Swimming teachers sharing what works.

Practical activities, lesson ideas and teaching experience shared by the swimming teaching community – 460 activities, free to browse.

Browse by stage

• Stage 1 – 50 activities. First steps in the water: getting in and out safely, feeling at ease moving around, getting the face wet, early breathing control and supported floating.
• Stage 2 – 55 activities. Growing independence: getting in and out without help, travelling further on the front and back, going fully under, early glides, kicks and rolling between front and back.
• Stage 3 – 68 activities. Moving with confidence: jumping in and getting back to the side, travelling further without aids, confident submersion and breath control, rolling while moving and early arm and leg actions for all four strokes.
• Stage 4 – 82 activities. Recognisable strokes: developing front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke technique, early dolphin kick and butterfly movement, sculling, treading water and stronger aquatic skills.
• Stage 5 – 89 activities. Better, not just further: improving efficiency, breathing timing, rotation and coordination on all four strokes, with turns, underwater push-offs and stronger treading and sculling.
• Stage 6 – 92 activities. Technically stronger swimming: efficient, well-timed strokes with rotation and a good catch, starts, turns and underwater phases, surface dives, floating and pace awareness.
• Stage 7 – 87 activities. Competent, efficient swimmers: consolidating all four strokes, starts, turns and underwater skills, treading, sculling, surface dives and survival skills, with endurance and pace control – ready for club, lifesaving, diving, water polo, artistic or fitness swimming.
• Swimming – Stage 8 – 45 activities. Refining all four strokes: a long, balanced body line, an efficient kick, a better catch and pull and breathing that fits the stroke, with confident push-offs, turns and finishes. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.
• Swimming – Stage 9 – 55 activities. Technique that lasts: rotation and timing on every stroke, a better catch, breathing to both sides, starts and turns linked into swimming, underwater streamline and steady pacing. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.
• Swimming – Stage 10 – 42 activities. Confident, efficient all-round swimmers: technique held over longer swims on all four strokes, individual medley order and changeover turns, starts, turns and finishes as part of a swim, controlled pace and personal challenges. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.
• Diving – Stage 8 – 29 activities. Safe foundations: depth, space and pool rules for diving, controlled feet-first jumps and shapes, body tension and early head-first entries from sitting, kneeling and crouching – only where water depth and pool rules allow. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.
• Diving – Stage 9 – 34 activities. Building control: a balanced stance and controlled take-off, streamlined entries from crouching and lunging, pike and turning jumps, early rotation awareness in the water and confident, controlled surfacing. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.
• Diving – Stage 10 – 28 activities. Introductory diving with control: standing dives with a good entry, jumps with clear shapes and turns, rotation progressions in the water, short linked sequences, and an introduction to springboard approach and take-off only where a specialist diving facility and qualified diving supervision are available. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.
• Water Polo – Stage 8 – 29 activities. Getting started with water polo: head-up swimming, stopping and changing direction, treading and an early eggbeater kick, ball familiarisation, one-handed pick-ups and short passes, played in small, low-contact games. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.
• Water Polo – Stage 9 – 35 activities. Developing control: eggbeater to stay high and stable, passing and receiving on the move, swimming with the ball, introductory shooting, positions and spacing, and simple defending without holding. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.
• Water Polo – Stage 10 – 30 activities. Playing together: accurate passing under light pressure, shooting with lift and follow-through, simple attacking and defending ideas, communication, fair play and safe contact, with the fitness to keep technique in short games. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.
• Artistic Swimming – Stage 8 – 31 activities. Getting started with artistic swimming: body awareness, balanced floating, standard and support sculls, basic body positions, controlled rolls and turns, and moving in time with a partner. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.
• Artistic Swimming – Stage 9 – 35 activities. Developing control: sculling in different positions, body positions with full extension, smooth transitions, controlled submersion and surfacing, rotations and moving to counts. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.
• Artistic Swimming – Stage 10 – 30 activities. Putting it together: linking positions and transitions into short sequences, swimming in patterns, synchronising with a partner or small group, surface presentation and introductory choreography. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.

I have a problem

• Nervous in the water
• Won't put face in water
• Doesn't like water over head
• Struggles to float on back
• Legs sink during back float
• Struggles to float on front
• Cannot recover from float to standing
• Relies heavily on buoyancy aids
• Struggles to travel independently
• Poor body position
• Afraid to let go of the wall
• Scared of jumping in
• Swallows water or comes up coughing
• Won't open eyes underwater
• Kicks from the knees
• Head lifts when swimming on the front
• Hips sink when swimming on the back
• Can't roll between front and back
• Loses streamline on push and glide
• Stops and stands up after a few metres

Recently added activities

• Screw Kick Fixer: Matching Duck Feet – Fixes a screw kick (one foot turned out, the other pointed) by checking both feet poolside, at the wall and then on the move with a float.
• Secret door – Come and join me through the secret door for some cake
• Diving Cool-Down and Reflect – Finish with an easy swim and back float, then each swimmer names their best entry today and the safety rule they used most.
• Move to the Mood – Swimmers listen to two contrasting pieces of music and choose movements that match each mood – slow and flowing or bright and sharp.
• Drive and Receive – An attacker swims a quick 'drive' towards goal to get free of a defender, then turns to receive a pass – learning to create space by moving.
• Every-Stroke Turn Circuit – A rotating circuit of the turn for each stroke – touch turns for breaststroke and butterfly, tumble for front crawl, backstroke turn with flags – so every wall is practised.
• Jump Sequence Relay – Teams perform a sequence of different feet-first jumps one at a time – pencil, star, tuck, turn – scoring for control and safe exits, not speed.
• Wall-Supported Leg Extension – With the hands holding the wall behind, swimmers lift one extended leg towards vertical from a back layout – an introductory, supported version of a leg-lift position.
• Fake and Pass – Pump-fake one way, pass the other – a simple way to move a defender and open a passing lane.
• Easy, Steady, Strong – Swim the same distance at three effort levels and learn what each feels like – easy, steady and strong (never all-out) – so swimmers can choose a pace on purpose.
• Over the Top Entry – Refines the standing dive so the body travels up and over into a steep entry rather than out and flat – aiming the hands at a soft floating target.
• Lines and Diagonals – Groups practise straight lines, diagonals and a V shape, moving between them on counts and checking spacing from poolside.