08.09.2023

How to teach a child to swim - exercises according to age. When and how to teach a child to swim? What you need to overcome your fear of water

It is very difficult to find a child who does not love water. For 9 months a little man swims in the amniotic fluid of his mother, they feed him, warm him, lull him to sleep, they are his natural environment, but after birth it is no longer easy to cope with the familiar elements on his own, he needs the help of an adult. Then every parent faces questions: how to teach a child to swim and at what age can a child be placed in the hands of a professional coach?

At what age to start

It is believed that the best time to learn swimming is either infancy, the so-called, when reflexes in contact with water are preserved, or 5–7 years when the body is in suitable physical shape. Children at this time already understand a lot, recognize cause-and-effect relationships, but the sense of self-preservation is still lame. Therefore, small incidents, such as water getting into their mouth or eyes, do not scare them enough to stop exercising.

At the age of seven, you can do without auxiliary aids - armbands, vests, circles, they only give a false sense of security. If you couldn’t do without armbands, then you need to gradually get rid of them; abruptly canceling them will add stress and uncertainty. Each lesson, lower the product you use a little so that the child feels his strength, accepts his position and relies only on himself.

Preparation

Children tend to experience fear when faced with something unknown, and the fear of water is no exception. In order for the acquaintance with the water element for the first time to pass without fear and stress, parents should be nearby, showing by their example that there is nothing to be afraid of, the process of bathing is a very fun and enjoyable experience.

Any carelessly spoken word or careless action can discourage the desire to swim for many years. Where to learn to swim, in a pool or on a river, is up to you, it depends only on your capabilities and does not affect the result. First, read the basic rules:

The child must be in a good mood and full, otherwise vagaries cannot be avoided, and training may end before it even begins.
Conquering open waters should happen gradually– first, offer to wet your palms and wash your face, then wet your feet, go into the water up to your knees, if no negative emotions are observed, then you can start swimming lessons.
It’s worth starting your training with breathing techniques: a quick inhale through the nose is replaced by a long, smooth exhalation through the mouth. Have you learned to breathe correctly? It's time to move on to the next stage.

First lessons

"Hearts." This simple technique is analogous to the movement of the arms during breaststroke swimming. An explanation of the technique, even in simple words, is not always clear, so just ask your child to draw a big heart on the water with his hands. This demand of yours will not only be understood, but also fulfilled with pleasure.

"Duck"- a method aimed at coordination; for this you can use armbands or ask your dad for help. The child holds on to his mother, using his feet to show the movements of duck feet in the water; as soon as this works well, complicate the exercise. Put armbands on the young swimmer; if he lets go of his hands, he will be able to stay on the surface. Or dad should stand nearby and, if necessary, provide backup and support for the student.

You can easily teach swimming using the method "Frog". The child makes a heart with his hands and shows with his feet how a frog swims. In essence, this is a combination of the first and second combinations, only the movement of the legs changes. During the first training, you also cannot do without the help of armbands or an adult. The good thing about this method is that it includes fun elements of play and imitation.

Important! Learning should bring joy, if at first the child is forced or allowed to get scared when immersed in water, then there will be no need to talk about any pleasure from swimming, much less the result.

The game will help you prepare for the fact that your face can be partially, and then completely, immersed in water. "Hippopotamus". Inhale over the water, purse your lips tightly. Slowly lower your chin into the water, then your mouth and nose, up to eye level, and invite your child to imagine himself as a hippopotamus, looking around with interest at the surroundings on a hot day.

After some time, exhale through your mouth under water. Repeat this game for several minutes in a row every day to bring the actions to automaticity.

As soon as you complete the previous task, start the game "Submariners": take a deep breath, hold your breath, close your nose, close your eyes and gently lower your face under the water.

On a note! Let your child try to remember a picture or excerpt from a movie and try to see all its details in his imagination. This technique will distract him, and he will last longer without another breath of oxygen.

Repeat the exercise ten times. The more you practice, the longer your child will be able to hold his breath.

"Float"- an exercise perfect for the pool. For greater clarity, the float pose should be shown first on land: inhale, squat down, hug your knees with your hands, press your chin to your chest, but do not strain your neck.

Repeat the same combination in the pool, first grouping yourself, and then smoothly rising upward in the same position.

Important! Don't forget about the safety rules: all games and exercises should take place either in a children's pool or in an open body of water, in the shallowest place. The soil under your feet should be stable and not slip.

Why do you want to teach your child to swim?

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Learn to swim

If your child already knows how to float and hold his breath, then it’s time to teach him to swim crawl. To master this method, you need to learn to control your body, move your arms and legs synchronously, while not forgetting to hold your breath.

