply let yourself fall forward like a board. Your child should imitate you. Make sure that there is enough space. In addition, the water should be at least half a meter deep. The required water depth depends on your size and weight.
This exercise is primarily to be understood as a test of courage. It also helps children to remove their feet from the ground. The risk of injury is very low if the distance is sufficient and the water is deep enough.
Use a mat to help
Use a swimming mat for this exercise. The child should lie on the mat in the airplane position so that both legs and face are in water. Then correct the leg and arm position. In the next step, the child should put their face in the water and hold their breath for five seconds. After using the mat several times, you can pull the mat away from under the child with advance warning.
The mat keeps the child stable in the water. The stability gained by the mat allows children to remove their legs from the ground without hesitation. If you don't have a mat available, you can also hold your child with both arms. However, this is much more uncomfortable.
Common mistakes
Feet stay on the ground
Some children are afraid of getting their legs off the ground. As soon as the feet are away from the ground, they must be stretched. If you're not stretched, you can't float and fall forward instead. That's no big deal because you're in water. However, the natural reaction when you fall is to intercept the fall with your hands and legs and this is the end of the exercise.
Many children would like to do the exercise slowly and carefully and only stretch their legs slowly. Unfortunately that doesn't work. By doing the exercises above, you can reduce your reflexes and strengthen your confidence that the water will carry you.