Are you planning a sea vacation with your kids? If so, teaching them to swim in the sea is a must. However, swimming lessons can quickly become tedious for young children. Fortunately, you can play several swimming games to make learning to swim more fun and engaging.
1. Beach Ball Relay
Divide kids into teams and have them race between two adults while carrying a beach ball. To add more challenge, have kids pass the ball to one another without using their hands.
2. Treasure Hunt
Hide several objects, such as shells or coins, on the sea floor. Challenge kids to find the things while swimming and bring them back to shore.
3. Marco Polo
Designate one child as “Marco,” and the rest of the children as “Polo.” With their eyes closed, Marco calls out “Marco,” and the other children must respond “Polo.” The game continues until Marco tags one of the other children.
4. Noodle Race
Using swim noodles, have kids race to the end of the pool while sitting on their noodles. Have them hold the noodle with their hands instead of sitting on it to make it more challenging.
5. Red Light, Green Light
One child is the “traffic light” and stands at the pool’s edge with their back facing the other children. When they say “green light,” the children swim towards them. When they say “red light,” the children must stop. The game continues until one child reaches the “traffic light.”
6. Simon Says
This game is fun to practice different swimming skills and improve listening skills. The adult in charge gives commands starting with “Simon says, “such as “Simon says swim with your head out of the water,” “Simon says dive underwater and swim for 3 seconds”, “Simon says swim with one arm,” “Simon says do a backstroke,” etc. The kids must listen carefully and follow the commands only when someone says, “Simon says. ” If you give a command without, “Simon says,” and a child follows it, they are out. The last child standing wins.
7. Octopus
Designate one child as the “octopus” and place it between two adults. The other kids must try to swim from one side to another without being tagged by the octopus. If a child is touched, they become an octopus and help catch the remaining players.
These fun games to teach kids to swim make learning to swim more enjoyable and improve children’s swimming skills, including breath control, endurance, and stroke technique. Always supervise children when swimming and choose games appropriate for their age and skill level.
In conclusion, teaching kids to swim in the sea can be manageable. Incorporating swimming games and play can make it a fun and memorable experience for your kids. Try these seven fun games to teach kids to swim and watch your kids become confident and competent swimmers.
Read more: Techniques for teaching your child to swim in the sea