The Benefits of Swimming for your Child

Swimming is a great activity any time of year, but summer seems the best time to introduce your child into a great hobby, sport or adventure in the water.  When we says “swimming,” it doesn’t mean that your child has to be doing the breast stroke, or any stroke at all.  It means your child is immersing him or herself in water and playing!

If you child has been fearful of swimming in the past, consider the environment in which they were scared.  Was it an indoor pool with lots of echoes and noise?  Was it a lake with a slimy bottom?  Was the water too cold?  If so, maybe take them to a warmer pool on a day when it’s less crowded.  For kids who are easily overstimulated, a weekend at a water park may not be the best introduction.  Do your research on the pool where you want your child to take lessons.  Do they have an instructor who is familiar with kids with special needs and/or sensory processing disorder?  Are private lessons available?

On the other hand, some kids are water babies from the start.  They love the water but all kids need to be monitored for safety.  No matter where your child starts, there are a number of benefits to swimming for our kids.

1.  Calming.  Water provides 30% more pressure to our bodies than living on dry land.  We know that pressure provides calming to our active nervous systems.  You will notice a difference in your child after they do some active swimming, particularly underwater (more pressure).  They are more calm and more organized.
2. Stimulates vestibular sense.  When you are diving into water, doing flips underwater or doing various strokes, your head is in different positions.  Combined with the deep pressure, these two systems work to achieve better balance and overall body awareness.
3. Strength.  Because of the pressure in water, there is resistance provided against your body which thereby increases your strength as you work against it. Because being in the water is so much fun, kids barely even notice the additional challenge.
4. Improves gross motor skills.  Being in water lessens the effects of gravity.  For this reason, it’s easier to stand on one leg or jump or do any activity with more coordination than on dry land.  It builds confidence in kids for whom these things are difficult.
5. Improves motor planning.  There are so many pool toy and accessory options for kids in a pool or lake setting.  How many ways can your child use a noodle?  Or a kickboard? Finding new uses engages and uses motor planning skills.

Kids should be encouraged to make active use of the pool, and avoid passive activities like the “lazy river” for these benefits to take shape.  (Of course, at the end of a long day, it’s pretty nice!)  And please refer to your local and state laws around use of life jackets for safety.

Now go out and enjoy the water!

For a list of local pools run by Parks and Recreation in Vancouver, please visit this site.

Jeanne

Get Outside!

Every summer, I’m asked to compile a list of outdoor activities for families.  Our service model changes over the summer from weekly visits to intensives.  During that time, we encourage families to get outside to play and to MOVE!  There are so many fun games and activities to choose from.  Here is just a partial list:

For the little ones:

1.  Crawl around with your mason jar and find some cool bugs and leaves.
2. Dig in the dirt, use a shovel and get messy!
3. Play in the sandbox, making sure to have buckets and cups to lift the sand.
4. Water the plants with heavy buckets of water.
5. Use an old sprayer to mist the plants or “paint” a brick wall.
6. Dig up some rocks that you can then paint.
7. Put some rags in a bucket of water.  Make a chalkboard target on an outside wall.  Throw!!
8. Climb a tree.
9. Help Dad wash the car.
10. Take the dog for a walk, the more pulling the better!
11. Play tug o’ war.
12. Go on a nature scavenger hunt.
13. Jump rope.
14. Stack rocks and make a sculpture garden.
15. Make a mud pie.
16. Run through the sprinkler, then spin through the sprinkler, then jump through the sprinkler, get creative!
17. Blow bubbles outside and watch them fly away.

For older kids:

1. Set up a zip line in the back yard.
2. A slack line is also great for older kids.
3. Ride your bike around the neighborhood, try to balance on a chalkboard line in the street.
4. Go for a swim.
5. Power wash the back deck. Take some before and after photos.
6. Hang wet clothes outside on the line.  Or hang artwork, or photos. Host an art show.
7. Go skateboarding or scootering around the neighborhood.
8. Play bocce ball in the yard with friends.
9. Play hopscotch or foursquare in the driveway.
10. Bring fresh flowers or veggies to a friend.
11. Deliver newspapers.
12. With supervision, climb a ladder and wipe some windows.
13. Play some kickball!  Or volleyball!  Or tennis!
14. Set up a tent (by themselves) and sleep in it in the backyard.
15. Do a potato sack race.

Give us some of your own ideas!

Jeanne

Update:  If you have younger kids, check out these cool articles from PBS Kids on Sneaking in Learning over the summer and Best Free Apps to get kids outside.