Basic mermaiding class

[Merman Chatfish]

Today was a no school day and we had two children in mermaid tails (both Finfun) in the pool swimming. I want to offer a class to teach them how to properly swim in their tail and how to be safe. I plan to set it up so kids currently without tails can participate too. I could use some ideas on activities and what to teach. Here is what I have so far, and maybe this is all I need.

Introduction (3 minutes)

Prereqs (7 minutes)


at least 8?
Float on back for 60 seconds (S 3 Y)
swim on front 25 yards (S 2 ARC, S4 S Y)
tread 60 secs (S3 Y)
tread arms only 30 sec



Choose swimming equipment (5 minutes)


Your tail if you have one
Flippers if you do not



Safety (5 minutes) (20 thus far)


Breath holding



Getting in and out of fin and tail



Swimming


Full body dolphin kick
Sculling



Fun things


Bubble rings
Flips



Ending (10 minutes)


Tag
Mermaids and sharks (sharks and minnows)
Taking care of your tail and other equipment




I would love some suggestions. The prereqs are based on what I have found other schools doing, our pool's deep water test, and what I feel would keep kids above the water while waiting for help if they have trouble and their legs are still in their tail.

[Mermaid Jaffa]

I love sculling!! Its very very tiring but also so much fun! Also good for hanging upside down and sticking my tail up above the surface.

[Merman Andrew]

Today was a no school day and we had two children in mermaid tails (both Finfun) in the pool swimming. I want to offer a class to teach them how to properly swim in their tail and how to be safe. I plan to set it up so kids currently without tails can participate too. I could use some ideas on activities and what to teach. Here is what I have so far, and maybe this is all I need.


I would love some suggestions. The prereqs are based on what I have found other schools doing, our pool's deep water test, and what I feel would keep kids above the water while waiting for help if they have trouble and their legs are still in their tail.
Depending on the age of the kids, I think you should make the swimming tests into games of some sort, so it doesn't seem boring to them. Like for instance the treading water, you could say something like on the bottom of the pool is hot lava and you're not allowed to touch it! The breath hold and diving exercises you could get them to swim to the bottom of the pool and fetch some rings (I remember doing that when I learnt to swim) or see how far you can swim underwater. You could make the last test swimming to the other end of the pool and at the other end you put the monofins. So you tell them you only get to have a monofin if you can swim all the way to the end of the pool! The actual mermaid swimming practice you can break down into one small little dive, kick and back to the surface, like how Raina teaches it. You can then get them to do increasing number of dolphin kicks in a row, and once again see who can swim the furthest in their tails.

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