If you're teaching an upper-level swim class that focuses on stroke development and swimming for fitness, you'll want an arsenal of fun activities to keep children focused while working hard. For an extra challenge for everyone, join the students in their games, challenging them to beat you at the skills. They'll work harder to prove themselves, but you'll have to work equally hard to prevent yourself from losing.
Treading Water Challenge
The American Red Cross begins teaching treading water at its Level 3 lessons and continues emphasizing this skill all the way through Level 6, the final level. Learning to tread water enables you to control your body and adjust for survival in deep water, particularly if you end up in deep water unexpectedly. If you've ever tried to tread water for long periods of time, you know it isn't easy. You have to constantly move your arms and legs to keep your head above water. Challenge your students to a treading contest. The individual who treads water the longest wins. You can make it more difficult by specifying the leg stroke, whether rotary or scissor kick, or by requiring students to hold their hands above the water. After a few minutes your students will be huffing and puffing, but having a great time while working hard.
Catch Up
Play the game catch up with upper-level swimming students who can swim at least 50 meters of freestyle and backstroke. Pair the swimmers up according to similar ability level, and if there's an extra swimmer, swim with that individual. Designate a single lane for each pair, and have each swimmer start on the opposite side of the pool from his partner. At the same time, both swimmers will start swimming freestyle, circle-swimming in a counterclockwise direction so as to avoid running into their partner. This circle swimming continues until one swimmer catches up to his partner. They then return to the opposite sides of the pool and start again, this time with a different stroke. You can have each winner compete against the winner from another group until you have an outright winner for the day. The kids will be so engulfed in the competition that they won't even realize how much exercise they're getting in the process.
Competition Kicking
You can start this drill with students who have mastered flutter kicking and are comfortable holding onto a kickboard. Pair up similarly-able kickers and line them up so that they're facing each other in the center of the pool. Line up lower-level swimmers in shallower water where they can touch the ground. Give each pair a kickboard and instruct both swimmers to grasp the opposite ends of the kickboard. When you say "go," both swimmers will begin kicking forcefully, trying to push their partner away from the center of the pool. Time students for 30 seconds, then have them return to center and try again. Remind them to practice rotary breathing throughout the exercise in order to maintain good form.
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