On a note! Buy scuba diving goggles; they will not only protect your eyes, but will also arouse additional interest in your child.

One of the most effective exercises is considered "Scissors". If you exercise in an open body of water, such as the sea or a lake, then stick to the shore line; if in a pool, then use the side.

For better understanding, not only explain, but also show all the movements. Take a lying position, arms bent at the elbows, back, legs and feet should be parallel to the water, right and left legs make swings, alternately rising above each other. It is worth training until the legs become stronger and the child can perform movements for 2-3 minutes without a break.

Next exercise - "Arrow". The effectiveness of its implementation depends precisely on strong leg muscles. This exercise will help you hone your ability to glide underwater. Raise your arms above your head with your palms together, inhale, push off the bottom, move forward as far as possible, keeping your legs straight. Repeat 10 times.

It is better to train either from the depths to the shore, or along the shore. To complicate the task, you can combine “Arrow” and “Scissors”.

When there is no longer any fear of water, continue training with methods : "From mom to dad" And "I myself". The essence of the first is that the parents stand at some distance from each other, one of them sends the child to the other with a strong jerk; this movement can be compared to the launch of a rocket.

Initially, one parent literally hands the baby into the hands of the other, but each time the distance increases, and the child hangs in the water for a few seconds, then independently swims across this distance, intensively working with his arms and legs. This method is good from a psychological point of view; it clearly shows the support of mom and dad, teaches you to trust them and follow their advice.

It will be very useful to teach your baby pose "Star", she will teach you how to relax and rest right afloat. Go waist-deep into the water, spread your arms to the sides and gently, holding your breath, lie down on your back. Also spread your legs to the sides to create a real star. If the child succeeds in this technique, then we can say with confidence that the acquaintance with water has been passed with an A plus.

Often, having barely learned to stay afloat, many children want to hone their skills on their own and away from their families. Approach this moment wisely. Let your independent little one swim on his own, but with one condition: you can go into the water no deeper than shoulder-deep, and keep your course towards the shore. This way you give freedom of action, but at the same time you remain confident in safety, because if the child gets tired of swimming, he can always get back on his feet and rest.

Allow your child to swim, holding him to practice the correct movements.

Under no circumstances should the widespread manner of “ Throw it into the water and it will immediately learn to swim." Whoever came up with this definitely deserves a similar punishment, because not everyone in such a stressful situation will be able to pull themselves together and swim out. Naturally, you will save your child, but your authority will be undermined; how can you be trusted in the future if you are now exposing him to mortal danger? Having received such a lesson just once, you can develop a fear of water for the rest of your life.
When training with your child, make sure your swimmer was always facing the shore, the neck did not touch the water, so there was less chance of choking. Neglecting safety rules means endangering not only your health, but also your life. Consider whether there is any risk involved here.
Don't refer to chance, a child will not be able to learn to swim correctly on his own; the technique must be correct, starting from the first minutes. It doesn't take much intelligence to learn how to swim like a dog, but how much benefit does this style have?
Gain experience: take an interest in new teaching methods, watch video lessons on the Internet, attend competitions, know the characters by sight, show your interest, and your child will enthusiastically pick up your hobby.
Do water gymnastics with your children, you will not only receive a charge of vivacity and positivity, but also prevent osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, cardiovascular diseases, and increase the protective properties of the immune system.

IMPORTANT! *when copying article materials, be sure to indicate an active link to the original

How and where to start learning to swim

Games in the water

In order for your child to get used to water, start with simple games. Splash, play catch, play catch, take the baby in your arm and go with him into the depths - so that the water reaches the baby’s chest. Sit with your child in shallow water, picking over rocks or playing in the sand.

Don't force water, but make it a natural environment for your child.

Safety

The first and most important thing to know when coming into contact with water is that you should not inhale it, but rather spit it out. Teach your child to breathe correctly while still on the shore - take a quick breath through the mouth and a long exhale through the nose. Together, try to hold your breath, very slowly releasing a thin stream of air, as if blowing out a candle.

Dive

A child who feels comfortable in the water can begin to be taught to dive. To begin, try holding your breath together and dipping your face into the water. If this does not cause panic in the child, but only awakens interest, gradually move on to learning the “Float” exercise.

Go into the water with your child so that the level reaches his chest. Ask your baby, at the command “Dive,” to inhale, hold his breath and sit down, clasping his knees with his hands and pressing his chin to his chest. Be prepared for the child to emerge immediately - skills are developed gradually.

Exercises

Children over four years old can start learning to swim by learning the basic movements. After putting armbands or a vest on the child, place him on his stomach and ask him to draw hearts on the surface of the water with his hands. To do this, you need to stretch out your palms, then spread them wide to the sides and connect them at the bottom. Also try this exercise by immersing your baby's shoulders under water.

