Shape Jumps
Swimmers jump in making different shapes – pencil, star and tuck – learning body control in the air and on landing.
- Stages
- Stage 3
- Difficulty
- Advanced
- Skills
- Water Confidence, Jump Entry
- Equipment
- None
- Age
- 6–12 years
- Group size
- 1–10 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2, Game / Consolidation
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Depth must suit the shape – pencil jumps go deeper.
- Never allow head-first entries in shallow water.
What it develops
- Jump in safely and return to the side
How to run it
- Demonstrate each shape on poolside: pencil (arms by sides, legs together), star (wide), tuck (knees hugged).
- Swimmers jump in with the shape the teacher calls.
- After each jump they return to the side.
- Ask: which shape went deepest? Which stayed near the top?
Teaching cues
- Jump out, not up.
- Hold the shape until you land.
- Swim back to the side.
Make it easier
- Only pencil jumps, with a helper in the water.
- Sitting 'tuck' drop from the edge.
Make it harder
- Change shape in the air (star to pencil).
- Jump with a quarter turn to face the side.
Common faults
- Leaning back and landing on the back.
- Star shape too close to the wall.
Corrections
- 'Look at the teacher, not at your feet.'
- Jump further out before the star.
Assistant / L1 role
- Wait in the water at a safe distance from the landing zone and call out which shape you saw so swimmers get feedback.