Sit on the side, and slide in.

The child sits on the side of the pool and the parent gets in the water.

Keep a hold on the child while doing so.

Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

Child seated on the wall. Parent in the water.

Sing while touching your head and shoulders while you match lyrics.

Touch child’s “head,” and “shoulders” with hands or splashes in tune to the lyrics.

Motorboat Song

The child sits on the sides with feet in the water.

The parent stands in front of them. Holding their feet. Move feet like kicking while singing the song:

“Motorboat, motorboat, go so slow,
Motorboat, motorboat, go so fast,
Motorboat, motorboat, step on the gas!!!!”

At each line, move the feet kicking faster.

Supported Front Floats

Palms up, thumbs around the shoulders.

Or hold child like catching a football, with thumbs wrapped around rib cage and fingers around shoulder blades.

Supported Front Floats

Palms up, thumbs around the shoulders.

Or hold child like catching a football, with thumbs wrapped around rib cage and fingers around shoulder blades.

Throw a Toy and Get it

Have the child or a parent throw a toy into the water.

The parent does their cueing, “1, 2, 3, Go!” and then pulls the child into their arms in the water, and into a front float.

Do a front float to the toy and get it

Return to the wall, and repeat.

Encourage child to reach for the toy.

Support the chest, remain low in the water.

Goal is to lay flat and stretch out with kicking to “help” move.

Supported Back Float / Glide

Have the swimmer rest on the parent’s shoulder. Lean into their neck and arm.

If ADVANCED hold the back of the head.

Advanced babies.

Start with head on shoulder, support the head and body, and finally support the head.

Your calm will dictate the swimmer’s calm.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Song

“Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky,
Twinkle Twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.

When this blazing sun is gone,
When he nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light,
Twinkle, twinkle, through the night.

Then the traveller in the dark
Thanks you for your tiny spark;
He could not see where to go,
If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep,
And often through my curtains peep,
For you never shut your eye
Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark
Lights the traveller in the dark,
Though I know not what you are,
Twinkle, twinkle, little star.