Hold your child's hands and ask him to show how the frog moves its legs. Slowly move your back backwards while your baby pushes with his legs.

When the child has mastered these two exercises, invite him to sit down in the water, push off with his feet and combine the movements from the “Hearts” and “Frog” exercises.

Positive attitude

Praise your child even for the slightest success in the water. The baby is mastering a completely new environment for him, it is difficult and scary for him, and he needs your support. Encourage zeal with various treats and small gifts. Your main task is to provide your child with a good mood and dispel his doubts and fear of the unknown.

What not to do

"Grandfather's" methods

Remember how they used to throw children into deep waters, forcing them to swim out of a sense of self-preservation? If you have ever experienced this horror, you will never allow your child to go through such extreme training.

Such violent methods can cause psychological trauma to a child and develop hydrophobia - a fear of water, which will be very difficult for him to overcome in the future.

Correct position

Never place a child who cannot swim on his or her back. This defenseless position instills in the child fear for his life. Swimming on your back is easier, but not always more comfortable. You need to start mastering the technique when the child is already confidently floating on the water.

Equipment

Do not accustom your child to inflatable vests, armbands and circles. Equipment interferes with the natural position of the body in the water. The body is held on the surface not by working muscles, but by air pushing it out.

Such means provide safety, but have nothing to do with learning to swim.

No to instincts!

Try to teach your child the correct techniques for moving in the water from the very beginning. Floundering in the water on their own, children get used to swimming “like a dog,” with jerks and jumps, and it is much more difficult to retrain them later.

Don't rush

Don’t try to master everything at once in order to fit it into a week of vacation by the sea. All children are different. Perhaps now the child is simply not ready for close contact with big water. In this case, you need to give up and try to resume classes next year.

Do not force your child to enter the water if he is cold or not in the mood. Exercises should bring pleasure and not cause negative emotions.

Swimming- This is a great way to maintain healthy physical shape for both adults and children. And for the little ones it is also useful for the harmonious development of the growing organism.

And every parent soon asks the question: “How to teach my son or daughter to swim?” In this article we will tell you in detail how to achieve the desired result quickly and without unnecessary pressure on the baby.

The benefits of swimming are simply enormous, almost incommensurable with any other type of physical activity. Mainly, activity in the aquatic environment ensures an even distribution of the load on all muscle groups of the human body, and therefore has a beneficial effect on the coordinated functioning of the musculoskeletal system.

Trained muscles are less susceptible to sprains, tears and other injuries. The cardiovascular and respiratory systems also develop, the lungs increase in volume, which means that subsequently high-quality access to oxygen necessary for all cells of the body will be ensured, which contributes to the normal and long-term functionality of all organs and systems.

This is the right path to strengthened immunity. Your child will not have problems with plasticity of movements. Well, in addition, being in the water is always pleasant for children, and, as you know, pleasant emotions are a sure way to a healthy mental state.

When can you teach a child to swim?

In general, most coaches recommend sending kids to swimming at the age of 3-4 years. Before this, you can independently accustom your baby to being in the water, playfully. Place your face in the water with him, roll him through the water on his back, pull his arms, look at the bottom through special glasses - let the baby just get used to the aquatic environment and have fun.

Is it worth teaching a baby to swim?

If you are of the opinion that your baby should be taught to swim from the cradle, then be sure to sign up for special courses. Under no circumstances should you decide to teach yourself in your bathroom after watching all sorts of video lessons like “How to teach a baby to swim at home,” etc.! After all, before conducting swimming lessons with a baby, he is prescribed a special examination, and the doctor decides whether this activity is permissible for him now. And no one better than a professional can make this activity useful for your baby. And the lack of proper preparedness can harm the baby.

How to choose a safe pool for your child

You have the right to choose where to try to teach your child to swim - in an artificial or natural reservoir. There are several criteria for the safety of the aquatic environment, in particular in the pool:

Clean, clear water that meets sanitary standards.
Optimal temperature conditions (for preschool children, the water temperature is from 23 °C, and in the environment - not lower than 25 °C).
Absence of foreign objects that could pose a threat to the baby.

Before swimming in a natural body of water, be it a lake, river or sea, you need to assess the environment for the presence of large or sharp stones, underwater and strong currents, debris, great depth and other potentially dangerous factors.

Important! If your baby is swimming in a pool without an instructor or is in a body of water near the shore, under no circumstances should you leave him unattended, much less lose sight of him. Danger can arise at the most unexpected moment, which is amplified a hundredfold if your baby cannot swim.

What mistakes should you avoid when learning to swim?

