Hot Chocolate
Pretend the pool is a mug of hot chocolate – blow on it to cool it down.
- Stages
- Stage 1
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Skills
- Water Confidence, Aquatic Breathing
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 2–7 years
- Group size
- 1–15 swimmers
- Time
- About 2 minutes
- In a lesson
- Introduction / Warm-up
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Swimmers who swallow water should rest, then restart with a shorter blow.
What it develops
- Scoop water and wash the face
- Blow bubbles with mouth and nose in the water
How to run it
- Swimmers cup their hands in front of them or hold the wall.
- 'Your hot chocolate is too hot – blow on it!' Swimmers blow gently across the surface.
- Bring lips closer until they touch the water and make ripples.
- Finish with lips in the water making bubbles – 'blowing through a straw'.
Teaching cues
- Breathe in through the mouth, blow out through the mouth.
- Lips touch the water.
- Gentle, long blow.
Make it easier
- Blow on water held in cupped hands.
Make it harder
- Mouth and nose in the water.
- Blow bubbles for a count of 5.
Common faults
- Breathing in with the mouth in the water.
Corrections
- 'Breathe in on the way up, blow out on the way down.' Demonstrate slowly.
Assistant / L1 role
- Sit face to face with a hesitant swimmer and 'share' a hot chocolate.