National Learn To Swim Day

National Learn To Swim Day

National Learn to Swim Day is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of teaching children to swim. With summer right around the corner, learning this invaluable life skill is even more essential for safety. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages one to 14. If we work together to promote learning to swim, we can improve this scary statistic and make water wonderful for everyone!

Ways To Celebrate This Weekend!

1. Enroll your kids in swim lessons through Jump Start Swimming! Registration starts Saturday May 25th!!!

2. Visit a community pool as a family – and remember to pack a picnic!

3. Lifeguards are unsung heroes. Take a few minutes to tell your local lifeguard how much you appreciate them.

4. Host a group swimming lesson at a local pool.

5. Check out smart pool safety tips in Swim Ways Resources section.

6. Have a pool? Invite a few friends over for a synchronized swimming competition.

7. Encourage kids with downloadable rewards such as the Learn to Swim Day swimming certificate and free coloring pages in the toolkit on the Teach Me To Swim website. 

8. Still too cold to swim outside? Grab a float and a swimsuit and practice some silly splashes in the bathtub.

9. Take a CPR or First Aid class. 

10. Visit a local library and check out a book about famous Olympic swimmers.

11. Talk to your children about water safety.

12. Start your own Learn-to-Swim Celebration. Contact your local pool, waterpark or community center and help organize a fun event.

Positives of Using Pool Noodles

About Pool Noodles

Pool noodles come in a variety of colors and tend to be just as attractive to children as pool toys. They come in sizes between three and four inches thick and about five feet long. These flexible noodles hold their shape and can with-stand years of continuous use.

Solid foam swim noodles are an inexpensive way to help your child learn to swim. Pool noodles are one of the best floatation devices you can use to float in both a vertical and horizontal position. A swim noodle alone is often enough to keep an adult in a vertical position with their head above the water without him or her doing any arm or leg motions.

Pool Noodles can be used for a variety of swimming techniques and are excellent tools for teaching a child or adult to swim. Noodles give the feeling of safety without the danger of being stuck in a flotation device. Unlike inflatable floaties that are attach to children, pool noodles require children to learn about safety without being scared of swimming. Children and adults can use noodles to gain comfort while still understanding that they are capable of sinking without the support of the noodle.

Using Water Noodles To Learn Swimming

 1. Floating and Getting Comfortable

Use the noodle to float in the pool. To do this, place the noodle under both of your armpits and let your arms hang over the top of the noodle. An advantage of using a pool noodle is that you will be able to float vertically and horizontally. Spend some time floating with the noodle and becoming comfortable in the water.

2. Kicking Vertically – Treading Water

Kick your legs while floating in a vertical position. This will prepare you to start treading water without the noodle. Once you feel confident, release the noodle and try treading water with your arms free as well.

3. Front Floating Horizontally – Preparing to Swim

Float your body in a horizontal position with the noodle under your armpits. Kick your legs with a flutter kick technique. This will prepare you to do a freestyle once you are ready to let go of the noodle.

4. Back Float – Starfish and Backstroke

Turn over to do a back float. Place the noodle under your neck for support. Extend your arms to your sides to balance your float. Once you have mastered the float, kick your legs so that you will prepare yourself to learn the backstroke.

5. Family Fun Time

Play and have some fun with your pool noodle. Some types of noodles can be joined together to make structures or rafts. While this won't teach you specific swimming skills, it will help you to enjoy yourself in the water.