Lesson Plans

Practice 1:Back float hold and following baby’s cues

• Sit comfortably with your baby in the bath with water level under legs but enough that baby can get wet.
• Get child used to the water by using a cup and pouring water in front of child’s head and on her/his hands and feet.
• Poor water over the back of your baby’s head.
• With your hands wet your baby’s ears.
• Cue baby that it’s time to look at the sky
• Using the hold learned for the back float have baby look at the sky and count from 1 to 5.
• Take a break, comfort, praise, encourage.
• Cue your baby that it’s time to look at the sky again. (Repeat 4 more time)
• Take a break : Sing a song, have fun, splash around.
• End the practice time on a good note by blowing bubbles and sing a song.
• If you and baby were comfortable doing this practice, move on to the next practice, if not do this practice again. There is no rush to move ahead. You are ready to move ahead if your baby is comfortable with 5 repetitions.

Practice 2: Longer floats, more water

• Sit comfortably with your baby in the bath with water level just over legs.
• Follow the same pre-routine as in practice 1 to get your baby used to the water.
• Using the hold learned for the back float have baby look at the sky and count from 1 to 5.
• Take a break, comfort, praise, encourage.
• Cue your baby that it’s time to look at the sky again. (Repeat 1 more time)
• Take a break : Sing a song, have fun, splash around.
• Cue your baby that it’s time to look at the sky for 10 seconds.
• Take a break and repeat the sequence 2 more times.
• End the practice time on a good note by blowing bubbles and sing a song.
• If you and baby were comfortable doing this practice, move on to the next practice, if not, do this practice again. There is no rush to move ahead.

Practice 3: Longer floats and wall hold

• Sit comfortably with your baby in the bath with water level just over legs.
• Follow the same pre-routine you used in previous practices
• Cue baby that it’s time to look at the sky
• Float Warm-up: Use the hold learned for the back float have baby look at the sky and count from 1 to 5 and take a break and hold your baby.
• Cue your baby that it’s time to look at the sky again. (Repeat 1 more time)
• Take a break, comfort, praise, encourage.
• Incorporate the Wall Hold 3 times (Watch Video Wall Hold in Lecture 3 )
• Take a break : Sing a song, have fun, splash around.
• Cue your baby that it’s time to look at the sky but for 15 secondes.
• Take a break and repeat the sequence 2 more times.
• End the practice time on a good note by blowing bubbles and sing a song.
• If you and baby were comfortable doing this practice, move on to the next practice, if not do this practice again. There is no rush to move ahead.

Practice 4: Float with open legs

• Sit comfortably with your baby in the bath with water level just over legs.
• Follow the regular pre-routine.
• Cue baby that it’s time to look at the sky
• Float Warm up: Using the hold learned for the back float have baby look at the sky and count from 1 to 5. In this practice, open your legs so that the baby is only being supported by your back hold and not resting on your legs. This will be a new sensation for your child. Feel free to stay with short practices until you and your baby are comfortable.
• Take a break, comfort, praise, encourage.
• Incorporate the Wall Hold 3 times (Watch Video Wall Hold in Lecture 3 )
• Cue your baby that it’s time to look at the sky again. (Repeat 1 more time)
• Take a break : Sing a song, have fun, splash around.
• Cue your baby that it’s time to look at the sky but for 20 seconds.
• Take a break and repeat the sequence 2 more times.
• End the practice time on a good note by blowing bubbles and sing a song.
• If you and baby were comfortable doing this practice, move on to the next practice, if not, do this practice again. There is no rush to move ahead.

Practice 5: Longer floats with more water 

• Sit comfortably with your baby in the bath but with water higher than previous practices, around hip level. Again this practice will be done with legs open so baby’s back is more in the water.
• Follow the same pre-routine as before.
• Cue baby that it’s time to look at the sky
• Float Warm up: Using the hold learned for the back float have baby look at the sky and count from 1 to 5.
• Take a break, comfort, praise, encourage.
• Cue your baby that it’s time to look at the sky again. (Repeat 1 more time)
• Incorporate the Wall Hold 3 times (Watch Video Wall Hold in Lecture 3)
• Take a break : Sing a song, have fun, splash around.
• Cue your baby that it’s time to look at the sky up to 25 secondes.
• Take a break and repeat the sequence 4 more times.
• End the practice time on a good note by blowing bubbles and sing a song.
• If you and baby were comfortable doing this practice, move on to the next practice, if not, do this practice again. There is no rush to move ahead.

Practice 6: Longer floats with more water

• Sit comfortably with your baby in the bath with water level just around your belly button area. Legs stay opened so baby’s back doesn’t touch the bath.
• Follow your regular pre-routine.
• Cue baby to look at the sky.
• Follow the short Float Warm up
• Repeat 1 or more times.
• Take a break, comfort, praise, encourage.
• Wall Hold 3 times and have your baby look at the sky on their back after she/he hold for 5 seconds. (Watch Video Wall Hold in Lecture 3 )
• Take a break : Sing a song, have fun, splash around.
• Cue your baby that it’s time to look at the sky up to 30 seconds.
• Take a break and repeat the sequence 4 more times.
• End the practice time on a good note by blowing bubbles and sing a song.

Practice 7- 8 : Incorporate consecutive shorter repetitions (20 seconds floats) and one or 2 longer ones (1 min) (water level high enough that baby does not touch the bottom when you are holding during back float, typically at your belly button level) 

• Sit comfortably with your baby in the bath with water level around belly button.
• Pre-routine
• Cue baby that it’s time to look at the sky
• Float Warm-up
• Take a break, comfort, praise, encourage.
• Wall Hold to Sky (3-5 times)
• Take a break : Sing a song, have fun, splash around.
• Cue your baby that it’s time to look at the sky
• Back float for 20 seconds.
• Take a break and repeat the 20 second hold
• Take a break and practice again the Wall Hold
• Cue your baby that it’s time to look at the sky but for 1 minute if your baby will let you.
• Take a break and if your baby is happy repeat the 1 minute float.
• End the practice time on a good note by blowing bubbles and sing a song.

After practice 8, you can now bring those skills to a pool if you want and practice the extended skills including the Eyes In exercise, hold on to the wall, arm pit hold and swim around the pool with head above water and legs up exercise. (video in Fourth Section, Intro to a Pool). If you don’t have the opportunity to go to a pool continue practicing in the bath tub. The more consistent you will be the more success you will have.