TUB Swimming

At Kidtastics, we believe even when it's cold outside you can practice valuable swim skills in the bathtub with your child... Supervised of course.

Try These....

~~~~THINGS TO PRACTICE IN THE BATHTUB~~~~

Tummy Activities
~Start by filling up the tub with 2-3 inches of water
~Have your child lay on their tummy and have them use a squirt toy to make bubbles.
~Then have the child imitate the toy and blow bubbles on their own.
~While they are still on their tummy, have them practice kicking their feet.
~Next try having them put their nose in the water, you can ask them" can you tickle your nose in the water?"
~Once they can put their mouth and nose in the water, ask them to hide their eyes in the water.
~If your child is able to do all these skills, you can fill the bath water to the level of their belly button. Have them sit on their knees, blow bubbles, tickle their nose and hide their eyes.
*These tips are a fun way to help the child get comfortable with putting their entire face in the water.
*Using toys in the bathtub is helpful when showing your child how to do certain skills and allows them to imitate their favorite toys.

Back Activities
~Have your child lay flat on their back and kick their feet
~Next, have your child lay on their back in the bathtub with their ears under water while you count to 10, do this 3 times.
~Another way to do this is to put your hand on the back of their head and have them lay back until their ears are under water. If your child can do this without a problem then try having them float on their back. You can place your hands under their neck and lower back if needed.
*Floating on your back can sometimes be a tough skill for kids to learn. If you practice with them in the bath they will be more relaxed when learning the skill in the pool.

Splash!
~Allow your kids to splash their hands and toys in the water so their face gets wet.
~Have your child pour water over their head and let the water drip down their face.(No soap)
~Let your child shower with you by either holding or having them stand with their face under the shower head. This gets the child used to the feeling of coming up and out of the pool.
*The shower gets kids used to having water in their eyes. This helps prevent them from coming out of the water and frantically wiping their eyes in the pool.
*Kids love for the parents to do these activities with them, so jump on in! If you have a big enough tub or choose to use the shower, you can have the child pour water over your head or you can show them how to get their face and head wet.

Final Tips
~Talk with your children about water safety, include the pool and the bath in these discussions. This is a great time to talk about your own personal rules like not allowing the children to turn on the water in the bathtub.
~Make it a routine! You can have your child do these activities every night during bath time before they shampoo.
~Start now, so when your Kidtastics swim instructor comes, your child can progress even faster.
**These tips can be used year round and you can practice all these activities with your kids no matter what age**

Let us know how they work.

Kidtastics Newsletter

Check out our newsletter and specials by using your QR Code app on your smart phone.

Click here for the QR Code.

FREE Classes in December

Abby BELLA Dance Studio & Kidtastics are teaming up to provide kids classes. Kidtastics is offering YOUR CHILD a FREE class.

FREE SAMPLE CLASSES:
12/19/11 (Abby BELLA Scottsdale-listed below in red) &
12/21/11(Abby BELLA Arcadia- listed below in blue)
MUST RSVP to Kidtastics 480-994-KIDS

Come give one of our classes a try and see if your child has any interest in our programs.

KIDTASTICS offers fantastic programs that will help improve your child’s athletic ability, coordination, & motor skills.

Mov’in & Groov’in w/Mommy & Daddy: Ages 13mos. - 2yrs
FREE Class – Monday, Dec 19th @ 4:30-5:00pm
Abby BELLA Scottsdale Dance Studio

Ballet/ Tap Dance: Ages 3 - 5
FREE Class – Monday, Dec 19th @ 5:15-6:00pm
Abby BELLA Scottsdale Dance Studio

Hip Hop: Ages 6 - 12
FREE Class – Monday, Dec 19th @ 6:10-6:55pm
Abby BELLA Scottsdale Dance Studio

Gymnastics: Ages 3 - 5
FREE Class – Wednesday, Dec 21st @ 5:00-5:45pm
Abby BELLA Arcadia Dance Studio

Ballet/ Tap Dance: Ages 3 - 5
FREE Class – Wednesday, Dec 21st @ 6:00-7:00pm
Abby BELLA Arcadia Dance Studio

Find out more about Kidtastics classes by contacting us:
Kidtastics at 480-994-KIDS (5437)
Email: sofun@kidtastics.com
Website: www.kidtastics.com

Directions to Abby BELLA can be found at this link.

