Games and Activities for Various Age Groups

Games and Activities for Various Age Groups as described by Monical Lepore, G. William Gayle & Shawn Stevens in Adapted Aquatics Programing.

9-11 Years Old

Backstroke Flag Touch

Materials

  • backstroke flags

Goals

1. To encourage shoulder extension while on back.

2. To improve arm recovery in back crawl.

How to Play

  • String several rows of backstroke flags to within two feet of water surface. Have everyone swim on back, trying to touch the backstroke flags with each recovery of arms.

Tips

  • Group faster students together so they don’t crash backward into slower swimmers. Have faster swimmers complete more widths.

Adaptations

  • Suspende bells for visually-impaired swimmers. Suspend one row of flags lower for those with short arm or limited range of motion. Offer flotation devices or physical support or both to those who need it.

 

Are We There Yet

Materials

  • A large floating foam mat or several foam tubes.

Goals

1. To develop leg muscle endurance.

2. To develop flutter kick.

How to Play

  • Place evenly strong participants on each side of a mat or tube with their upper bodies draped on it. On signal, have them kick as hard as they can for 30 seconds. Rest and repeat. It is fun to try to move the mat toward the group on the other side of the mat.
  • If the game is getting competetive, stand on one side of the mat to hold on, evening the odds. Or have all the students try to move the mat from one side of the pool to the other.

Adaptations

  • Keep tire tube around person with poor head control to act as a head prop. Also stay near this person.

 

Poison

Materials

  • Floating objects, such as kickboards, balls, hoops, and tubes.

Goals

1. To improve direction changing.

2. To increase alertness when swimming.

How to Play

  • Designate all floating items as poison. Have students perform various skills the width of the pool and avoid the posion.

Adaptations

  • Use some floating objects that have bells in them. Have an aide tap person with visual impairment when poison is near. Place some anchored poisons near wall and have visually impaired swim close to wall.

 

12-14 Years Old

Rolling Log

Materials

  • None

Goals

1. To improve turning over from back to front

2. To improve motionless front float

3. To improve front crawl or breastroke speed

How to Play

  • Mark off spaces at opposite ends of the deep end for two goals. Have one player, the “log,” float on back in the center of the pool midway between the two goals. Have the other players swim in a circle around the log, who without warning suddenly rolls ovefr and chases them. Encourage players to try to reach one of the goals withot being tagged. Those caught must join the first log in the center, and when the first log rolls over, help tag others.

Tips

  • In general, slower swimmers need an equalizer in order to catch someone. Having those in the circle of swimmers swim underwater can help slow the faster swimmers down a bit.

Adaptations

  • For students with visual impairment in the grou, have “log” yell “log over,” and you yell “goal” from the goal area several times for orientation. For students with poor swim skills, a PFD could be helpful as well as a shorter distance to the goal. For those students with no propulsive skills, they can grab onto a string in their lap and hold onto it while you pull them to goal.

 

 Surfin’ USA

Materials

  • One blow-up raft per student (slightly underinflated), tape player with song “Surfin’ USA” by Beach Boys, diving bricks on the bottom of pool at the half-way point.

Goal

1. To improve front crawl and butterfly

How to Play

  • Play “Surfin’ USA” on cd player. Have participants start out lying on raft at one end of the pool. In waves of three, have them do front crawl arms to a location marked with a brick on bottom of pool 10 yards away, then surf on raft for 30 seconds, then resume front crawl arm stroke to other end while next wave begins. Repeat with butterfly arms, then flutter and dolphin kicks.

Tips

  •  Do NOT allow students to surf in lanes closest to walls. Do NOT allow standing surfing in shallow water. Do NOT allow diving off the raft. 

Adaptations

  • Allow individuals to be creative in surfing (e.g. sit-surfing, knee-surfing, supine-surfing). Individuals with poor range of motion that limits them from reaching over the sides of the raft, use thinner raft or fold sides of raft under and clip with a rope and potato chip clips.

 

Striking A Pose

Materials

  • Music that can be started and stopped.

Goals

1. To improve stationary sculling.

2. To improve treading water.

3. To improve motionless float.

How to Play

  • Have participants swim in a circle in deep end while music is on; when music is off, have them strike a pose eithr treading water, stationary sculling, or floating motionless. When music is on again, have them swim.

Adaptations

  • Individual with poor vision can swim perimeter of area and stay close to the wall and lane line or have a buddy next to him/her. You can tap the shoulder of hard-of-hearing or deaf swimmer with a reaching pole that has a tennis ball impaled on one end. For those with poor swim skills, allow PFD’s and allow them to work on the stroke they need most work on.

 

Reference

Lepore, M., Williamson, G. G., & Stevens, S. (1998). Adapted Aquatics Programing. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.