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| AFFC Teachers Blowing Bubbles in the Water |
Please note that some of the comments from our teachers are copied and pasted from an email they responded to with the same question above by the Swim Coordinator.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Tips to Help Swimmers Put Their Face in the Water
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Summer: It helps to make a bowl with your hands and have them blow bubbles into the bowl. Thats what helps with the pre's atleast!
ReplyDeleteElissa: Head, shoulders, knees, and toes work. You have them put each part of their face in separately then all together.
ReplyDeleteCamille: I do three little monkeys. If they won't do that, I tell them to put their chin in, then their mouth and eventually they get comfortable enough to get their eyes wet.
ReplyDeleteChristie: I have them talk to nemo then listen to what he says.
ReplyDeleteI will have them do tummy floats and ask them if they can put their foreheads in the water
I will have them jump into the water in monkeys and have them go under then.
If they are older then I have them put goggles on and don't let swim unless they put their face in the water
Hope that helps
Amanda: I use a little plastic watering can that I got for $1 at Walmart. We pour it over our hair to "make it grow", and then we lean back and wash it all away. I have kids that fight me every time I mention anything that would mean getting their faces in the water, but they LOVE the watering can and ask when we get to use it.
ReplyDeleteDuring the first session, I had some P2 kids that really weren't all that happy about having to pick toys up off the bottom of the pool. To help them forget about the fact that their whole head was going under and that they needed to open their eyes, I placed a shiny penny at the bottom for each of them (shiny to help them see it better). I told them that it was their buried treasure and if they could go down and grab it, they could keep it. You wouldn't believe how excited they all were over getting to keep a penny. :) It helped immensely.
Hannah: When I have them practice superheros on their stomach, I like to tell them that there are little people who want to see who is saving them. I also do "The Finger Game" and tell them that I don't know how many fingers I'm holding up underwater and I need them to tell me with their whole head underwater. I typically don't run into problems with getting kids to put their faces in though so I feel like I have lame ways if I do have a problem kid. So this will be fun!!! =P
ReplyDeleteKelsey: i "wash the kids face" as if they were in the bath tub. just pool water in your hands and have them splash their face with it. for some reason this is alot less scary && warms them up to the water.
ReplyDeleteEmily: to get them to put their faces in, i go step by step; chins, lips (give the water a smooch), nose, eyes, eyebrows, etc.. And if that doesn't work i make my hands into a "little pool" (cup the water in my two hands) and tell them to put their face in my "(insert child's name here) sized pool". then i slowly bring my hands down into the real pool and show them they actually put their faces in the "big pool", that or i splash the water, that's in my hand, in their face (nicely of course :) )
ReplyDeleteJustin: Mainly I just let them keep working on getting there chin, then nose, then eyes in the water. If they haven't got the whole head wet by the end of the first week. I'll play monkeys on the wall so they have to jump all the way under water.
ReplyDeleteChris: Use the ducks, or any other toy that squirts or drips. Tell them they are taking a bath with that object, and slowly get more and more of them wet, their legs, and their tummy, and then their shoulders, to their chin, to their cheeks, eye brows and then their hair. It's a slow process, but it seems to work.
ReplyDeleteDanielle: I have them gradually put more of their face in the water each time it is their turn :)
ReplyDeleteMadison: Make a bowl with your hands and have the kids get their face wet in the bowl
ReplyDeleteChase: one way i use is going under with them while holding them!
ReplyDeleteLisa Weiler: Take a cup of water and pour it over your head, then the kid will feel more comfortable about pouring the cup of water over his/her head, which slowly but surely will make them more comfortable getting their head in the water
ReplyDeleteMiles Farnsworth: I just like to do a shower. Sometimes I will have a splash party and let the kids splash me while I get them wet. It works with the outgoing kids.
ReplyDeleteCygni: Ok: So my strategy for getting a child to actually put its whole face into the water is this:
ReplyDelete1. There is always lots of assurance and praise each step of the way.
2. Start with the chin. Have the child place the chin in the water. Praise and assure.
3. Then have them "kiss" the water.
4. Next I have them blow bubbles. little by little they are getting more of their face into the water. Praise and assure.
5. Then their next challenge is to get their nose into the water. At first just the tip. Then they should be able to blow a little air for when waves hit their face.
6. After that they should be able to submerge their face up to their eyes.
7. Last of all they should close their eyes and then blow bubbles while they look down into the water. Let out a big woooohooooo and let them know how awesome they did.
Lauren: I bring my kids over to "talk to nemo", and I tell them that nemo told me to show him their lips, then their nose, then their eyes and then their whole face. They love it!
ReplyDeleteTiffany: I have little sinker toys that have faces on them, or ones that look like animals. I tell the kids that it they are my little animal friends that love to swim, but have a problem... they only know how to swim to the bottom. I then ask the kids if they are willing to help my friends swim up to the top by putting their faces in and grabing them to "swim" up to the top. It works pretty well!
ReplyDeleteSorry, I tried to post it on the blog, but it wasn't working.... So this is mine
Kat: I've tried playing Simon Says. "Simon says put your chin in the water. Simon says put your elbow in the water. Simon says put your forehead in the water!"
ReplyDeleteRyan: I don't have a gmail account, so here's my strategy: I just say- I'll count to 3 and we'll both put our faces in the water- it almost always works. Hey Sarah, I just found out I have a chance to go to California in August, so I won't be here for the 5th session. I hope this is enough notice for you to get another aide for that session.
ReplyDeleteKaiti: i have them jump off the wall (playing 5 little monkeys or something) and then let them go under when I catch them! :)
ReplyDelete