How to Teach a Child the Front Crawl Swimming Stroke

The front-crawl swimming stroke serves as an all-purpose stroke, useful in a variety of different situations. After a child learns basic water skills and feels comfortable in the water, learning the front stroke is a natural progression. A youngster will need some encouragement and support while learning, but eventually, the child should gain proficiency to take off across a pool.

Things You'll Need

  • Kick board

Instructions

    • 1

      Enter the water with your child, and spend a few minutes acclimating to the environment. Play gently with your youngster, encouraging her to move her body around in the water while you support her. Splash a little with her to lighten the mood and help your child relax.

    • 2

      Encourage your child to practice holding her breath and putting her face into the water to make sure he̵7;s comfortable. She needs to be able to hold her breath with her face in the water to learn the front crawl. Suggest that your youngster blow bubbles while her face is in the water.

    • 3

      Practice flutter kicking at the wall of the pool. Holding onto the edge of the pool, beside your child, show her how to extend her body out flat on the water from the side of the pool. With legs straight, demonstrate the technique of flutter kicking with straight legs moving up and down to kick. Talk about kicking with enough force to make bubbles in the water, suggests STA International Experts in Safety Training Solutions.

    • 4

      Support your youngster in the water so she̵7;s floating on her stomach. Instruct her to keep her legs stretched out straight and help her place her arms straight above her head so she̵7;s squeezing her ears tight against her head. Once your child masters this position, work on pushing off from the side of the pool and gliding in this position.

    • 5

      Sit on the side of the pool with your child and practice the windmill movement of moving each arm around in alternating circles. Move to the water and support your child in the water on his stomach. Encourage your youngster to move one arm down near her thigh, bring it out of the water and circle it around to put it back in the water in front of her. As this arm goes into the water, her other arm should be coming out of the water behind her.

    • 6

      Practice separate components of the front crawl with a kick board. Help your child hold the kick board while practicing flutter kicks. Once your child masters propelling herself through the water with the kick board while kicking, encourage her to place her face down into the water, blowing bubbles out of her nose while she kicks. When she needs a breath, show her how to move her face to one side so her ear stays in the water while her face is out of the water so she can take a breath. Tell her to turn her face quickly back down into the water until she needs another breath. Practice alternating arm strokes while your child holds the kick board with the other hand. Encourage her to practice the arm strokes with each arm.

    • 7

      Shift away from using the kick board to help your child practice front crawl. Slowly, have your child practice kicking, alternating arm circles and taking breaths to the side. Combining the components of front crawl takes time and practice. Encourage your youngster with specific praise and positive affirmations.

    2. Previous:No

    Next:

    • Cold Sores (Fever Blisters) In Kids: Causes And Treatment
      Small, pus-filled blisters characterize cold sores. Also known as fever blisters, they are found more commonly on the outside of the mouth, on or around the lips, and rarely inside the mouth, on the gums, or the roof of the mouth . Cold sores in chi
    • Swimming Milestones for Children
      The mastery of swimming milestones provides self-confidence and a sense of achievement for children. While few exercises are better for the body, your child will enjoy his progression toward swimming so much that he won’t even realize he is exe
    • Symptoms And Causes Of Periorbital Cellulitis In Children
      Preseptal cellulitis or periorbital cellulitis in children is more common than in adults, and it involves inflammation and infection of the soft tissues around the eyes. It can be due to bacteria and may occur in one or both eyes. The risk for severe