Parent & Child Aquatics

PARENT & CHILD AQUATICS (6 MONTHS – 3 YEARS)

 

The American Red Cross Parent & Child Aquatics courses offered at the Cumming Aquatic Center are designed to help young children become comfortable in and around the water so that when the time comes, they are ready to learn how to swim.  These courses are not designed to teach children to become good swimmers or even to survive in water on their own.  They are intended to lay the foundation for future aquatic skills, to prepare the child for Preschool Aquatics courses.  While these courses are designed to be FUN for both the parent/guardian and the child, one of the most valuable benefits of Parent & Child Aquatics is that it teaches parents about water safety and how to safely handle their children in and around the water.  Parent & Child Aquatics classes require an adult to accompany their child in the water during the entire class (it can be a different adult from one lesson to the next, i.e., mom, dad, grandma).  Per Health Department guidelines, the Aquatic Center also requires all children under the age of 4 years to wear a swim diaper while in the pool. 

Please see table below to review the exit skills necessary to successfully complete Parent & Child Aquatics.  Parent & Child classes are 30 minutes in length and are appropriate for children ages 6 months to 3 years.

Parent & ChildExit Skills
Demo various hold/support techniques
Demo cueing with child
Explore getting wet with toys, kicking, games
Blowing bubbles on surface with mouth/nose submerged, with support
Demo water entry from seated position, rolling over & sliding in, stepping or jumping in, using ramp
Open eyes to retrieve object below the surface, assisted
Underwater exploration. with support
Submerge mouth, nose, eyes, with support and independently
Front & back glides, with support
Rolling front to back and back to front, with support
Passing from instructor to parent
Front & back floats, with support
Demo/explore alternating & simultaneous arm & leg action on front & back, assisted
Combined arm & leg action on front with breathing & on back, with support
Various water safety topics