Winter Water Safety Tips

The holiday season represents the highest probability of distractions and breakdown of normal supervision routines. The following winter water safety tips are a reminder to help families protect their young children as they travel this holiday season.

Winter Water Safety Tips

1.Constant Eyes On (CEO) Supervision - Never turn your back on your child around water. It takes just seconds for him/her to be in serious trouble. Segment the supervision responsibilities so there are never questions about which adult is responsible for watching the child and be aware of the distractions unique to the winter months: holiday parties, house guests, etc.
2.Educate Others - When traveling to relatives' and friends' homes, they may not understand the importance of keeping gates closed, doors locked, closing toilet seats, emptying buckets, etc. Visiting family, holiday parties and celebrations can lead to breakdowns in routine supervision and effective barriers to the water. If a child is missing, look for him or her in the pool or spa first.
3. Decoration Hazards - Decorations and lights can pose problems with young children around the house and water. Watch for lights and electrical cords around water, make sure no outside decorations provide a means for a child to climb over a fence or open a locked gate.
4. Maintain Pools in the Winter - Keep pools well-maintained with clear water even if it is too cold to swim. If someone falls in, they can be seen and be helped faster. Pool covers need to be drained of accumulated rain water and free of debris. Ensure any pool and spa you use has compliant drain covers, and ask your pool service provider if you do not know.
5. Hot Tubs - Install and use a lockable safety cover on your spa. Supervision must be one adult per child due to the high temperatures and turbulence of the water in a hot tub. When young children are in the hot tub, keep the temperature below 90 degrees Fahrenheit and limit exposure to less than ten minutes.
6. Fencing - Install a four-foot or taller fence around the pool and spa, use self-closing and self-latching gates; ask your neighbors to do the same at their pools.
7. Survival Swimming Lessons – The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states, “lessons may actually reduce the risk in drowning for children ages 1-4 years old.” Infant Swimming Resource goes beyond traditional swimming instruction, by teaching children aquatic survival skills designed to help them survive should they reach the water alone.

Read more: Swimming Resources

What's New With Kidtastics

Summer Is Coming To An End But Kidtastics Is Offering Tons Of Fun...Click Here
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NOW OFFERING- KIDS YOGA CLASSES

Come Join Kidtastics for Yoga!
Ages 5-7 yrs - 3:00-3:45pm
Ages 8-12 yrs - 4:00-5:00pm

WHEN: Friday July 8th – July 29th
WHERE: Fireside Community Center - 3819 Ember Glow Way 85050
COST: $5 per class (Sign up for the month or drop in.)
BRING: towel & water

YOGA FOR KIDS

These classes are designed to help your child find their inner yogi. Through breathing techniques, discussion, practicing yoga poses and pose names, children will be inspired on and off their mats to make healthy life choices. Playing games such as "musical mats" and "yogi says" will create a fun filled, educational experience for all!

Registar to Fireside Community Center 480-203-2166
Kidtastics, 8485 E. McDonald Dr #243 Scottsdale, 85250 - 480-994-5437 - www.kidtastics.com

Independents Week- Local Business Discounts

Local First Arizona (which supports locally owned businesses throughout AZ) is having Independents Week from June 17th-July 4th and is offering a "Golden Coupon" worth 20% off at certain businesses. Show your support for locally owned businesses by participating in Independents Week. Participating businesses can be found here.

Or find our listing for 20% off by clicking here.

Charity Event

Kidtastics is hosting a charity event with Scottsdale Adventure Boot Camp to help raise money for Phoenix Children's Hospital. Help us raise money for kids. Come participate in our "Parents & Kids Get Fit" day on September 11th.

