Pool Toy Review: Swim Thru Rings
Swimming season is here! As you stock your pool with toys, keep in mind that the pool is a great place for developing your child’s strength, coordination, motor planning and socialization. Use this opportunity to buy pool toys that will challenge your child’s skills in a fun, creative, and interactive way.
What are Swim Thru Rings?
Swim Thru Rings are collapsible vertical floating rings. Air chambers connected to each ring are adjustable, allowing you to set rings at different depths. Each pack contains three rings.
What games can I play with them?
“Blast Off”: Start at the side of the pool and use legs to push off and glide through rings. Start with one ring and gradually increase the challenge by adding rings or placing rings father from the wall. Gliding through water provides controlled vestibular input. Vestibular input from gliding together with hydrostatic pressure provided by water and proprioceptive input from kicking off the wall heightens sense of body position in space and enhances motor planning.
Obstacle course: To bolster sequencing skills and spatial awareness, include swimming through rings in a pool obstacle course. Incorporate obstacles that require moving over, under and through.
Aim underwater torpedoes: Challenge visual perception skills but aiming and shooting underwater torpedoes through hoops. This requires eye-hand coordination, pressure modulation and motor control.
For information on occupational therapy sessions in the pool, contact us.
Submitted by: Ariela Harcsztark, OTR/L