How do we learn to swim?

But Why: A Podcast for Curious Kids

Vermont Public

Nature, Language, Kids & Family, Science

4.4 • 4.9K Ratings

🗓️ 2 August 2024

⏱️ 20 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

But it’s important to know how to swim if you’re going to be around water! In this episode, Upper Valley Aquatic Center Swim School Director Kana Wyman gives us swimming tips, like how to get comfortable putting our heads in the water, how to float and more.

Download our learning guides: PDF | Google Slides | Transcript

A few tips for getting started:

If you don’t live near a pool or body of water, you can learn some primary skills even in a bathtub or using a bucket.
Get used to putting your face in the water by using a bucket or big bowl. Keep your mouth closed and blow air through your nose. Humming can help make sure you’re breathing out.
When floating, think about a string pulling your belly button up to the sky. It’s easier to float if you spread your body out, rather than curling into a ball. You may need to swirl your arms or legs to keep your whole body on top of the water.
Some people have a harder time floating than others, due to body mass differences. So if it feels hard, it’s not your fault!
Check with community swimming pools to see if they offer free lessons. Many pools, gyms or swim schools will offer lessons for kids and adults that are free or subsidized, at least occasionally, to make sure everyone has the opportunity to learn lifesaving swimming skills.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Have you ever listened to an episode of But Why and wished you could see it instead?
0:04.0	I'm Joey from Vermont Public and I make videos for But Why's YouTube Channel.
0:08.0	Check out how Chameleons change color. Why do we get car sick?
0:11.0	And why do Balarinas wear ballet shoes, among many other fun episodes in our But Why Bites series,
0:18.0	and you can even see what Jane looks like.
0:20.0	Find us on YouTube at But Why Kids. This is, but why, a podcast for Curious Kids from Vermont Public.
0:47.0	I'm Jane Lindhol.
0:49.0	On this show, we take questions from Curious Kids Like You,
0:52.0	and we find interesting people to answer them.
0:54.1	Today we're going somewhere cool to beat the summer heat.
0:58.0	All right, can you jump? Three, two, one? I recently visited the Upper Valley Aquatic Center, UVAQ for short, in White River Junction, Vermont.
1:08.5	That's where we went to learn more about swimming and swimmer safety.
1:12.8	Kana Wymen is the swim school director there and she teaches a lot of kids and adults
1:18.4	how to swim.
1:19.4	On the day I visited, Kana was working with 9-year-old Camilla.
1:23.6	How long have you been swimming for?
1:25.6	Well, I've been taking lessons for maybe two years.
1:31.3	Do you ever get scared in the water?
1:33.0	Sometimes I get scared, I mean, I think everyone does.
1:37.0	Camilla is right. It's normal to feel scared.
1:40.0	Everyone gets scared sometimes.
1:42.0	Camilla told us that in the past she has been a little
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Vermont Public, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Vermont Public and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.