American Red Cross Parent & Tot and Preschool Swim Lessons
Parent & Tot (age: 6 months-2 years and 11 months): This course is to familiarize children with the water and prepare them to participate in the learn to swim courses. It is not designed to teach children to become good swimmers or to survive in the water. Children will have the opportunity to explore floating, blowing bubbles, and rolling from back to front in the water in a safe comfortable manner. Parent or other care giver must accompany each child into the water and participate in each class.
Preschool Level 1 (age: 3-5): Focuses on being safe around the water and having the children become comfortable and confident while being in the water.
Skills Taught: Basic water safety rules. Blowing bubbles and breath control. Submerging mouth, nose and eyes. Opening eyes underwater to retrieve an object. Floating on front and back. Swimming on front and back while using arm and leg motions. Jumping in and climbing out via the wall.
Safety Topics: To be safe in and around the water, wearing a lifejacket and how to recognize an emergency and call for help.
Preschool Level 2 (age: 3-5): Builds upon the basic skills acquired in Preschool Level 1. Works on building strength and endurance to achieve more independence while swimming. Students must be able to submerge fully comfortably.
Skills Taught: Back float and front float, gliding on front and back, rolling from front to back and back to front, and breath control. Introduction to treading water, elementary backstroke arms, and rotary breathing.
Safety Topics: To be safe in and around the water, wearing a lifejacket and how to recognize an emergency and call for help.
Preschool Level 3 (age: 3-5): Continues to build on the skill previously learned as well as an introduction to strokes and building endurance swimming independently. All skills at this level are mostly independent.
Skills Taught: Independent front and back float, swimming on back and front independently and changing direction while swimming. Treading water, elementary backstroke and introduction to front crawl.
Safety Topics: Danger of drains, “Look before you leap”, what to do when you get too tired.