First of all, there can be no talk of any swimming training if the baby is afraid of water. Forced training will not give any positive results and, in addition, can only strengthen negative attitudes towards the aquatic environment. To get rid of your baby's fears, you should be patient and let your baby just play in the water.
First, teach your child to float on the water in the “on his back” position.
Initially, teach your baby to swim correctly, and not how it works out or how it’s easier (for example, the well-known “doggy style” style). Subsequently, it will be difficult or even impossible to retrain.

What games will help a child overcome his fear of water?

Below are some examples of exciting games in water that will help your baby get comfortable in it:

"Water Battle"

Spray each other with your baby while being waist-deep in water. He or she will get even more excited if you give in a little sometimes.

"Hide and Seek"

Thanks to this exercise we learn to hold our breath. Before this, you can practice puffing out your cheeks without water and not breathing for a while, and then transfer the same movements with immersing your face in water.

"Crocodile"

An excellent opportunity to transform from an eternal “cat” or “dog” into a real crocodile, plunging into water up to eye level. You can even combine it with “catch-up”.

How to teach a child to swim

Many exercises are very similar to each other. But given the different perceptual abilities of each child individually and according to age, there are some differences in the teaching system.
Let's look at sets of exercises by age category.

How to teach a child to swim at 3-4 years old

It is believed that a 3-year-old child’s coordination of movements is already quite well developed, which makes the task of learning to swim easier.

"Hearts"

To begin with, we practice drawing a big heart with our hands in the air, first spreading them away from ourselves and then connecting them below. Then you do the same, going into the water up to shoulder level.

"Frog"

Conducted in water. The baby holds on to the parent with his hands, and with his feet he makes pushing movements to the sides and then - bringing his legs together and again tucking them in for a new push. At this time, the parent moves backwards and pulls the baby by the arms.

In the pool, this exercise is carried out in this way: first, the swimmer holds on to the side of the pool and imitates swimming movements with his legs. Then, being in the same position, he holds on to the swimming board. In the process of mastering the skill, you can try to remove the board for a short time, and the child adds the learned movements with his hands. Thus, the baby masters breaststroke swimming.

"Float"

This exercise is done at a relatively shallow depth. The baby takes a deep breath and sinks to the bottom, hugging his knees with his hands, and then begins to smoothly ascend due to the air in his lungs lifting him up.

Did you know? It is more interesting to do this with swimming goggles so that the water does not cause discomfort to the baby and there is an opportunity to see the parent. In the same way, you can dive for an object, for example, a toy or a shell.

How to teach a child to swim at 5-6 years old

The young swimmer masters the breath-holding skill described in the previous subsection.
First, you can teach him to swim underwater. Since being able to keep your head on the surface of the water is not an easy task, in order to coordinate body movements that will contribute to this in the future, you can learn scuba diving.

"Arrow"

The baby connects his straightened arms above his head, folding his palms one on top of the other, and then plunges into the water, takes a horizontal position and pushes off from the shore / parent / side of the pool. In this position, it floats by inertia as much as possible until it stops.

Important! In a river or other natural body of water, this exercise is performed in the direction of a parent or other adult, or towards the shore, at a relatively shallow depth.

"Scissors"

The swimmer holds the edge of the pool with his hands or, being, for example, in a river, performs these movements in shallow water facing the shore, resting his elbows. Swing each leg up and down.

"Arrow" and "scissors"

Underwater, try combining the two previous exercises.

"Mill"

The child is in the water at chest level. Alternate swings are made with straightened arms from top to bottom. This exercise is the founder of crawl swimming. After consolidating the skill, teach the young swimmer to breathe correctly - immerse his torso on the surface of the water face down, while holding him with one hand under his chest.

With your other hand, turn your head in the direction of the upward hand to inhale and exhale while changing hands and further turning your head in the opposite direction.

At the end of freestyle swimming training, these exercises are combined.

How to teach a child to swim at 7, 8 and 9 years old

It's okay if your child still hasn't learned to swim. You can practice the movement options suggested above with him. The main thing is to be patient, loyal and show that you can be relied upon in this matter. I suggest you visually see how all these actions are performed in the video below.

How to teach a child to swim at 10 years old and older

In general, older children repeat all the technology presented in the same way, perhaps even independently. However, if you have a panicky fear of water that you can’t get rid of, perhaps a psychologist needs to work with the person.

What swimming aids can be used to teach swimming?

Swimming instructors do not recommend that those who want to teach their child to swim purchase various types of inflatable devices, such as rings, vests, arm guards, and fins. All this contributes to the incorrect position of the body in the water, and therefore to incorrect swimming technique or the inability to perform it.

For this procedure, the most optimal auxiliary object is considered to be a swimming board. The use of inflatable balloons is also allowed, and in some cases the use of armbands is allowed.

