Swimming basics: Blowing bubbles
Stage 1
You may think you need to be able to hold your breath for a long time to swim. But the truth is you need to be able to control it. Blowing bubbles is the start of learning breath control! By getting into a pattern of breathing in when your face is out of the water, and blowing out when your face is in the water, oxygen keeps flowing to the muscles while you swim!
To give it a go, a swimmer should:
- Be comfortable with water on the face
- Be able to support their head position
- Understand how to control their breathing
Looking forward while dipping the whole body straight down instead of face-planting into the water can help beginners feel more relaxed and in control.
Our Guide to Blowing Bubbles
- Use the hands to wet the face if not already wet
- Take a deep breath in through the mouth and hold it
- Lower the body down until the mouth and nose are submerged
- Blow the air out into the water
- Stand back up before you breathe in again
More Ideas
If submerging to blow bubbles is a little challenging, start with blowing bubbles from above the water:
- Put your chin in the water and…
- Instead of bubbles, try to make ripples across the surface of the water
Or…
- Take a big breath through the mouth, then…
- Put your mouth on a straw and blow into the water
- Bubbles!
Practicing with children?
- Give them something to aim for with their breath, like an egg flip or a ball.
- Face each other and blow bubbles back and forth.
- Make it fun: Face your child and put a ball between you. See if they can catch you by blowing the ball toward you as you back away!
Mastered Blowing Bubbles? Why not try Blowing Bubbles and Kicking Legs
