Using Toys Effectively in Swimming Lessons

Toys can be a very useful tool in a swimming lesson. Young swimmers love using toys during their lessons, and they can be a huge help for swimming teachers and parents.

Toys come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colours. Swimmers are limited only by their imagination when it comes to toys and how they can be used. Here are some suggestions for using toys effectively within a swimming lesson.

Choose Appropriate Toys

There are a multitude of toys available to purchase for swimming lessons. Some toys are created specifically for swimming lessons, while others can be found in your local store and can work well for learning experiences.

When choosing toys for swimming lessons:

• Choose quick-drying toys as they are better for hygiene and storage.
• Ensure toys are small enough to fit comfortably in young swimmers’ hands and light enough for small hands to lift and manoeuvre.
• Choose bright colours, as they are easily spotted in the water and are a big hit with swimmers of all ages and abilities.

Hygiene

Ensure toys are regularly cleaned and changed to help keep germs at bay. Changing toys regularly can also help keep swimmers’ imaginations engaged and excited.

• Use a non-toxic cleaning agent, as toys may end up in swimmers’ mouths.
• Ensure any water is squeezed or emptied out of toys after use.
• Store toys in an open basket or an area where they can dry easily.

Good toy hygiene is an important part of maintaining a clean and safe swimming lesson environment.

Swimming-Related Purpose

When using toys in a swimming lesson, ensure that they are being used with a swimming-related purpose.

Swimmers can paddle towards a toy and then pick it up as a reward. Parents can place a toy on the water and swimmers can kick towards it to enhance their kicking skills. Swimmers can also hold a toy above their face when back floating to provide distraction and engagement.

Swimmers should never simply hold a toy in their hand and swim with it – this isn’t promoting good swimming practice.

Swimming teachers should use their imagination and prepare their lessons so that toys are useful to their teaching, rather than becoming a hindrance to the group.

The key is to make sure the toy supports the swimming skill being taught, rather than becoming the main focus of the lesson.

Other Information

There are many types of toys that can be used within a swimming lesson. These include, but are not limited to:

• Mats
• Slides
• Kickboards
• Hoops
• Noodles
• Balls
• Cars
• Dive rings
• Puppets

Swimming teachers should be able to run an effective swimming lesson both with and without toys and educate parents about the appropriate use of toys within the lesson.

Swimmers of all ages can benefit from the use of toys within a swimming lesson. It is important that swimming teachers plan well for their use and constantly review and reflect on how toys affect the flow of their lesson.

Used appropriately, swimming lesson toys can add variety, encourage engagement and help swimmers develop important swimming skills. However, they should always have a clear teaching purpose and support the overall goals of the lesson.

Get More Swimming Teaching Resources

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