Water Songs for Kids

Introducing babies to the water is an exciting experience that can help to prepare your little one to begin to learn how to swim. This experience, while exciting, can also cause some parents to be nervous. What can I do with my baby in the water? How can I make sure my baby is comfortable in the water? Making the first introduction to the water fun can be achieved through games you can play and songs you can sing with your baby. If your child sees that you are comfortable and having fun in the pool, they will enjoy their time in the water too! You can sing any nursery rhyme or song while spending time in the pool but here are some parent tot swim songs and water songs for preschool that can be used to introduce pre-swimming skills.

Water Babies Swimming Songs:

“If You’re Happy and You Know It”

If you’re happy and you know it splash your hands (splash splash)

If you’re happy and you know it splash your hands (splash splash)

If you’re happy and you know it then your face will surely show it

If you’re happy and you know it splash your hands (splash splash)

While you are singing this song with your child, help them to splash their hands in the water. This verse can be repeated with these variations following “If you’re happy and you know it…”

• “Kick your feet” - Help your baby to kick their feet up and down
• “Bounce around” – Help your baby to bounce up and down
• “Blow some bubbles” – Bring your babies mouth close to the surface of the water and show them bubbles. Depending on your baby’s age they may just watch you blow bubbles or try to mirror it on their own.

“Hokey Pokey”

You put your swimming hands in

You put your swimming hands out

Put your swimming hands in

And splash them all about

Do the hokey pokey and turn yourself around

That’s what it’s all about!

While singing this song, help your child to get used to putting different parts of their bodies in the water. These are different parts of the body that can be used during this song. Pick the ones that are appropriate for your child’s current comfort level in the pool. For example, some babies might be ready to put their whole heads in and others may just dip the back of their head in the pool during that part:

• “Swimming feet”: help your baby to splash their feet in the water
• “Bubbles”: encourage baby to blow bubbles with his mouth under water
• “Head”: help baby to get as much of their head wet as he is comfortable with
• “Whole self”: encourage baby to get their whole body underwater

“The Itsy-Bitsy Spider”

The itsy-bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout

Down came the rain and washed the spider out

Out came the sun and dried up all the rain

And the itsy—bitsy spider climbed up the spout again

This song is a fun way to get your baby used to getting wet in the pool. During this song, use a cup or your hands to sprinkle water up her arms and onto her head. As your baby gets more comfortable with getting wet, use more water in the cup during the song.

Motorboat Song

“Motorboat, Motorboat”

Motorboat, motorboat go so fast

Motorboat, motorboat go so slow

Motorboat, motorboat go so fast

Motorboat, motorboat go so slow

Motorboat, motorboat run out of gas

During this song, help your child to float either on their front of back and practice floating or kicking through the water. Change your speed as the song switches from fast to slow.

“Ring Around the Rosie”

Ring around the rosie

A pocket full of posies

Ashes, ashes

We all fall down!

During this song, spin your child around in a circle and when “we all fall down”, submerge your baby underwater. As babies are sometimes afraid to go underwater, presenting the skill in the context of a fun song can help with some of that fear.

“Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush”

Here we go round the mulberry bush

The mulberry bush, the mulberry bush

Here we go round the mulberry bush

So early in the morning

This is the way we splash out hands

Splash our hands, splash our hands

This is the way we splash our hands

So early in the morning

During this song, help your baby to float around in a circle and then help them to splash their hands and get used to getting water in their face. You can sing this song with other swimming skills such as “kick our feet”, “blow our bubbles” and “go underwater” to work on different skills.

When it comes to teaching swimming to babies, remember to be creative and have fun. If you look like you are having fun in the water your baby will feel comfortable as well. If you are looking for help to teach your little ones life saving water safety and swimming skills, contact Sunsational Swim School to be matched with a swimming instructor today!

Melanie Watt’s bio:

Swim Instructor in Baltimore, MD

Hi my name is Melanie and I've been teaching swim lessons and coaching swim teams for eight years! I have experience teaching infants as young as 6 months all the way up to adults. I also have extensive experience working with swimmers with special needs. I have a degree in health sciences and I am currently finishing up my master’s degree in occupational therapy. I love teaching swimming because I love seeing progress whether it be being comfortable putting your face in the water or learning a new stroke!