Water Play!

There are many mixed feelings about water and little kids out there, which I get. If your kids don't know how to swim (or even if they do), water can be scary. But, like so many things in life, the more exposure and practice we give to our kids, the more comfortable we all get. For us, we miss having our own pool, even with the risks that come with it.

I can offer a few tips on teaching kids to swim, but do take them with a grain of salt as they may not work for all kids and families: First, Try to get to the pool with them 2-3 times a week. Consistency is key to building that skill. Also, if you can, swim with them. This makes it more fun and memorable for them, plus you can really see what they need to work on. Third, try not to use floaties as often as you can. They make the kids dependent and overconfident without the skills.

There are also a lot of fun ways to stay cool without a pool. When we can't make it to swim, we will sometimes do school in the afternoon (year-round school for us!) and play outside all morning before it gets too hot. Large buckets of water with smaller cups and small toys can go a long way to occupy small kids! There are usually large inexpensive splash pads available at Costco and Sam's this time of year, too and/or you can check around your area for a local splash pad near you. We've got several around us that are totally free and loads of fun.