We'd like to invite you to participate in a Parent and Child Group Fitness Event for charity. The event is being held on Saturday, September 11th, 2010, from 7:30am to 9:00am at Windgate Ranch in north Scottsdale. Parents can bring their children and both will receive an awesome hour of group exercise! While the parents participate in a one hour boot camp session, the kids will either swim or go inside for gymnastics, dancing, etc. The event is FREE, and any donations collected will be given to Phoenix Children's Hospital. It's a great way to show your kids that fitness is fun!!

If you don't have children, we'd still love to have you attend! Adults are welcome with or without children, so be sure to save the date!

You are welcome to forward this invitation to anyone who might be interested.

Click on the link below to see all the details and to RSVP. We hope to see you all there!
Click here for event details!

FALL SCHEDULE

Check out our fall schedule and get your child enrolled now. Our Fall schedule now offers: gymnastics, dance, cheerleading, parent-child classes. And we have several New locations. Check out our site for more information on our Fall Schedule.

Pool Safety Rules

Pool Safety is ALWAYS important. At Kidtastics, we try to make sure our swim kids know all their pool rules. Rules very from home to home, due to physical attributes of the home and the pool. Things like if the pool has a barrier or not, a fence or a net, water fall, diving board, etc... are reasons that each pool requires custom rules and parents need to review the pool rules every time their child enters the water or pool area. Listen to a view of our favorite kids telling Kidtastics the pool rules. So cute!!!

Call us for some addition pool rules your child needs to know. 480-994-KIDS.

CPSC Announces Pool and Spa Kids Safety Education Effort

This video outlines the steps that help save lives at the pool or spa. Remember you never know which step will save a life until it does so add as many as possible to your safe pool practices.

This is a great educational video for all adults with or without kids. It's important to be part of your community and help spread the safe pool practices.

If you're family members need swim lesson Kidtastics can help. Contact us 480-994-KIDS

Kidtastics is offering our clients a summer DEAL!

Swimming season is slowly coming to an end as school is about to start. But it's never too late to improve your child's swimming abilities.

Become a follower of our BLOG. And receive $20 off your swim semester if you sign up by July 30th. ** This deal does not apply to current bookings**

SEMESTERS w/availability for booking:
#4: July 19th – July 29th (can be pro-rated for starting late)
#5: August 2nd – August 12th
#6: August 16th – August 26th

Call NOW to book 480-994-KIDS

How to keep kids fit: Here's your chance to ask the experts!

Cardon Children's Medical Center launched a Fit Kid Challenge earlier this summer. Find out more about this great program. This program helps kids eat and exercise health, even during this exhausting summer heat. It's a four-week program that challenges kids to exercise and eat healthy when the hot summer months keep them stuck inside. It also encourages family members to participate. No registration is necessary the challenge continues until September 7th 2010 so join now.

Kidtastics thinks this is a great program. The heat makes us all feel lazy, but being unhealthy and lazy (not exercising or being inactive) in the summer months will mess up your metabolism and make it harder to get back into shape in the winter months. Keep your kids active in any program in doors that helps promote fitness. See Kidtastics Summer Programs for dance and gymnastics classes around the valley.

Sun Protection for Babies and Kids

Here in Arizona, sun safety is a crucial part of our daily routine. But with summer comes more opportunities for you and your child to be in the sun, such as swimming lessons with Kidtastics, camping or boating trips, and cooling off with a refreshing dip in the pool. To ensure your child stays protected from the sun’s rays while enjoying the season’s many outdoor activities, here are some helpful tips:

Babies younger than 1. A new baby’s skin burns more easily, so try to avoid limit exposure (especially direct exposure) until he is 6 months old. Keep his skin covered, even in the shade. It’s OK to use sunscreen if you find yourself in a situation where you can’t keep him out of the sun. Apply the sunscreen to a small area of his back first to make sure there is no irritation, and then apply only to face and hands, and keep the rest of him covered up. When choosing a sunscreen, ensure that it is made for babies (they have less irritants) and have an SPF of at least 30.

Children age 1 year and older. Young children should stay out of the sun as much as possible, but of course that gets harder to accomplish as they get older and more active and independent. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before she goes outside and reapply it every two hours—more often if she goes swimming or is sweating. Be careful not to get sunscreen on the eyelids! As with babies, use a waterproof, broad spectrum sunscreen made for children with a SPF of at least 30.

