Swinging legs

Lesson 8 – 20 minutes

Learning outcomes

• Enjoy wading in and out of the water
• Develop confidence in the water

Preparation

Water safety personnel (Recommended 1:1).

Activity 1

• Line up the participants on the beach.
• Ask the participants to show you how they run on the beach by running on the spot.
• Ask the participants the following questions:
  • Can you run in the water like this? (not very well).
  • Why can’t you run in the water like this? (because your legs will push against the water and make it hard).
  • Ask the participants to show you how they could run in the water by doing it on the spot (see if they made it hard).

Demonstrate

• Demonstrate the correct technique for wading
• Swing legs out and away from body, high knees to clear water
• Swing arms wide for balance.

Discuss

• Discuss why we need to wade in the water
  • we need to wade because if we were to run in the water like we run on the beach it would be difficult because the water is hard to push our legs through.
  • by wading we get our legs up and over the water.

Activity 2

• Have water safety personnel ready at the waters edge.
• Get the participants to practice their wading technique on the spot on the sand.
• When they have the basic technique right ask them to follow you along the beach like ‘follow the leader’ :
  • Start on the sand.
  • Snake down to the waters edge near the water safety personnel.
  • Wade along in ankle deep water.
  • Move back to the sand.
  • Then move back to knee deep water and wade along .
  • Continue snaking until you think participants have had enough.

*AGE MANAGER TIPS

If you’re not up for running all over the beach get a lifesaver or another adult to lead ‘follow the leader’.