Underwater Tea Party
Pairs sit on the pool floor and 'pour tea' for each other – staying down calmly by breathing out slowly.
- Stages
- Stage 3
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Aquatic Breathing, Submersion
- Equipment
- None, Sinkers
- Age
- 5–11 years
- Group size
- 2–12 swimmers
- Time
- About 4 minutes
- In a lesson
- Introduction / Warm-up, Game / Consolidation
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Shallow water only; watch every pair surface.
- No competitive breath-holding.
What it develops
- Submerge confidently and retrieve objects
- Breathe out in a controlled way underwater
How to run it
- Pairs face each other in shallow water.
- Together they breathe out and sink to sit on the floor.
- They mime pouring and sipping tea, then come up for air.
- Challenge: how many sips can you take before coming up?
Teaching cues
- Breathe out to sink.
- Slow bubbles to stay down.
- Push up to finish.
Make it easier
- Crouch with just the head under.
- Tea party with the teacher.
Make it harder
- Tea party with three guests in a circle.
- Pass a sinker 'teacup' between guests.
Common faults
- Floating up because breath is held.
- Pinching the nose.
Corrections
- 'Let the air out and the floor will catch you.'
- Hum instead of holding the nose.
Assistant / L1 role
- Host the tea party for a swimmer who isn't yet happy to sit on the bottom, going down together.