Do not skimp on praise and approving phrases! Your sincere support and understanding will help the baby cope with his fears and give him enthusiasm for possible failures.

Teach your child to swim only when you are convinced that he does not have otitis, does not have a tendency to have it frequently, and generally feels good.

Don't push if your baby doesn't want to do something or is tired. So, everything has its time. Continue to master various games in the water after the baby has rested or warmed up.

Pay attention to the child's body - blue lips, goose bumps and a trembling chin are a signal that it's time to take a break and warm up.

Video

Here you can watch a video in which an experienced swimming coach explains in detail how to easily and quickly teach your baby to swim:

Were you able to find answers to your questions in this article? Don’t forget to tell us if, following the recommendations offered, you were able to teach your child to swim independently, and how long it took you to achieve the result.

Children need an active pastime, and for this, many years ago, resourceful inventors came up with special devices.

Help your child master some of them - find out how your child can adapt to roller skating. In addition to physical activity and active games, the baby also needs “refueling”, and for this you can.

Drawing is one of many ways to broaden a child’s horizons, develop imagination and creativity, or at least just keep the little one busy with something useful for a while. Also, if you are concerned about this issue, we will tell you.

This problem faces many people, so we will tell you how to successfully cope with the task.

Summer, relaxation, sea... Who would refuse such a pastime? To get the maximum benefit from being on a pond, you need to be able to swim. How and at what age can you teach a child to swim?

There is no need to talk about the benefits of swimming:

hardening of the body as a whole and effective prevention of colds;
formation of healthy posture;
positive emotions;
development of physical abilities: coordination of movements, strength and endurance.

“Swimming has unshakable values that no one can challenge. Everyone should be able to swim! Who’s against?..,” said the famous Soviet swimmer, four-time Olympic champion and planet record holder Vladimir Salnikov.

Oh no, we don’t encourage you to raise your child to be a future Olympic swimmer (although why not), but teaching him this useful skill is very necessary.

When to teach a child to swim

Babies are the best “students”

So, when can you teach children to swim? You can accustom your baby to water as soon as he is born. For a newborn, an aquatic environment is almost a natural state, because he spent 9 months in amniotic fluid. That’s why babies simply love to swim. However, vigilant parents should not forget that the water element can pose a danger to the baby. To ensure that the baby does not lose his innate swimming skills, you need to involve a specialist. At the initial stage, it will be enough to lightly immerse the child in the water and rock it a little around the perimeter of the bathtub. When the baby has mastered simple exercises, he can swim in the pool.

Learn to swim by playing

At the age of one to four years, there is no point in forcing a child to learn to swim. At this age, children learn about the world through play, so it’s worth teaching them about water, giving them the opportunity to splash around and just have fun.

The most optimal age for learning to swim, according to experts, is 4 years.

Introducing water to a child under one year old

Diving at the reflex level

Young children who have loved swimming from birth very quickly learn to stop breathing and row with their hands. Many parents are afraid to teach their little one to dive.

“In fact, there is nothing terrible in diving,” advises popular TV presenter and pediatrician Evgeniy Komarovsky, “a newborn has a very strong reflex that prevents water from entering the respiratory tract. If you do not dive for two to three months, this reflex fades and the child may choke... This should be done with the child lying on his stomach. Say the word “dive” loudly and hold your child underwater for a few seconds. He will very quickly develop a conditioned reflex, and just the word “dive” will be enough for the baby to hold his breath on his own.”

At 1 year old, you can teach your baby to float on the surface of the water and not be afraid to dip his face in the water. At the same time, it is very easy to overtire a young bather. Swimming requires a huge expenditure of energy and the child runs the risk of getting tired very quickly. Therefore, the first lessons should not last more than 10 minutes.

If the baby resists or is clearly afraid of water, do not insist, otherwise you risk causing hydrophobia in the child for life.

Teaching a child 1-2 years old to swim

Inhale-exhale

Inhale on land and exhale under water - the baby must remember this rule first of all. Playfully. Place a container of water on the bench so that it is at the level of the child’s shoulders, immerse a boat with sails in it, show how to inhale air and blow into the sails so that the boat floats in the other direction. The chin should be under water. This game will appeal to any restless person. Having understood the essence of this fun, the child will become interested and excited and will try to exhale the air. Children 1-2 years old are able to blow on the boat 6 to 8 times.

Stop, breath!

The next skill of a young swimmer should be the skill of holding one's breath under water. Naturally, the first attempts should be made on land, sitting in front of a container of water. Take some water, warn the diver: attention! Don't breathe! Dive! Then splash water on his forehead, on his face. Do this exercise 6-8 times. Take a break between attempts: let the child relax, play, jump. Even a few gymnastic exercises won't hurt. Let the baby also try to lower his head into a container of water for a few moments without closing his eyes.

