Swimming Props and Toys for Kids

When your kids aren’t participating in formal swimming lessons, there are a few props and toys that can bring water safety and fun to the forefront of every session at the pool. Read on to find out more about why swimming props are used and which ones are best for your little fishes at home.

Swimming props for form

The correct props can actually aid in teaching the proper technique or form. Accessories, such as swim fins and belts, are used frequently to help with proper positioning in the pool.

Emler Swim School lessons always start the semester with a higher quantity of swim aids, and then the swim aids are systematically decreased throughout the semester as the swimmer gains proficiency and proper form. For instance, teachers may start children with two fins, then transition to one fin, and finally no fins. Kids don’t need them as they get more experience and learn what the proper foot position feels like. Plus, the swim fins and belts are always there to go back to if someone needs to retrain or remind their muscles what proper form feels like or increase their swimming distance.

If you’re buying fins without the help of an instructor, it’s important not to use fins that are too small on your child. This is a common mistake we see. Make sure your child’s toes are not scrunched in the fins.

Swimming props for skills

Just as swim fins and belts help develop proper form, some props, such as “sinkies,” can help kiddos strengthen their swimming skills. Sinkies are best used for going underwater and working on breath control – they are toys that are weighted to sink, so that your child has to go to the bottom of the pool to retrieve. They are often in fun shapes and plentiful colors so they are easily identifiable in the water. Your Emler swim instructor will know when the time is right to use these kinds of props so that you don’t have to worry about introducing them yourself.

Some props are just fun!

As with anything kid-related, some props and toys are just for fun. These kinds of accessories help keep kids engaged and shake things up when little attention spans may wander.

Toys like floating balls or sinkies can be used as markers or items that kids have to retrieve during class. Alignment kickboards can help your child work on proper kicking technique while the trunk of their body remains buoyant in the water. Other props that keep kids engaged include water slides, which are always a fun way to end class or to incorporate in a song. Props used by swim teams can also enhance the experience of the participants and help keep them motivated.

Swimming props can provide more space

Some props actually give you more usable space in a pool. Products like pool platforms or islands, such as the submerged Quadro structures we have, are great to have kids swim to and stand on during swim class. Swimming up to an island in the pool is great fun anytime, but it also adds variety and keeps kids interested while other little swimmers are taking their turns.

The best swimming props for home use

While Emler may use props during swim lessons, there are some that are not always a good fit to use at home. The ones we recommend are props that will move your child’s water safety skills forward at home or during your Swim Station time slot. Those include:

• Goggles
• Booster fins
• Alignment kickboards
• “Motorboats” – These are props we created ourselves for swimmers under the age of three to learn proper body positioning.

We sell all of these in our online store and at our facilities. All of these accessories help your child learn how to swim, as well as have a little fun during pool time.

That’s everything you need to know about which swimming props and toys are the best for your child. If you have questions about a particular prop or toy, feel free to ask any Emler employee or instructor to help you decide if they are worth buying. As always, safety first!