Swimming Lesson Ideas: Red The Bear Encouragement & Feeling Safe

Toys For Encouragement Are Great Swimming Lesson Ideas

As a swimming teacher I have to help many children to cope with their fear of water.

Wait... Get Your Lesson Plans Here

There are many techniques that I use to help with this fear but the one that is the best is Red the teddy bear.

Red The Bear

Red the teddy bear is a blue colored beanie bear that has "Your A Star" written on it. you can pick these bears up from just about any supermarket.

Why did I call him Red? Well for those of you that are not familiar with older Australian, a red headed person used to be called "Blue". So If a red headed person can be called "Blue" why shouldn't a blue teddy bear be called "Red"?

Red is Very Useful

Red is, as I have said very useful:

• He can be used to comfort a frightened child.
• He can be used to talk to a child 

It's amazing that a child will do what a bear asks but not the adult

• He can be looked after by a child

A child will sometimes do their very best to make a bear feel safe even if they don't themselves

• He can be used to distract a child.

Keeping Red Close

I have one down syndrome child that will do almost anything for me as long as he can keep Red somewhere on his body (i.e. tucked down his shirt).

• Red can be throw and chased after 

According to the children he is quite fast, so be prepared to swim or run to catch him.

When I was a new parent my wife and I read many books on raising children. Well My wife red many books, I read some but mostly red the bits she underlined for me to read.


In most of the books the idea of bribing a child was frowned upon. Despite the reading I was never able to figure out the difference. But in the interest of political correctness:

• You can use Red to bribe (oops contract I mean) to do something for you.

"If you put your head underwater(blow bubbles, touch your nose on the water etc.) you get to nurse Red."

• Red can float and is very good a demonstrating it. You can use Red to show some one how you want them to put their face in the water.

So you see if you are going to teach a child to swim a Beanie Bear can be very useful.

Enjoy
   Richard