Squirt Toys!

Squirt water toys are a big help for any child who does or doesn’t want to swim. As soon as children see these wonderful characters, their eyes light right up, and they are ready to go. I use these to get kids to swim a distance. I will throw them as far as I want them to swim and then we will go and get them. I also let the kids throw the toys to give them some ownership. If they don’t throw the toys far enough, I just simply grab them and throw them again to make it as far away as I need. I call this game Treasure Hunt or sometimes I tell the swimmers that we need to save all of our friends. Depending on the swimmer, I let him or her name the toys to make it more personal. This helps if he or she is uncertain about swimming to the toys.

A helpful tip with this is that the swimmers can only get one at a time. When they only retrieve one at a time, they are working harder and for a longer period of time. If a child still doesn’t want to swim to the toys, I will pretend to race him or her. This is a big help and will give the swimmer the motivation he or she needs! I will even get really close and almost put my hands around the toy but stop just in time for the swimmer to get it. The swimmer will then hold the toy and swim it back to a designated spot on the pool deck.

TIP: You will most likely be squirt at with these toys! Set boundaries and what the kids can and can’t squirt at. I like to give them a chance to squirt at something because let’s be honest, they love it!

STORY: A great story I experienced with these toys is when I was teaching a three-year-old girl, who would not get in the water. Even when I showed her the toys, she was a little hesitant and continued to cry. I brought her to the pool’s edge, and we sat down together with our feet in the water. I let her hold a toy, and I kept one in my own hands as well. I filled my toy up and squirt my leg over and over again. She watched me for a while and then I asked her if she wanted to squirt my leg too. She loved the idea and started squirting the toy at me on my legs and arms. I returned the action on her and squirt her legs and arms. We were then both squirting ourselves and each other. She quickly warmed up to the water and I was able to get her in. I let her hold the toy in her hands for a while before asking her to throw it herself and retrieve it. 

From: google.com