Tips On Getting Your Child Ready To Swim

~~~~~~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 theses 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**

Water Safety Day

Kidtastics is proud to announce that we will be participating in Water Safety Day on March 29th!

At Water Safety Day, more than 1100 first graders will learn critical drowning prevention lessons as part of a seven week educational process. Activities include a swimming pool show, fire truck tour, music show, and a Build-A-Reminder craft activity. The event is organized by Water Watchers at Phoenix Children's Hospital and has grown in reputation and community support to become well known throughout the United States.

This year, they have something special to consider: reducing the drowning rate in our community IS possible. It happened last year, when the number of child drownings in Maricopa County was cut to less than half the previous year's total. Kidtastics is very excited to be apart of this event and to raise awareness to Arizona families and children!

Kidtastics is doing their part to prevent drownings by providing swimming lessons to children. To find out more about our swim lessons, please visit us at our website.

WHAT A DEAL!

Kidtastics is running a Daily Deal! Go check it out before it expires and make sure to share it with your friends!

http://www.dailydealusa.com/

Happy Valentines Day!

Happy Valentines day to all our Kidtastics kids and their families!

We are happy to announce that the Kidtastic shirts have arrived!! If you purchased a shirt for your child, we will be handing them out this week at the end of class.
If you did not already purchase a shirt and would like to, it's not too late!
Our Kidtastics t-shirts are $12 and come in sizes 2T all the way to Youth large.

Parents Night Out & Swim Lesson Dates

Parent’s let Kidtastics be
the babysitter while you enjoy
Windgate Ranch’s Casino Night

Bring your child(ren) by the Teen Center or Member’s Club (details below) and allow them to do arts & crafts, play games, watch a movie and enjoy dinner and dessert!


Dinner: Cheese and Pepperoni Pizza
Dessert: Sugar Cookies (children will decorate their own cookies)
**If your child has ANY food allergies, you MUST supply their own meal**

When: Saturday, February 26th

Time: 6:00pm-10:00pm

Where: Windgate Ranch Community Center (10095 N. Thompson Peak, Scottsdale 85255) located near Bell and Thompson Peak Pkwy
Teen Center (ages 7-12yrs.)
Member’s Club (ages 3-6yrs.)**All kids must be potty trained**

Cost: $25 for the 1st child & $20 per additional

**15 children max, per room

Please RSVP by 2/23 to: Sofun@kidtastics.com Or call
480.994.KIDS(5437)- Windgate Residents have priority

Once children are checked in, they will not be permitted to leave the room until a parent checks them out at/before 10pm.
If we do not receive enough RSVP’s Parent’s Night Out will be cancelled.

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Swim Lesson Dates Now Available
SEMESTERS:
#1: May 31st – June 9th *
#2: June 13th – June 23rd
#3: June 27th – July 7th
#4: July 11th – July 21st
#5: July 25th – August 4th
#6: August 8th – August 18th
(Lessons are Monday – Thursday for the semester. Each Semester is 8 lessons.)
*Due to Memorial Day, the first week of session 1 will start on a Tuesday and go through Friday.

CPR CLASSES NOW AVAILABLE

It’s Time for Your Family to Be Safe!
Learning CPR will Help Protect your Family.

Kidtastics is now offering CPR Class to our parents.

American Heart Association instructor will be offering Adult, Child & Infant CPR. Limited Spots are available. Advance registration required.
$25 per person.

February 26th, Saturday 2-5pm (only 12 spots available)*
April 7th, Thursday 6-9pm (only 9 spots available)*
May 21st Saturday 1-4pm (only 9 spots available)@

Class Locations:
*Fireside Community Center 3819 E.
Ember Glow Way Phoenix, 85050 (Tatum /Loop 101)

@ Windgate Ranch Community Center near DC Ranch
10095 E. Windgate Ranch Road Scottsdale, 85255 (Bell/Loop 101)

Payment is due at the time of scheduling and is nonrefundable.
Kidtastics endorses, but is not affiliated with American Heart Association.

Halloween Safety

Halloween is approaching and we will soon be seeing all the ghosts, goblins, witches roaming the streets. There are a few things to remember when taking your children out trick-or-treating. Some safety tips to remember:
1. Remind your children to NEVER go into a strangers home. Remember to always stay within sight of your children and have them always be looking for you.
2. Remind your children to ALWAYS look both ways before crossing the street. Halloween is very dangerous because many children are in dark costumes and it makes it difficult to be seen. And only cross at a crosswalk or at the corner.
3. Only trick-or-treat to houses with the light on.
4. Remember to say thank you after receiving your goodies.
5. Never trick-or-treat alone. Always have atleast 2 buddies with you. And for the younger children never go without a parent/guardian.
6. Always carry a flashlight.
7. Wait until you get home and check through the candy before eating it.
8. Always have fun!!!

Happy Halloween to ALL!