Tip on how to teach your child to pump their legs when they swing
We love this foolproof tip on how to teach your child to swing – which a friend at the neighborhood playground shared.
To get your child to pump, stand a safe distance in front of her/him, hold your hands within tippy toes distance & then have the child try to “kick” your hand. The motion you are aiming for is to have your little swinger put their feet up high in the air & then bend their legs — i.e. to pump.
So hold your hand flat in the air where you want them to get their feet . Have another adult stand a safe distance behind them, so as they go back down, tell them to bend their knees. Repeating “Kick and Bend, Kick and Bend.”
Then have them try to touch the other adult’s hand w/ their feet bent underneath. Hopefully, your child will be swinging on their own!