For information on how to teach your baby to swim, watch the following video:

The child shows more coordinated movements at approximately 3 years of age.

We teach a child to swim at 3-4 years old

How to teach a child to swim at 3-4 years old? Quite easy if he is not afraid of water and likes to splash around. Breaststroke swimming, or rather its lighter version, is suitable.

It is important to conduct classes in a playful way, without forcing them against their will.

You can include a competitive element: who will swim to mom faster - the child or the dad? Who can stay underwater longer?

"Hearts" with hands

We teach the child to draw hearts on the surface of the water. To do this, we spread our arms outstretched forward to the sides and connect them at the bottom. Then we repeat the same thing, only lowering our arms and shoulders into the water, leaving our head on the surface.

"Frog" with legs

Holding onto one of the parents with his hands, the child makes pushing movements with his legs, imitating a frog. At the same time, the parent moves backwards, towing the child behind him.

"Jumping"

The child must take a sitting position in the water, group himself, push off the bottom with his feet and swim, making “hearts” with his hands and “frog” with his feet. And dad and mom are not just passive observers, but real helpers. Dad can support or belay the child from below, while mom stretches her arms forward and catches the young swimmer.

The key aspect that underlies learning to swim is a positive mood. Don't skimp on praising your little boy or girl for the smallest successes. When a child feels supported and loved, he will strive to learn further.

How to teach a child to swim in the pool

The same techniques can be used to teach swimming in a pool. The young swimmer holds onto the side and lies on his stomach with his arms outstretched, while animatedly moving his legs, imitating a frog. The same manipulations can be repeated using a foam board. Holding onto the board, the child will move his legs and swim. This activity gives preschool children incomparable emotions. Gradually, the board can be removed by using hand movements.

Video on how to teach a child to swim in the pool:

Making a "float"

For children aged 3-4 years, the “float” exercise is useful: the child inhales air and sinks to the bottom of the pool, then, like a float, smoothly rises again. Of course, this activity should be carried out in a small paddling pool or in shallow water.

It is important that the child does not have ear pain, does not have otitis media or a tendency to develop it.

First, explain and show the “student” what the position of the “float” is. Squat down, squeeze your knees with your hands, tilt your head, press your knees and chin to your chest. Let the diver have some kind of goal, say, a bright toy at the bottom of the pool.

Swimming lessons for 5-6 year olds

How to teach a child to swim at 5-6 years old? At this age, children can be taught to swim crawl, always using swimming goggles.

Sliding underwater, or "Arrow"

After the child has learned to hold his breath, it is time to try swimming underwater. Why not immediately raise your head above the water? When he perfects the skill of synchronized movement with his arms and legs, then he can be taught to raise his head above the water to breathe.

So, to glide underwater, the child needs to raise his arms above his head and place his closed palm on the back of the other hand. Now take a deep breath and, pushing off with your feet from the shore or bottom of the pool, slide forward until you come to a complete stop. The legs should be straightened.

If you are practicing in an open body of water, then the child should perform this action towards an adult, and under no circumstances swim alone into the depths!

Scissors with feet

In shallow water, the child places emphasis while lying on bent arms. If the lesson takes place in the pool, you need to hold on to the side. The legs and torso should be straight and parallel to the water. Ideally, the feet should also be extended. In this position, the child begins to do “scissors” - swinging straight legs alternately up and down.

"Arrow" with "scissors"

After the previous two exercises have been mastered (the child must slide underwater for several meters and be able to do scissoring for 2-3 minutes without stopping), you can try to combine them.

"Mill" with hands

Now you need to teach your child to row with his hands. First we try in shallow water, where the water is up to his chest. Show how to make a mill: arms, slightly bent at the elbow joint, take turns describing a semicircle in the air and lowering into the water. It is important to pay attention to how the hands enter the water: first the hand, then the forearm, and then the elbow and shoulder.

Breathing practice

Now we teach the child to breathe correctly while swimming crawl. Support your baby under your chest with his head in the water. He must swing his arms and raise his head above the water towards the hand that completes the stroke, i.e. is under water. In this case, the child inhales air and immediately lowers his head into the water, exhaling air while performing a stroke with the other hand. The sequence is as follows: scoop up water with your left hand, turn your head - inhale; straighten the stroke with your hand, turn your head face down - exhale into the water. Repeat until the skill is established.

We complete our training

The final stage will be the combination of all exercises. The child pushes off from the shore or side of the pool, swings his arms and inhales and exhales, turning his head towards the rowing arm.

