Strengthen Physical Literacy at the Pool or Lake!

Confidence is key, especially in the water. That's why building your child's skills isn't just about swimming – it's about safety, too. Did you know that drowning is the leading cause of death for kids under 4? At the Champions for Life Foundation, we're passionate about empowering parents to prioritize swimming lessons. But it doesn't stop there. In Quebec alone, 70% of drownings happen in natural bodies of water. That's why exposing your little ones to various aquatic environments is crucial, alongside formal lessons. Remember, supervision is non-negotiable, even for proficient swimmers. And let's instill in our kids the golden rule: never swim alone. With just 15 seconds to act, every second counts. Explore this link from the Government of Quebec for essential drowning prevention tips. Let's keep our kids safe and swimming strong!

Building physical literacy isn't just about mastering one skill – it's about unlocking a world of confidence and competence across various activities and environments. Even if your little ones aren't destined for Olympic gold, their summer pool adventures will leave a lasting impact. Beyond safety, they might discover a newfound courage to tackle high school swim tryouts or paddle out on family vacations.

And parents, if you're not exactly Michael Phelps, that's perfectly fine! Stick to shallow waters, enlist the help of fellow adults, or join adult swim classes. Your comfort in the pool sets the tone for your kids' aquatic adventures. Stay engaged by asking about their latest lessons and reinforcing key pointers from instructors. Shower them with praise and balance structured practice with playful water games. Whether it's tossing a ball or paddling in a canoe (lifejackets, please!), every moment in the water shapes their confidence. Planning a lakeside or beachside getaway? No worries – these tips translate to any aquatic experience!

• Start by holding your child and moving through the water: This can be done in a variety of positions (facing forwards or backwards, on their bellies or backs). Notice if they naturally move their arms and their legs. This is what we want to see. If not, encourage them to do so!

• Practice jumping from the side into your arms: If they aren’t standing up yet, lift them off the poolside, above your head and into the water. Remember, big smiles and praise!

• Sing a song: “The Wheels on the Bus,” “Itsy-Bitsy Spider,” and “I’m a Little Teapot” are all perfect songs with specific actions to get kids comfortable moving in the water.

• Practice star floats on their front or back

• Have them give blowing bubbles a try! This is a super easy skill for you to demonstrate and it’s a fun way to get them comfortable putting their faces in the water.

• Ask them to plunge specific body parts in the water: Start with fingers or toes and move up to their chin, nose, mouth, ears, etc.

• Play red light, green light: Place child where they are comfortable sitting on their own and call out red light (no kicking), yellow light (slow kicking) and green light (fast kicking). As they become more comfortable, have them lie down on the stomach and practice putting their face in the water at the same time.

• Practice jumping into shallow water on their own.

• Encourage them to do “big front crawl arms” while kicking their feet at the same time.

• Practice swimming a specific distance on their stomach. Remind them to move both their arms and their legs at the same time. You can also do this on their backs!

• Practice breathing to the side. They must be comfortable with breathing on both sides! Start holding on to a static object first (a wall) and then move onto a flutter board or a noodle.

• Have your child retrieve an object from the stairs or the bottom of the pool.

• Practice floating in a star on their backs, rolling onto their stomachs and then moving back again.

• Practice passing a ball back and forth in the pool.

The summer is the perfect time to help develop your children’s physical literacy skills and the pool is a great place for this - always remember, safety first when playing in or around water! Additionally, going swimming is just one of the many ways your child can accumulate their 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity for the day. You may not know that children who get those 60 minutes have higher physical competence, and motivation and confidence scores compared to children who didn’t meet those Physical Activity Guidelines. The confidence that your child will gain from being comfortable in the pool will take them so far in life. Children who know how to swim are more likely to take part in water polo, synchronized swimming, diving, scuba diving, kayaking, sailing, surfing and paddle boarding.