Parent Swim Vocabulary Beginner Swimmer :

Some notes and things to think about for swimming and helping your child through the process:

(You'll be 19 steps ahead of the game if you get your kid or yourself to do hummingbird bubbles before our trial!)

Spend time in the water with your kid learning to love the water is something that you guys can enjoy together. It’s a bonding experience and your kids seeing you love the water will in turn make your kids love the water too. It’s pretty self-explanatory…. Smile and laugh and love and make positive experiences in the water even when it’s a  little bit scary come up from under the water and say oh my gosh wow you’re so amazing. That was so brave of you. Wow…. Stuff like that!

-how many humming bird bubbles can your kid do? In a row? With their goggles? In a bowl—- not the tub?—-Try for five in a row keeping mouth completely closed and humming(ask yourself is my child really attempting this am I practicing with my child? Is my child wearing goggles? Are we doing this in a bowl? Are we making the sound and humming out loud this is a very important part of swimming. It will allow your child to learn how to breathe and exhale during swimming, which is very important for getting comfortable in the water.!!! How can you make this more fun for your child? Can you take a video of him or her doing it? Can you do it with them so you can understand the struggle??? Please practice!  This is a huge way  that I you can help your kid with swimming! If you want to have fun with that, video, your child doing it and send it to me and I’ll give you guys great positive reinforcement!

vocabulary

Swimming Vocabulary Guide (Simplified & Explained in Detail)

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1. Hummingbird Bubbles

• What it is: Light, quick bubbles blown through the nose while your face is in the water—just like a hummingbird flutters its wings quickly.

• Why it matters: It helps kids get used to having their face in the water and is important for learning breath control.

• How to do it: Put your face in the water, keep your mouth closed, and gently blow out through your nose. The bubbles should be fast and soft—like a hummingbird buzzing.

⸻ 3. Bobs

• What it is: hands on the wall,

jumping with momentum up and then going all the way down submerging while exhaling your air —- done in sets of 10 up and down jumps with momentum, using your arms to pull yourself up and hyper extend to go as high as you can and then as low as you can and high as you can and low as you can

• Why it matters: very good way to improve your body warms. Gets you nice and warm —-helps put your breathing into your muscle memory …(the exhale is very important and helps you go down )

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3. Froggy Position/froggy jumps

• What it is: Knees bent with  ball of foot on the pool wall, hands holding the wall on both sides.

• Why it matters: It helps kids prepare for jumping up and down/ almost like bobs…pushing away from the wall and also for  getting ready to float on back

• Extra fun: Used for froggy jumps or swooshes (see next term).

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4. Swooshes

• What it is: A movement where the swimmer’s head is back, looking up at the ceiling, while their hair swings from side to side.

• Why it matters: Helps children practice the feeling of floating on their back in a fun and relaxed way.

• Fun tip: Pretend you’re swooshing your hair in slow motion like you’re in a movie!

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5. Pencil Position

• What it is: A straight, tight body position—arms straight, head down, body flat, and butt/hips  at surface of pool

• Why it matters: Teaches proper body alignment and breath control.

• How to do it: Hold the side of the pool with both hands, arms straight, face in the water, and bottom pointed to the sky. Add hummingbird bubbles.

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7. The Subtle Crocodile (when using the kick board or barbell)

• What it is: Gliding with the chin in the water, staying quiet and low like a crocodile sneaking through the river, only eyeballs are out of water and maybe some of your nostrils

• Why it matters: Helps kids learn to glide quietly and keep their body aligned.

• How to visualize it: No “giraffe neck”! Keep your chin low and body flat so you’re nearly invisible—like a sneaky croc planning to catch the birds at the end of the pool—- the only way to get them is to stay super low as you glide and kick to the end of the pool where you can catch the birds

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8. Giraffe Head (Incorrect!)

• What it is: When the swimmer lifts their head high up out of the water, like a giraffe.—- to breathe- Wrong Wrong Wrong

• Why it matters: This is a bad habit that makes it hard to swim efficiently.

• Rule: Never lift your head like a giraffe! It breaks your body line and slows you down.

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9. Arrow Position

• What it is: One arm is by your side, and the other is stretched up by your ear—both arms straight like a robot.

• Why it matters: It’s a transitional position for rolling or gliding.

• Tip: Think of shooting forward like an arrow, with one hand pointing the way.

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10. Red Light, Green Light (Kicking Drill)

• What it is: A game where kids kick with pointed toes (ballerina feet) and stop when told.

• Why it matters: Teaches controlled kicking and foot position.

• Game Tip: Kick when it’s green light (go), freeze when it’s red light (stop). Make whitewater with ankles—not with bent knees or flexed feet.

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11. Starfish (on Back)

• What it is: Floating on your back with arms and legs spread out like a star.

• Why it matters: Helps kids relax and practice back floating.

• How to do it: Look at the ceiling, push your belly up, and relax like you’re sleeping.

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12. Sleepy Baby Position-this is arrow position rotated to on your side

• What it is: position with your arm under your head like a pillow—- attached to your ear

• Why it matters: Used for learning side breathing in freestyle.

• Tip: Your shoulder becomes the pillow. Great for transitioning from floating to breathing.

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18. Fish Fin Hands

• What it is: Fingers together, tight like a fish fin.

• Why it matters: Creates better water resistance and control.

• Tip: Engage your fingers—don’t let water slip through.

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19. Platypus Hands (Incorrect!)

• What it is: Fingers spread apart—bad form!

• Why it matters: Reduces control and makes strokes less efficient.

• Rule: Never swim with “platypus hands”—keep those fingers together!

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20. Treading Water

• What it is: Staying upright in water without sinking using circular arm movements and kicks.

• Why it matters: Essential survival skill.

• Motion guide: Arms make big or small slow circles like a turtle—- also called SCULLING… Feet can use “eggbeater,” breaststroke kick, or circular movements “bicycle kick”

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21. Flip the Sammich to Sleepy Baby (Freestyle Breathing)

• What it is: A way to teach kids to turn their body for a breath while swimming freestyle.

• from arrow position… rotate whole body to arrow position on your bad— super tight. How to visualize: Pretend you’re an arrow. To breathe, flip the arrow like a sandwich to the all the way around  (like turning it over), ending in the sleepy baby position.  tip: your shoulder and hips rotate too!

2. Wide Arms (Breaststroke Arms)

• What it is: Arms move in a wide, scooping motion, like you’re “serving soup” or “doing the chicken dance.”

• Why it matters: This mimics the breaststroke arm motion, helping with rhythm and stroke development.

• How to remember it: Pretend you’re holding two bowls of soup. You scoop out to the sides and then back in to serve the soup!h

other words to look out for:

-3 arm circles

-Spider-Man position

-Hips up

-Head down butt up

-sculling

-all the way up and all the way back (backstroke)