How to prepare nervous child for activity trips?

[justimy]

My five year old hates getting wet. He hates sports, heights, anything physical at all, PE, mud, everything.
Soon enough there will be those PGL-type
school trips, with abseiling, canoes, orienteering etc.
Is there something I can do to prepare him for these things? If he was asked to do it now, he’d panic, flat out refuse to take part, cry etc.
Also, his school has a swimming pool, soon enough he’ll have to go in that too. He can’t swim and freaks out in water.
help!

For now don't worry about the activity trips, they don't tend to happen until year 5 or 6 so around 10 year old. Although if there are anything similar near you like a climbing wall you could try taking him. Tbh I couldn't get my eldest to do those trips but that was because she didn't want to stay away from home.

For swimming can you enrol him in swimming lessons? Or take him swimming yourself but ease him in, ie stay in the very shallows first step and get him used to being wet, blowing bubbles in the water?

If you have any anxiety about these things try not to project them on to him/ let him see that you are anxious.

Mine didn't do anything like that till yr6 and even then it's not compulsory so if he doesn't want to do it he doesn't have to, but a lot will change between now and then.
In the meantime maybe get some swimming lessons done do he can be more confident in the water.

We had a child who would scream like he was being murdered if we just tried to bath him. In the end when he was 4 we got one of the lay z spa inflatable hot tubs we put boats etc around it but didn’t force or even encourage him in however my husband and I got in glass of wine and just sat in it and chatted to each other before we knew it he was playing with his boats standing on the outside, then sitting on the side and then he was in it refusing to get out. Best money we have ever spent, now happy to do anything on water and we charter yachts every summer and he loves it. He has done pretty much every water sport possible.

Realise it's for your son, but these tips might help: https://www.girlguiding.org.uk/what-we-do/blog/help-girls-feel-confident/

I have a 5 year old son who seems to want to enjoy sports but is terrible at them. He doesn't really listen and is clumsy (I think he might possibly be dyspraxic) so he's just not very good. I feel for him as the boys in his class are sporty so by default he doesn't quite fit in. I hope that with time he will improve somehow if that's possible.

swimming: he HATED going in the water, even bath time was a challenge. He generally hates being wet or muddy. They do swimming from reception in his school so I was full of anxiety like how will this kid cope? I enrolled him on one to one swimming lessons and though they were costly, they were worth it. They massively helped with his water confidence and he was at least able to enjoy the water somewhat and not be a whole melodrama getting in the pool. If you can, I'd recommend that.

same with riding a bike. Every time I tried to teach him it was horrendous I thought this boy is never going to learn! So I did an intensive crash course during the summer holidays last year and he got it within the first day or so.

so my advice I guess is to seek help from professionals if you can?

They don't tend to do any of the adventurous things until far later, like y5 and 6, I'm sure by then your son will be more confident and happy to try.

remember they are only little and still have a lot of learning and growing to do, at least that's what I keep telling myself!