Teaching schoolchildren to swim

How to teach a child to swim at 7 years old and is it too late? Unfortunately, many school-age children do not know how to swim. Of course, this is not very good, but this is not a death sentence. The right approach and regular training will do wonders: the student will easily catch up.

Support your child in every possible way, do not try to shame him; the inability to swim is rather not his disadvantage, but your fault.

It is useless to teach a schoolchild to swim at home, in the bathroom. He needs a pool. The bath, however, can be an ideal assistant for the formation of breathing: let him inhale above the water, and slowly exhale under the water. Over time, the periods between inhalation and exhalation should increase.

You can teach a student to swim using both breaststroke and crawl. But here it is important to perform the exercises accurately so that the correct technique is immediately established.

Coach Evgeniy Saurov will tell you in detail how to teach a child aged 7-9 to swim in a video:

How not to teach swimming

No to extreme sports!

Never use extreme methods of learning to swim. Some adults do not disdain the “old-fashioned method”: they simply throw the child into the water, they say, instincts will make it swim out. This merciless method threatens to cause your child not just a persistent aversion to water, but also psychological trauma.

This happened with Sasha. At the age of 5 he still could not swim. While his family was relaxing on a pond, the boy was floundering in the shallows. He whined and obsessively asked his parents to teach him to swim. The father, without thinking for a second about the possible consequences, lifted the child above himself and threw him into the water. Sasha, now fully grown, will never forget these seconds of horror, swallowing water and fear. The guy is already 16 years old and he is terrified of water. And the boundless expanse of the sea for him is an insurmountable abyss of fear...

And at the same time, proper familiarization with water and learning to swim helps solve many emotional and psychological problems.

Irina, mother of Zakhar, 4 years old: Zakhar has been a very modest boy since birth; he was always very shy with his peers in kindergarten. He had no friends. It took him a long time to get used to kindergarten and cried all the time. One day, a teacher advised me to take him to the pool and sign him up for a swimming club. After his first visit to the pool, where he smiled for the first time, Zakhar seemed to have been replaced: he was a happy baby! This, it turns out, is what the little whimsical one was waiting for. In the water, my son relaxed, he didn’t just smile, he laughed! Visiting the pool every other day, timid Zakhar turned into a perky and cheerful swimmer. Now, even outside of training, he forgot about tears and made friends.

We do not use accessories for learning to swim

A varied selection of certain swimming devices and life-saving equipment will, of course, come in handy, but... not for a novice swimmer. Professional coaches are not particularly fond of colorful equipment for children, adding that vests and armbands are more of a marketing ploy than a way to teach swimming.

Have you noticed how a child, dressed in “inflated” equipment, unsuccessfully tries to take a lying position on the water? And when a child takes off his colored “armor,” he may feel some kind of insecurity and fear.

Another thing is when the child has already learned to swim. Special swimming boards mean better training and improved leg movement techniques. Or the so-called calabashkas, designed for training hands. Many pools also have paddles that can help swimmers improve their stroke technique.

We don’t teach swimming “somehow”

Many children themselves learn to swim “doggy style”, in jerks or in some other way. This may make it more difficult for them to relearn how to swim correctly. Therefore, it is better to ensure that the child accurately follows the techniques of learning to swim from the very beginning.

Conclusion

These are, perhaps, all the secrets of swimming skill. It turns out that it is never too late to master swimming: not for very small creatures, not for teenagers, not even for adults. In the case of children, you should remember that you need to start when the child does not have a fear of big water - limnophobia. Then your workouts will be crowned with success and bring maximum health benefits.

Video on the topic

My method involves learning to swim first underwater, followed by surfacing and mastering the “above-water” space (the idea came when I saw infant swimming). I assumed that the main problem was that children were afraid of going underwater and were so desperate not to drown that they stopped themselves from swimming. Having learned to hold their breath and swim underwater, children gain confidence, their movements cease to be frantic attempts to stay on the surface at all costs - they calm down and swim.

First question: how often do you plan to go to the pool? The optimal frequency is 2 times a week or more often. The child should be dealt with by the adult whom he trusts more (usually the mother is more suitable, men are often too passionate about the goal and they do not have the patience to let the child calm down and believe in his abilities, but if your dad is a calm, balanced person, then he can handle it quite well! ). Moreover, it is very important not to force events, otherwise you might scare the little ones! IMPORTANT: praise and encourage the child non-stop, especially at key moments (mastering diving and starting to swim underwater).

