City of Manchester Outdoor Swim Lessons
Preschool Aquatics
Purpose
To orient preschool-age children to the aquatic environment and to help them acquire rudimentary levels of basic aquatic skills
Prerequisites
There are no skill prerequisites for Preschool Aquatics Level. Participants are 3 to 5 years old.
Learning Objectives
- Enter and exit water using ladder, steps or side
- Blow bubbles through mouth and nose
- Submerge mouth, nose and eyes
- Open eyes under water and retrieve submerged objects
- Front and back glides and recover to a vertical position
- Back float and recover to a vertical position
- Roll from front to back and back to front
- Tread with arm and hand actions
- Alternating and simultaneous leg actions on front and back
- Alternating and simultaneous arm actions on front and back
- Experience wearing a life jacket in the water
- Learn how to stay safe, including recognizing an emergency and knowing how to call for help
- Learn how to stay safe in, on and around the water, including the use of a life jacket, recognizing lifeguards and sun safety
Certification Requirements
- Demonstrate competency in all required skills and activities, including in-water skills.
- Successfully complete the following exit skills assessment (can be done with support):
- Enter independently, using either the ladder, steps or side, travel at least 5 yards, submerge to mouth and blow bubbles for at least 3 seconds then safely exit the water. (Children can walk, move along the gutter or “swim.”)
- While in shallow water, glide on front at least 2 body lengths, then roll to back and float on back for 3 seconds then recover to a vertical position.