In general, when a child is between three to four years old, they will have better balance, developed gross and finer motor skill. They are likely to be highly active as well. Nevertheless, despite better limb control and breath management, it is unlikely for them to execute more complex movement such as breaststroke kick or Frontcrawl arm recovery. So what do we teach at this tender age?
When a child has learnt breath management* and is comfortable with face in the water for a few seconds, the next step is to learn how to swim to safety in a horizontal plane. Facing the child, we start by holding the child at their underarms with our arms outstretched; this allows the child to be in a front prone position with their face near but out of the water. Tell the child to start kicking and to also move their arms alternately, just like tiger claws, as we move backwards but still supporting the child. When the child is comfortable with the exercise, bring it up a notch, ask the child to put their face in the water and do five tiger claws before lifting their head for breath, we are still supporting the child. As the child becomes more proficient, let the child experience free float by releasing our hands when they are propelling themselves forward through their kicks and “tiger claws”. Remember to seek a swim teacher’s assistance when in doubt. Happy swimming! * See my earlier article “Can I submerge my baby and toddler underwater?”
