3 to 6 Beginner =MUST STAY IN SHALLOW WATER to practice breath holding under water. Advanced = Treading water. SAFETY: Keep your hands in front of you at all times to protect your face because
this game requires the person who is “It” to keep his/her eyes closed.
One person is “It”- known as The Caller and goes underwater
to count to 10 with their fingers out of the water for all those
who are “Not It” to see. When The Caller finishes the count of
10 he/she comes out of the water WITH EYES CLOSED and
yells, “Freeze!” All those “Not It” must stop exactly where they
are and take notice of their exact place in the pool. To find the
other players The Caller says the phrase,“silent waters.” In
response, all players with their heads above water MUST
respond by making a splash or some other sound with the water.
The Caller must then search for the other players. The only way
a player can avoid The Caller is to go straight up or down and
slightly side to side. The players are allowed to move only one
arms-length from where they originally stopped when The Caller
yelled, “Freeze!” If any player moves beyond one arms-length
from their original spot the other players may call the player out
by yelling “Nail ‘em down!” The player who is designated as
moving too far must exit the pool until the game is over. The
game is over when The Caller touches one of the
other players.
Tip #1 = The deep end is better because you can
swim
up and down which gives you more room to escape
The Caller.
Tip #2 = When The Caller says, “silent waters” you have to
make a sound with the water if your head is out of the water. If
you are close to a friend, use your foot to make a splash near that
friend to get The Caller off of your trail and after your friend!
Tip #3 = If you are The Caller and you are having a hard time
finding people in the deep end, start swimming and then
suddenly stop, go under water until you touch the bottom,
and spread out your arms and legs as far as you can.
Many times the others will be hiding beneath
you
near the bottom of the pool!
