Purposeful Play in the pool:
Where safety, skill & joy meet

1.

The Power of Play with a Purpose: The S.W.I.M Blueprint

Discover a new way of thinking about how children learn in water. Helen introduces the S.W.I.M Blueprint, built on Learning Patterns and the four key pillars, leading to Water Wisdom and SMART swimmers. This session sets the stage for why purposeful play creates stronger, safer swimmers than survival-only or stroke-only teaching.

2.

A Trauma-Informed Teaching Toolbox: How Children Really Learn

Fear might create compliance, but it does not create confidence. In this session we explore the neuroscience of fear vs love, and how mind, body, and soul are affected by different approaches. You’ll leave with trauma-informed strategies that put children first and create learning environments where skills stick.

3.

Exploratory Play: Beyond Survival, Toward Thriving

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This session spotlights the EPIC Kit Bag — Exploration, Purposeful Play, Independence, Curiosity. We’ll look closely at Purposeful Play, separating it from distraction-based “fun” and showing how intentional play transforms water safety and skill development. Expect to rethink what thriving in the water really looks like.

4.

Breakthrough Moments: Building Confidence Without the Tears (Pool)

Helen teaches a live model lesson with children, demonstrating how purposeful play works in practice. Participants observe swimmer classifications, teacher archetypes, and the EPIC Kit Bag in real time. The debrief connects what you’ve seen back to Saturday morning’s theory, with a focus on how play builds confidence where drills often create tears.

5.

Creating Curiosity-Driven Classes: Tools & Materials Lab​​

The pool is more than water — it’s a playground of discovery. In this hands-on session, you’ll explore purposeful tools and props, learning how to align them with EPIC and adapt them for different swimmer types. You’ll also practice ways to explain to parents why mats, toys, or floats are powerful teaching aids, not distractions.

6.

Stories that Stick: Slowing Down for Lasting Skills

Fast lessons and “quick fixes” don’t create Water Wise swimmers. This session is about slowing down and embracing the time we have with children, using songs, stories, and poems to create rhythm, calm, and memory. You’ll leave knowing how to stretch lessons into deeper experiences where skills embed and children flourish.

7.

Child-First Teaching in Action: Lesson Design Lab (Pool + Classroom)

Now it’s your turn. In groups, you’ll design and deliver mini EPIC lessons in the pool, adapting activities for specific swimmer classifications. You’ll also practice explaining your choices to parents — showing how purposeful play meets mind, body, and soul needs while building confidence and water safety.