Name
Underwater Picture Game
Core Skill
Going Underwater, Recovering to the surface, Opening eyes underwater
Who
Play this game with your youngest swimmers. Provide goggles or masks to encourage eye opening underwater. We play this with Level 1.
What
Work on going underwater and opening your eyes underwater. Practice how to stand up from bending over to go underwater on your own. Getting your own feet underneath you to stand up unassisted.
How
This game requires a little bit of preparation.
- Download, draw, or create an underwater scene.
- On the reverse side (not the picture side) write down a series of questions about the scene.
- Laminate the picture. We use this laminator for small jobs:
Here are the instructions that Julia uses when playing this game:
“Hold the picture against the wall (so they can’t just look from above the water without going under). I ask them a question like, ‘Can you count how many bubbles there are?’ Or… ‘Can you point to the starfish?’ This helps them go underwater with a purpose and distracts them from being fearful about going underwater.”
Ask specific questions about the picture that you have pressed against the wall, or held underwater on the bottom. For beginners that don’t like going underwater at all, and refuse to participate, require them to put something (shoulder, chin, lips, nose, eyes) underwater and you can give them a hint. Give hints like, “The snake is the same color as the sky,” and “The seaweed looks like grass.”
Difficulties Instructors Might Face
Some children may be too scared to put their face in the water at all. Start with just a shoulder or chin dip, then gradually work toward full submersion. If a child refuses to participate, use the hint system to encourage small steps. Another challenge is keeping the picture from floating away—laminate it and hold it firmly against the wall or place it on the pool bottom with a weight.