- Check the space and the kit.
- Get your child's attention first.
- Show it from two sides.
- Say one thing only.
- End on one that works.
Put the phone down where you can see it. Tap Next with your thumb, or use the arrow keys.
Is the space marked?
- The shallow end line
- A lane for kicking
- A floating target (a hoop or a ring)
A lane; a pull buoy.
Three minutes to get warm.
Easy jogging on the spot, then arms and legs. How to warm up well is explained at workonfitness.com.
- Swim a width arms only, with a pull buoy between the legs; then legs only with a board.
- Lie on the back and move the hands in a sideways figure-of-eight by the hips: you stay up and move slowly.
- Ask the lifeguard where the water is deep enough, then show a feet-first jump: arms crossed, feet together.
Show it once from the front and once from the side, slowly. Then let your child try.
- Arms-only and legs-only lengths.
- Sculling: a figure-of-eight motion of the hands and forearms, first on the spot, then moving.
- Entries step by step: steps, a swivel from sitting, then a feet-first jump where the lifeguard says the depth is safe.
- Head-first entries only with a qualified coach.
How much: 6 widths
Feet first, every time
Count your strokes
The rules
Swim a width and count the arm strokes; fewer strokes for the same width wins.
- Push off and swim one width of front crawl
- Count every arm stroke
- Rest, then try to cross with fewer
- 4 widths
Fair play: A grown-up swims arms only.
- Points
- 1 point for each width with fewer strokes than your first.
- Fouls
- That width does not count: standing up or holding the side in the middle; a head-first entry; pushing off before the swimmer in front is clear
- Win
- Beat your best count.
- 1
- 2
- 3
A streamline glide of 5 metres and 30 seconds of sculling on the spot.
End on one that works. If it was hard today, finish with the easier version.
Well played.
Saved in this browser only. Next time, "What should we practise today?" picks up from here.