Spray-on Sunscreen: When it comes to sprays, there aren't any clear guidelines about how much to use; most simply recommended applying "evenly" and "generously" or "liberally." Some say to rub the sunscreen into the skin, while others don't; most also recommend using in well-ventilated areas. All warn to keep the product out of the eyes and not to spray directly on the face. Our recommendation is to read directions on the bottle carefully to ensure you are getting the maximum protection from it.

Don't rely on sunscreen alone. When outdoors, kids should wear a hat with a 3-inch brim or a bill facing forward and a long-sleeved shirt and long pants made from tightly-woven cotton provide smart protection against the sun. Sand and concrete reflect the sun’s rays, increasing the chances of a burn. Most rays make it through a cloud cover and they also travel through water, so an overcast day or staying in the pool doesn’t provide protection. Limit your sun time, and seek shade during the hottest hours of the day.

Other tips:
•Don't spray or rub sunscreen on clothes. Most of the products stained fabrics when applied directly and left for a day.
•Don't use sunscreen after its expiration date because it might have lost its potency. If your sunscreen has no expiration date on the bottle when you buy it, mark one yourself with a permanent marker and throw out after two years.

(Source: consumerreports.org)

Facts About Accidental Drownings – Hot Tubs

We’ve just learned of some very sad news: on June 30, the 2½ year old son of former NFL quarterback Randall Cunnungham died after drowning in the hot tub of the family’s backyard. There are many reports of accidental drownings especially during the summer months; in Phoenix, there have already been 5 fatalities. What you may not hear as often as pool safety is hot tub safety, so we’d like to share some information and drowning prevention tips specific to owners of hot tubs:

•An average of about 17 kids under age 5 drown in spas each year, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Approximately 70% of child drownings occur even though one or both parents are nearby, according to the commission.
•Hot tubs pose a number of safety dangers for kids, experts say. To prevent drowning, people should install a fence, gate or barrier around the hot tub area, and keep tubs covered and locked when not in use, according to Nationwide Children's Hospital's Center for Injury Research and Policy in Columbus, Ohio.
•Children should not be allowed in hot tubs at all, the center's experts suggest. That's because children have thinner skins than adults, so they burn more quickly and at lower temperatures. Kids' bodies also heat up three to five times faster than adults', according to Safe Kids USA.
•To prevent falls -- the most common cause of hot tub-related injury, people should place slip-resistant mats around it. People also should cover suction drains with covers that meet new federal standards that took effect in 2008.

(From USA Today)

Kidtastics urges you to read our other posts regarding water safety and ensure that your child develops the skills necessary to stay safe in and around water. If you have yet to sign up for one of our upcoming semesters of swimming lessons, there are still spots available. Please call us at 480-994-KIDS(5437) to enroll.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Cunningham family.

Celebrate Father’s Day Part 2 – Local events this weekend!

If you and your children are having a hard time deciding on that perfect Father’s Day gift this year, head out on a day of fun together instead! Time spent with family is a gift in itself.
There are several events happening this weekend in Phoenix to help celebrate our great Dads…

One of our suggestions is the Arizona Science Center (600 E Washington Street Phoenix, AZ 85004) which is offering free admission for Dads—and Grandpas!—all day on June 20th. This special event is sponsored by Dixon Golf, and the first 500 dads will receive a coupon booklet for golf products and accessories. So not only is this a wonderful place for your children to engage in a day of learning and interactive fun, but golf-loving Dads will be thrilled. In fact, one of Kidtastics’ partners, Laurie Bentzen, was recently married and hosted a day filled of fun at the Arizona Science Center for her wedding party and guests. Everyone, including the adults, had a fantastic time! Be sure to check out the hurricane exhibit and the wire-line bicycle.
Other great events (include a story time of books honoring Dads and crafts at Barnes and Noble at Desert Ridge, discounted stays at the Montelucia Resort and Spa, and a sports-themed day at the Phoenix Art Museum.)Each can be found at azcentral.com.

Happy Father’s Day!