Heavy Clothes Activity

Kids love the chance to do something wacky and offbeat. So why not indulge their need for silliness in a way that can also help reinforce water safety skills and knowledge? Try the Heavy Clothes Activity to do just that.

Go through your family’s old clothes and find some that are too beat up to donate to charity (like the moth-eaten sweater you’ve kept in the closet or the white t-shirt your daughter stained with fruit punch). Once you’ve formed a collection, encourage your kids to pile on as much clothing as they can.

the heavy clothes activity –

Take them outside to the pool and have everyone get in the water fully dressed. Have them try to swim around while fully clothed. As you swim, talk about their observations. Is it harder to swim? Do some of the clothes get tangled and in the way?

This silly game provides a great springboard for a water safety discussion. Use the experience to reinforce why they aren’t allowed to play inside the pool fence: even if they’re good swimmers, accidentally falling in while fully clothed makes it difficult to get out. It’s also a good way to talk about being safe near lakes, rivers, and unfamiliar bodies of water. If swimming in the backyard pool, which they know well, is hard, imagine accidentally falling into unknown water.

This is a fun, memorable way to reinforce water safety habits without frightening or boring your kids.