Parent Tot 4: Fun Water Activities for Toddlers and Parents

Song: Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes

Child seated on the wall. Parent in the water. Sing while touching your head and shoulders while you match lyrics.Touch child’s “head,” and “shoulders” with hands or splashes in tune to the lyrics.

Throw a Toy and Get It

Throw a Toy and Get it

Have the child or a parent throw a toy into the water. The parent does their cueing, “1, 2, 3, Go!” and then pulls the child into their arms in the water, and into a front float. Do a front float to the toy and get it. Return to the wall, and repeat.

Encourage child to reach for the toy.

Support the chest, remain low in the water. Goal is to lay flat and stretch out with kicking to “help” move.

Supported Front Floats

Palms up, thumbs around the shoulders.

Or hold child like catching a football, with thumbs wrapped around rib cage and fingers around shoulder blades.

Passing to the Wall

Child held by parent. Parent holding child in front of body facing away. Parent should hold child horizontal facing towards the wall. Count “1, 2, 3, GO!” and pass the child forward by extending arm. Child should reach out and grab the wall.

Advanced: Parent pushes child underwater to the wall about 1 body length away, and child grasps wall independently.

Parent Tot – Itsy Bitsy Spider

“Child in the water, sitting or being held. Parent in the water, next to, or holding child.

Sing: “”The Itsy Bitsy Spider climbed up the waterspout. / Down came the rain, and washed the spider out. / Out came the sun, and dried up all the rain / And then Itsy Bitsy Spider climbed up the spout again.””

Walk your hands up the child stomach, chest, shoulder and head during the “”Climbed up the waterspout””

Dip hand in water and sprinkle water over child, or pour water from bucket on child when when singing: “”Down came the rain…””

Look at the “”sun”” on “”out came the sun…””

Use hand to “”climb”” back up the child on last line.

Supported Back Float / Glide

Have the swimmer rest on the parent’s shoulder. Lean into their neck and arm.

If ADVANCED hold the back of the head.

Advanced babies.

Start with head on shoulder, support the head and body, and finally support the head.

Your calm will dictate the swimmer’s calm.

Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Song

“Twinkle twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky, Twinkle Twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.

When this blazing sun is gone, When he nothing shines upon, Then you show your little light, Twinkle, twinkle, through the night.

Then the traveller in the dark Thanks you for your tiny spark; He could not see where to go, If you did not twinkle so.

In the dark blue sky you keep, And often through my curtains peep, For you never shut your eye Till the sun is in the sky.

As your bright and tiny spark Lights the traveller in the dark, Though I know not what you are, Twinkle, twinkle, little star.

Parent Tot – Song – If you’re happy and you know it Play 2 x

Can do this with child sitting on the side, or with the child in the parent’s arms.

Lyrics:

If you’re happy and you know it, splash your hands If you’re happy and you know it, splash your hands If you’re happy and you know it And you really want to show it If you’re happy and you know it, splash your hands If you’re happy and you know it, splash your feet If you’re happy and you know it, splash your feet If you’re happy and you know it And you really want to show it If you’re happy and you know it, splash your feet If you’re happy and you know it, Kiss the water If you’re happy and you know it, Kiss the water If you’re happy and you know it If you’re happy and you know it If you’re happy and you know it, Kiss the water If you’re happy and you know it, Kiss the water