Objective

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to understand the basics of swimming and demonstrate basic swimming skills.

Materials and Prep

• Swimming pool or any safe water body
• Swimsuit
• Towel
• Waterproof sunscreen
• Water toys (optional)
• Adult supervision

Activities

1. Warm-up Exercises:

   Start by stretching your arms and legs to warm up your muscles. Do some light jogging or jumping jacks to get your heart rate up.

2. Water Safety Rules:

   Learn and discuss important water safety rules such as always swimming with adult supervision, not running near the pool, and not diving in shallow water.

3. Blowing Bubbles:

   Practice blowing bubbles in the water to get comfortable with putting your face in the water. Take a deep breath, put your face in the water, and blow bubbles out through your mouth.

4. Kickboard Kick:

   Hold onto a kickboard or any floating object and kick your legs behind you to move through the water. Practice kicking with your face in the water and looking down.

5. Arm Strokes:

   Practice arm strokes by reaching forward with one arm, pulling it back through the water, and repeating with the other arm. Keep your face in the water and blow bubbles while doing this.

6. Freestyle Swim:

   Put together the kicking and arm stroking techniques to swim a short distance freestyle. Remember to keep your body straight, kick your legs, and use alternating arm strokes.

7. Water Play:

   Take some time to enjoy the water and play games like retrieving objects from the bottom of the pool or using water toys to practice swimming skills.

8. Cool-down Exercises:

   Finish the lesson by doing some gentle stretches to cool down your muscles. Take deep breaths and relax.

First Grade Talking Points

• "Swimming is a fun and healthy activity that helps us stay active and strong."
• "It's important to always swim with adult supervision to stay safe in the water."
• "Blowing bubbles in the water helps us get comfortable with putting our faces in the water and breathing."
• "Using a kickboard helps us practice kicking our legs and moving through the water."
• "When we do arm strokes, we reach forward with one arm, pull it back through the water, and repeat with the other arm."
• "Freestyle swimming is a type of swimming where we kick our legs and use alternating arm strokes to move forward."
• "Water play is a fun way to practice our swimming skills and enjoy the water."
• "Cool-down exercises help us relax our muscles after swimming and prevent soreness."