The Shaker High School pool comes alive with the Hokey Pokey chorus and the sight of mothers helping their preschoolers learn to swim during the Town of Colonie’s Toddler Swim Program.
The program is a part of the town’s summer enrichment events meant for children between the ages of 2 and 4. Colonie Parks and Recreation Department Director Alicia Osur said the idea came about when Sean Williams, coordinator for the enrichment program, felt there was a need for a swimming program for that age group.
`I had discussed last year expanding the offerings for children, and he came up with the idea of toddler water instruction,` Osur said. `It allows us to encompass a segment of children’s programs that aren’t usually offered.`
This is the first year the program has been offered, Osur said. Since the pilot program was very successful, she said, the town plans to continue the program next year for the 2012 summer enrichment season.
It fits in with the mission of the enrichment program, which is to provide residents of Colonie something to do during the summer. This includes not only swimming but also tennis, arts and other athletics. The swimming program is a six-week long program and is a weekly program.
`This allows parents to choose what programs would be appropriate for their children,` she said. `And we have 50 different programs.`
Williams said the goal of the swimming program for such a young age is to just get the children used to the water and introduce them to swimming. He said that most of the children can be afraid of the water, so the program has different activities to help ease them in.
`Things like putting their face in the water, blowing bubbles and playing some children song games to get them feeling comfortable,` he said. `Also, going underwater with the assistance of their family and certainly to be able to start getting them to do things such as the doggy paddle and being able to float by themselves is ultimately the objective.`
Williams sees this program serving as a safety precaution because there are several families that have pools in their backyards. If a child were to fall into a pool, he hopes this program will provide the child the ability to know how to swim to the side of the pool for safety.
There is a curriculum that is involved in the program, which follows guidelines set by the American Red Cross. The day usually begins with a group activity, and then separates out into smaller groups and comes back into larger groups at the end of the session. Williams said the last activity is meant to be something that gives children the incentive to want to get into the water the next day.
It is a requirement for the 2-4-year-old age group that a parent is in the water with them. There are already three instructors in the water with them, Jen Dopp, assistant coordinator for the summer enrichment program, said, because some kids may not know how to react to the water. Having a parent there with them makes it a little more comfortable for the child.
Keri deRoziere is taking lessons with her son Jack, 4. She said she was pleased the town opened it up to the younger age group since her daughter Julia, 5, has been taking lessons in the older age group. She said it is great for the children to learn at such an early age.
`It’s something I always thought was really important to learn,` she said.
She said her son has, after two weeks, been willing to put his face in the water. She said it is good progress since before he refused to even let go of her. DeRoziere said this will also make the family’s upcoming vacation more enjoyable because Jack will now be able to go in the water with them.
When asked whether he enjoyed swimming, Jack gave a nod of approval.
`Hopefully we can do something over the winter as well,` she said. `It’s a great workout for both of us. But next summer we’ll definitely be back. That’s for sure.“