Pretend Swim Lessons

The girls started swim lessons earlier this month. So far they have had five half hour sessions and are just starting to get comfortable in the water. The swim instructor started them out in different classes based on their age, but last week I was able to get Sparkle switched into Glitter's class. Ability wise, it is a better fit for Sparkle, and it is much easier for me to have them in class at the same time.

An amusing off-shoot of them in the same class is that they now play pretend swim lessons. They build a "pool" by laying the blue blanket on the living room floor and build up walls of pillows around it. A special mound of pillows serves as the steps when the students sit while waiting their turn. Sparkle takes on the role of the swim instruction, and Glitter pretends to be Sparkle. Sparkle guides Glitter through the various activities -
- starfish = back float
- scoopers = arm movements
- kickers = kicking legs
- bubbles = blowing out with the mouth and nose under water
- superglide = front float
- monkey walk = holding onto the edge of the pool and scooting sideways
- jumpers = jumping into the pool from the side

It's good to see that the girls are learning and remember the various skills, even if they are having trouble actually performing them in lessons. Sparkle was also projecting some of her anxiety by telling Glitter to pretend that she was afraid to do jumpers, even though the girls normally love jumping off the sofa onto the floor.

Here is Sparkle pretending to be the teacher as Glitter sits on the "steps." The blue and white striped blanket is the pool. The pillows on the left are the edge of the pool.


Here is Glitter jumping into the "pool" as Sparkle waits to catch her. (She doesn't actually jump during real swim lessons.)