Swimming is a great sporting activity. There are so many benefits of swimming. Along with keeping you fit and healthy, there are different developmental aspects that swimming affects positively.
According to the AAP (American Association of Pediatrics), parents shouldn’t teach kids how swim professional until they are 4 years old. Until then, you can engage in parent-child swimming programs, which mostly involve several swimming games that can help your kid grow up big and strong.
10 Incredible Swimming Lessons Games You Can Play With Your Children
There are many swimming related games you can participate in with your children to teach them how to control their breathing and to move their hands and feet in under and over the water. In light of this, mentioned below are 10 games you can play with your family:
1. Shark Tagging
This is an interesting game that involves tagging the people outside the pool. The person selected to be in the pool is the “shark”. All he has to do is move around the perimeter of the pool or circle around the people inside the pool, tag them and the person tagged becomes the shark. You kids can become more agile inside and outside the water.
2. Underwater Treasure Hunting
This is a classic swimming pool game where you throw a bunch of coins in the pool and tell your kids to find the “treasure”. It is harder than it sounds because the small coins can be tough to see underwater. It could be hours before your kids find the treasure.
3. Creating A Whirlpool
This is another really interesting and engaging game where you can stand inside the swimming pool and move as fast as you can to form a whirlpool. After you create one, your kids can float on it.
4. Scavenger Hunt
This can also count as swimming pool games for adults, but kids can also participate. It is similar to hunting treasure underwater but with a twist. In a scavenger hunt, you can throw different things in pairs all around the swimming pool. For example, you will have to throw a pair of coins or rings.
5. Ping Pong
This is a game that requires gathering the things you see floating atop the swimming pool. Ping pong balls perfectly float on the water and can be difficult to see. You can number each ping pong ball in order to maintain a scorecard for everyone. The one who collects the most points, wins.
6. Finding The Invisible Bottle
This is one of the most popular swimming party games that everyone can enjoy. All you have to do is empty a transparent, 2-liter water bottle, fill the bottle with the water in the pool and just let it sink right to the bottom of the pool. Then you just have to find it. You can also throw the bottle without anyone seeing it. It will become difficult to find because the bottle will perfectly camouflage itself with the surface of the pool and the color of the water.
7. Racing Mermaids
This is a nice little underwater game where the person who holds his/her breath the longest while swimming underwater or racing underwater wins. However, if your kids play this game, be sure to keep an eye on them.
8. Noodle Jousting
When it comes to fun swimming games, noodle jousting ranks at the top and for good reason. In noodle jousting, instead of doing what the knights did in the medieval era (riding horses), you will use an inflatable raft that you will use as your joust as well. Just float right into your opponent in the pool as hard as you can and just knock off their rafts.
9. Fighting Like Chickens
This is also one of the best swimming pool games for teen and for parents as well. However, this game should not be played by kids. The rules of the game are quite simple, your sibling or friend will ride piggy-back, climbing your shoulders while you have to keep him balanced standing underwater. The other team does the same. Now the objective is to knock the other team out. Pretty simple, but fun!
10. Marco Polo
A pool-friendly version of the classic game, it is important that the game is played in a shallow pool. That is because the person being “it” when tagged has to close his eyes and try to tag someone else. You have to be careful to not let him get hurt or anything. But also make sure that there is no peeking.
Some Mind Blowing Health Benefits Of Learning How To Swim
- Swimming Can Halt The Ageing Process – There is nothing you can eat or drink that can slow down the ageing process. However, swimming can. If you swim on a daily basis, you will experience a drop in your blood pressure, which in turn will help calm your heart and enhance the supply of oxygen to your brain, which will help slow down the overall ageing process.
- The Activity is Really Good for People Suffering With Asthma – When it comes to playing the best swimming pool games, it is important to understand that swimming can indeed be great for people who are suffering from certain lung diseases, for example, asthma. This is especially true for people who suffer with asthma that is induced while being engaged in a physical activity, like playing sports.
While playing soccer or basketball can put a strain on the person as his bronchial tubes will constrict due to a lack of moisture and heat, swimming can really counteract this condition because your body will take the moisture because of swimming, replacing it with the moisture that is lost when you start to pant or breathe heavily.
Bottom Line
All in all, swimming games can be a really nice way to teach your children to swim properly. Swimming is an underrated activity, but it offers many health benefits. Don’t hesitate to teach your children how to swim right.