1. Important Safety Rules (always!)

• Never swim alone — always an adult or lifeguard must be near.
• Only swim where the water is safe: school pool, community pool, or supervised beach (like Mombasa coastline) with an adult.
• Wear a life jacket or floaties if you are not a strong swimmer.
• Do not run near the pool edge. Walk slowly to avoid slipping.
• Always listen to the teacher or adult in charge.

2. Getting Ready: Warm-up on land

Do simple warm-ups for 5 minutes: arm circles, ankle rolls, and gentle jumping to wake up your muscles.

3. How to Enter and Exit the Water

1. Enter slowly from the steps or shallow side. If at a beach, walk in until water is knees-deep first.
2. Use the ladder or steps to get out. Ask for help if you feel tired.

4. Breathing and Blowing Bubbles (easy and fun)

Practice sitting on the pool step: put your face near the water and blow bubbles. Try to count 1, 2, 3 while blowing.

5. Floating (front and back)

Floating helps you rest. Try with an adult beside you.

• Float on your tummy (front float): take a deep breath, hold it, stretch arms forward, keep your body flat and look down. Your feet should be near the surface.
• Float on your back (back float): relax your neck, keep ears in the water, look at the sky/ceiling, arms out like a star. Breathe slowly.

6. Kicking (flutter kick)

Legs give most of the power. Hold the pool edge or a kickboard and practice small, fast kicks.

7. Arm Movements (simple strokes)

Start with easy arm actions before learning full strokes.

• Dog paddle: Keep head above water, move hands alternately like paddling a dog. Good for beginners.
• Front arm sweep (start of front crawl): Reach forward with one arm, pull under the water to your hip, then recover over water.

8. Putting it together: Glide and Kick

Push from the pool wall, stretch your arms forward, glide, then start kicking. Repeat until you can do several glides and kicks in a row.

9. Practice Games (make learning fun)

• Treasure dive: Drop sinkable toys at shallow depth and pick them up (only where safe to dive a little).
• Follow the leader: Copy the teacher’s kicks and floats.
• Bubble contest: Who can blow the most bubbles in 10 seconds?

10. Equipment that helps

Use float belts, arm floaties, and kickboards at first. Goggles can help you see underwater. Always use these with adult supervision.

11. For Teachers and Parents

• Keep sessions short (20–30 minutes) for young children.
• Progress slowly: breath control → kicking → floating → arms → combine.
• Make sure the teacher/adult is trained in basic first aid and rescue.