We Play! (in the pool)

Lately Sweet Pea and I have been going to the local aquatic center for a bit of pool time play. I grew up not knowing how to swim, so it’s important to me that he’s used to the water and learns how to swim while he’s young. He’s only 1 1/2, so I’m not expecting him to learn how to swim alone without me holding onto him, but he is learning that when he splashes he gets wet and that when he kicks his legs we go fast and mostly that the water can be fun!

Beginning the first time we visited the pool I was very safety conscious with him. I remind him we only walk around a pool, and that he can only go near one when his daddy or I am with him. I am very careful to ease him into the water while holding onto him tightly. We also stay in the shallow end, where I can stay firmly on my feet. A child is much ‘heavier’ in the water when you are trying to swim holding onto them and it’s very easy for them to end up with their heads unexpectedly under the water, which can make them not like the water at all. I’m very careful to make him feel safe and to have fun with him, too!

Some of the simple things we do in the water (while the little old ladies in exercise class watch):

• We zoom in circles like boats – fast and slow – and sometimes chanting “Motor boat, motor boat, go real slow. Motor boat, motor boat, go real fast. Motor boat, motor boat, step on the gas”, of course, going the speed we’re chanting. 
• We bounce and lift him in and out of the water. He especially loves it when I bounce him at different heights, surprising him each time with how high he goes. Sometimes with that I sing The Grand Old Duke of York, and lift him to the different heights as we sing. 
• We also splash! When we splash we sometimes sing The Wheels on the Bus. When the lights flash we fling water from our fingertips. When the door opens, we pull our arms through the water as if it were the door, making great waves. As the driver says ‘move on back’ we splash water over our backs. We also just sing ‘The wheels on the bus go through a puddle…and end with ‘they splash splash splash splash splash’ while hitting the water and making big splashes. 

We don’t spend a long time in the water at this aquatic center, because it is indoors and tends to make Sweet Pea colder faster than being in an outdoor pool with the sun shining down. We have a lot of safe fun, though, and he always asks to go back! I’d love to hear your ideas for some more fun things to do with him in the pool! Of course, if you’re looking for ideas for play with your little ones check out We Play at Childhood 101!