To begin with, you must stand at a depth where the child is chest-deep (standard depth for classes), remove the armbands and ask the child to squat in the water, holding his breath. First, so that the water would cover his lips, then his nose, then dive in headfirst and immediately emerge. This exercise should be done until the child realizes that he is in control of the diving situation, holds his breath in time and correctly, emerges of his own free will and is not afraid of the lack of air (let the child not close his eyes or plug his nose when diving if he is afraid water getting into the eyes, it makes sense to offer glasses, but all the children I taught learned quite calmly without them - the main thing here is to interest the child in WHAT can be seen under water).
As a game, jumping from the side of the pool at the deep edge, first with arm guards (at later stages - without them), is a very good way to master the situation of diving, while the adult must catch the child before he has time to get scared.
When the dive has been mastered so much that the child is completely no longer afraid of it (usually one lesson is enough), ask the child to stretch out his arms when he dives and quickly drag him under the water by the arms for at least half a meter, gradually increasing to the distance of your outstretched arms. Towards the end of the distance, push it to the surface, indicating the need to inhale. Children usually really like this exercise. Come up with some kind of game preamble for it: a submarine, a Navy SEAL...
Pay the child's attention to the fact that he emerges (raises his head above the water) when he wants to breathe, convince him of safety and control over the situation, both on your part and on his part. Gradually transfer the initiative of diving to the child.
When the child feels confident that he always has the opportunity to emerge, complicate exercise No. 2 by leading the child by the hands, and he dives and emerges while inhaling and exhaling, while he completely lifts his legs from the bottom and “swims” without placing your feet on the bottom at the moment of inhalation and exhalation. Start with 2-3 diving-flicks (inhale-hold your breath-dive-flick-dive (1) - breath-hold-dive-flick-dive (2) - etc.), working your way up to 5-6. This is a very labor-intensive exercise for a child (give him a break, don’t force it) and the most basic skill (usually it takes 2-3 lessons to master).
Continue to play jumping from the side (without sleeves), jump in water with immersion (“the woman sowed peas”), all games should be aimed at teaching the child not to be afraid of situations in the water associated with water on the face and diving under water despite the fact that there are no floating devices on it.
When the child stops looking out of breath when performing exercise 3, i.e. learns to dive easily and on time, explain to him how to dive on his own. To do this, he must cup his hands, put them forward and dive after his hands (ask him to look at his hands underwater). The child now independently controls his dive and resurfacing without the help of an adult with his hands.
When this is mastered (usually this happens almost immediately), stand at a distance of half a meter from the child and ask the child to dive, see your body under water and walk under the water (sometimes it turns out to immediately swim) towards you and emerge. Explain to him how to push his legs away from the bottom to increase his speed (this also encourages him to lift his legs and swim, rather than walk underwater). Gradually increase the distance until one breath is enough. Come up with a game in which the child will swim to different people and objects in the water in this way.
Jumping into the pool from the side is no longer worth immediately securing and catching the child. Let him swim up to you and emerge.
This exercise is the key to independent swimming. Stand from the edge of the pool or place another adult at a distance of one and a half to two meters. Explain to your child that he can swim to the desired goal (the edge of the pool or another adult) by diving for breath as many times as necessary. Show him how to row his arms underwater by extending them forward and spreading them out to the sides. At first, many children try to stand on the bottom while inhaling. Therefore, pretty soon remind the child that he knows how to push with his legs when diving, and ask him not to lower his legs, initially walking next to the child and belaying (a little!!!) his hand under his stomach while inhaling... to master this stage takes 2-4 lessons.
After mastering the exercise. 5, when your insurance during inhalation becomes symbolic, convince the child that he can now swim underwater independently (metaphor - swim like a dolphin). Ask him to swim to various objects that are clearly visible in the water, and then complicate the task so that he not only swims to the object, but also returns to you (usually the competition technique works very well here: “I bet you can swim?” ).
Gradually shift your activities to a depth where the child does not reach the bottom with his feet.
Having actually mastered the exercise. 6, we can assume that you have taught him to swim; further training (swimming above water) can be left to the child’s discretion (usually children, after a while, very easily understand how to swim without diving). If you want to control the process of learning surface swimming, then you just need to show the child that you can dive not immediately after inhaling, but continue to swim, keeping your head above the water. Here you need to pay attention to ensure that the child does not stretch his neck (remind him that as soon as he gets tired of swimming above the water, he can dive).
The rest of the training concerns the swimming style: show the child how to use his legs, achieve smooth and synchronized movements of the arms and legs.

In the end I would like to add that this swim is just the beginning of the ability to swim in style!!! Further training (crawl, breaststroke and other bells and whistles) is the job of the athlete-instructor, but the goal of this technique is confidence on the water.

Personal experience

Make-believe

Comment on the article "How to teach a child to swim"

20.10.2008 04:32:01, Pandus

What do the experts think? - Probably only the lazy one hasn’t read about it here: http://swim7.narod.ru/malenkie.html

20.10.2008 04:31:06, Pandus

Total 27 messages .