No Drown Town week!
Splash kids will join in with swim safer activities
at both of the swim schools we work with over the next two weeks during their aquatic physiotherapy sessions.
What will happen during this swim safer week? (20th - 25th November)
This week we will have a go at:
- rescuing each other and being rescued
- swim safer skills such as swimming without goggles, falling in and getting back to the side, and falling in and floating (which we work towards with all Splash kids throughout the year)
- singing this song and doing the actions, so get practising!
Kids alive do the five!
Fence the pool, shut the gate
Teach your kids to swim, it's great! Supervise, watch you mate
And learn how to resuscitate
Kids alive, do the five!
Will my child be able to manage that?!
Splash families know that our top priority is participation in active and meaningful learning. We are skilled at finding the 'just right challenge' for each child so they can have a great time, join in, and take something away from the session.
But what about our physiotherapy goals?
Splash kids who have aquatic sessions with us always have swim safer goals, even if most of our time in the pool is spent playing towards land goals.
In the lead up to summer holidays, we think it's important for everyone to have a go at these activities, and the kids typically enjoy it. For any children a bit anxious, Splash families know we support kids to participate with the 'just right challenge' and carefully monitor how they are going 'moment to moment', so they can start to gain confidence in this skills that could be life saving one day.
We always have a chat with Splash families at the beginning of the session, and any who have urgent land based goals can be reassured we can still work towards those in this session during Swim Safer week.
No Drown Town is for the whole familiy
The swim schools have put up posters to help your family become safer around water.
You can also watch the sessions to learn the way we recommend rescues be performed, and see what you're child's abilities are.
Remember that in an emergency situation we are able to do less than we are in a relaxed, fun, aquatic session in the pool.
Constant active supervision within 'catching distance', having no access to water, knowing CPR, and developing swim safer skills and behaviours form your layers of prevention.
Every baby, child and young person is different. We work hard to individualise approaches for each person and family we work with. Please consider if this general advice is of use to you, and consult your physiotherapist for more information.
Shayna Gavin is a physiotherapist who is passionate about helping babies, children and young people learn functional skills so they can participate in life at home, school and in their community. Recognising that children do best in their own environments, she visits homes, schools, and leisure activities from football fields to ballet classes. She also has daily aquatic physiotherapy sessions available at two private swimming schools in Moonee Ponds and Greensborough, Melbourne. She combines principles of paediatric physiotherapy, Neuro Developmental Treatment / Bobath, motor learning, Sensory Integration and swimming teaching to address the individual needs of each child and their family. She loves providing professional development to physiotherapists, allied health and education professionals, allied health assistants and swimming teachers.
