In this video lesson, Swimming Instructor Phillip Toriello teaches how to teach a child to float in the water. This can be scary for most children, but working in slow steps will get children used to being in the water.



Video Transcript: PHILLIP TORIELLO: "Hi, this is Phillip Toriello, and this is how to teach your child how to float. In the basic of introduction of children to water, many children have certain types of fears as far as putting their face in the water, not being able to touch the bottom. So, doing floats is a very sensitive area. You really want to communicate to the child everything that's going on as far as where you're going to support them, as far as their head, their lower neck, their back, their legs and so on. The first place I'd like to start is on the steps, and I use that a lot because it's the best place and the safest place, it seems, for children to become comfortable or acquainted with any particular type of swimming technique, skill or floating. So, go ahead and have them lay on a step, preferably, the first step where there's about two to three inches of water, so they get that sensation of the water being around their cheeks and over their ears, but their head's supported by the step. Once they become most comfortable with that, go ahead and have them float with just their legs hanging off of the step and their shoulders and head will be supported by the step, then as they become comfortable with that, you can put their head on your shoulder, holding their lower back and then slowly, but eventually, being able to bring them off of your shoulder and floating into the water, where then, at some point, you can go ahead and move your lower hand, or your hand from their lower back, support their head and then I often like to use, either their ears, because their body will be naturally floating, or using the bridge of their goggles to help keep their head up, and continue to remind them to push their belly button up towards the sky and keep their head back in order to keep comfortable in a proper position on top of the water. To learn more about teaching a child how to float, please contact your local swimming expert."

1. How to Swim the Freestyle Stroke
2. How to Swim the Breaststroke
3. How to Swim the Backstroke
4. How to Practice Etiquette at Public Pools
5. How to Teach a Child to Swim
6. How to Swim Underwater
7. How to Flip-Turn When Swimming Freestyle
8. How to Flip-Turn When Swimming the Backstroke
9. How to Swim the Butterfly Stroke
10. How to Do an Eggbeater Kick
11. How to Swim Head-High Freestyle
12. How to Swim the Sidestroke
13. How to Swim the Trudgen Stroke
14. How to Turn While Swimming the Breaststroke
15. How to Survival Float
16. How to Teach a Child to Float in the Water
17. How to Teach a Child the Back Float
18. How to Teach a Child to Kick in the Water
19. How to Teach a Child Rhythmic Breathing in the Water
20. How to Teach a Child the Crawl Stroke
21. How to Teach a Child to Dive
22. How to Teach a Child to Tread Water
23. How to Prevent Swimmer's Ear
24. How to Improve Your Breaststroke Kick
25. How to Breathe While Swimming Freestyle

In this video series, Swimming Instructor Phillip Toriello gives 25 video lessons on How to Swim. Learn how to swim the breaststroke, the backstroke and freestyle. Get tips on how to do flip turns for each type of swimming stoke and find out how to do swimming kicks like the eggbeater kick. Want to get the kids involved in swimming too? Find out how to teach children to swim with tips on teaching the survival float and child diving. Swimming is a useful skill and a fun activity that provides great exercise for all.