Teaching young kids the swimming kick

Once your kids have started to build their water confidence and mastered the steps of putting their head underwater and floating, the next step is to teach them the swimming kick.

Learning how to kick in water correctly will help your kids to swim more efficiently in the future and will help to lay the foundation for other swimming strokes too.

Kicking is a gross motor skill and a critical swimming skill, but it can be hard work at first and will require some concentration to get it right and for your kids to stay afloat.
 

Teaching young kids the swimming kick

Here are some easy steps to help you teach your kids the swimming kick.

1. Get your kids to sit on the pool’s highest step or on the side of the pool and to straighten their legs into the water and point their toes.

Holding just above their ankles, move their legs up and down in a scissor motion.

After they see how it’s done, allow them to practice on their own.

2. If your kids can keep their legs fairly straight while sitting on the step, they’re ready to try on their stomach.

Ask them to get into the water and lie face down, with their arms stretched out in front of them, either holding onto the edge of the pool, the steps or to your hands.

Encourage them to kick from their hips and make sure their legs are straight and toes pointed, and again, move them up and down in the water by holding just above the ankles.

Then let them try on their own.

3. Once your kids have mastered kicking holding onto something, it’s time to practice kicking to help move them forward.

Hold their hands just under the surface of the water, while they lie on their stomach, and have them kick their legs up and down and start to move forward.

As they gain more confidence, encourage your kids to stretch their arms straight out in front of them too like a superhero.

4. When they’re ready, get your kids to look face down at the bottom of the pool and blow bubbles as they kick.

Source: This article was kindly written for us by SplashSave - giving parents all the tools they need to teach their kids to swim & to ensure they grow up safe around water.

Visit www.splashsave.co.nz to learn more about teaching your kids to swim and to get a big discount off your SplashSave Parents Pack when you use code ‘under5s’.
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