Teach Your Child How to Swing

When children begin to find their way through the maze of playground equipment the swing is the one piece of equipment they need a hand in learning how to swing themselves. Being able to swing yourself has everything to do with coordination, which children normally don’t obtain until they are well into their toddler years.

Although they may not learn until they are well into kindergarten, you can still begin to teach them how to swing and how to use their arms, chest and legs to make the swing move. Sometimes the coordination of moving both the upper body and the legs together, but separately, is tough for younger children. Still you can instruct on showing them how it is done and giving them a push or two to start out and seeing how well they’ll do it on their own.

Preschool
Show your children how to swing by having them watch you swing. Have them watch you closely as you push yourself to make the swing drift back and forth. Make sure they watch you closely as you demonstrate how your body makes the swing move. Every time you and your child go out to the swing you have them watch you for a few minutes before they get on the swing.

When you push your child push them slightly and give them some time to try and do the rest of the swinging on their own. If they are having a problem coordinating this, don’t make learning a very big deal, allow them to learn on their own time and when they feel comfortable doing so.

Main points to address:

• Show them how to swing by watching you.
• Push them slightly and let them go on their own.

Grades K-3rd
Again for children in this age group show your children how to swing and how your body works to make the swing move. Be sure to follow your move with an explanation of how this helps you swing more efficiently. “Push your legs out, pull them in. Push your legs out…this moves you forward. Push your legs back…this pulls you back. EOr, simply tell them each move, “In…Out…In…Out…In…Out.”

Make sure you show them where their chest goes when their legs are being moved, “Legs out body back…legs in body forward. EInclude this as, either you are swinging and/or, as your child is swinging. Always start them out with a small push, but try not to continue to push them while they are attempting to swing themselves. Even if they ask you to, have them keep trying, reminding them they’ll have to do it on their own sometime soon anyway. If they will not try, allow their swing to slowly come to an end and then push them slightly again.

Main points to address:

• Teach them the In & Out pump.
• Demonstrate how they can move their body to work the swing.

Resources
Resources that can help you in your venture include:

• Metal Swing Sets – http://ezinearticles.com/?Metal-Swing-Sets&id=277253

Posted in Leisure.

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