Swimming on Dry Land

Lying on their tummies on the bench, kids pretend to swim in a pool, moving their arms and legs. It wakes up shoulders, back and legs and teaches them to stay steady lying on a narrow surface.

How to play

1. With mats on both sides of each bench, the teacher shows how to lie down: sit first, then tummy on the bench and head looking forward (1 min).
2. We doggy-paddle: little hands paddling fast in front (1 min).
3. We swim like frogs: arms open wide and legs bend and stretch (1 min).
4. We do the front crawl, one arm then the other, while our feet splash (1 min).
5. We get out of the pool by sliding down sideways onto the mat, slowly, then stand and shake off the water (1 min).

Rules

• Your tummy always stays on the bench.
• Every swimmer has their own piece of bench and doesn't touch the next swimmer.
• To get out, we slide down slowly onto the mat.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: a child who can't lie on the bench swims sitting on a mat, moving their arms.
• Visual impairment: the adult guides their hands to find the bench edges before they lie down.
• Autism: let them pick a spot at the end of the bench, with fewer classmates nearby.

Learning goals

• Gently warm up arms, back and legs.
• Keep balance lying face down on a narrow surface.
• Coordinate arms and legs by imitating swim strokes.

Equipment for a class of 25

• banco sueco: 4
• colchonetas: 8

Teacher tip

Three kids per bench at most, with mats on both sides. If someone tips sideways, say "belly button in the middle of the bench" and let them fix it themselves.

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