The Finis Floating Island isn’t just for kicking practice. The possibilities are limitless. The Finis Floating Island looks like a slice of swiss cheese, so it’s been aptly named the cheese mat by all of my students.
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To use the mat for kicking, have your child lay face down and kick while reaching with straight arms. It’s great because it prevents the bicycle riding leg action since she can’t bend at the waist while laying down on the mat. Not the case when kicking on the back, but that’s okay.
The Finis Floating Island is also perfectly designed to master climbing skills
Place the mat on the deck at the edge of your pool and then have your child latch on to the holes and pull herself out.
This mat is very versatile
Kids love to use their imagination, and the Finis Floating Island does not disappoint in this department. You can turn it into a bridge and have her go under it.
You can also pretend that it’s a raft and give her a rocky ride on the river. It can even be a deserted island that you can make part of an adventurous obstacle course.
And, you can even play Whack-A-Ball with it. A favorite game among many of my students. Often requested at the end of a lesson. I place plastic golf balls in the holes, put my hand under the mat and start popping the balls up as they try to keep them down.
Is your child or student unable to put her face in the water?
The holes in the mat provide a fun way to motivate her to work on this skill.
Drop objects that sink and have her hold her breath then look through the holes for a specific amount of time to see the sunken treasure, rings, torpedoes or other objects that sink.
Have your child run across the Finis Floating Island
This activity is fantastic for the toddler or preschooler who is already comfortable with submerging. It promotes balancing skills and is so much fun that if they had their way, the whole swim lesson would be this one activity.
To safely place your child on the mat, first, sit her on the edge of the pool, hold the mat in place against the wall and under your child’s feet. Grab your kid’s hand and encourage her to run. So much fun!
My students love the Finis Floating Island AKA the cheese mat!
Promotes: Kicking, getting comfortable with putting the face in the water, climbing skills, balance, and imagination.
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