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Technique Treasure Hunt

Cards around the pool edge each hold a technique task; swimmers find a card, do the task well and collect a treasure token.

Stages
Stage 4, Stage 5, Stage 6
Difficulty
Developing
Skills
Coordination
Equipment
Float, Sinkers
Age
7–14 years
Group size
4–16 swimmers
Time
About 8 minutes
In a lesson
Game / Consolidation
Shared by
SwimShare Resource

Safety notes

  • Keep tasks within the swimmers' depth and space cards apart.

What it develops

  • Build continuous swimming distance
  • Swim with fewer, longer strokes
  • Improve stroke efficiency on all strokes

How to run it

  1. Place task cards around the pool (e.g. '6 kicks on the side, switch', '3 good breaststroke kicks').
  2. Swimmers travel to a card and complete the task.
  3. If done well, they take a token (sinker or sticker).
  4. Collect as many different tasks as possible.

Teaching cues

  • Read the card.
  • Do it well.
  • Then collect.

Make it easier

  • Simpler cards; pairs work together.
  • Floats allowed.

Make it harder

  • Cards with two linked skills.
  • Swimmers create a card for others.

Common faults

  • Rushing tasks to collect more.
  • Crowding at the same card.

Corrections

  • Tokens only for good technique.
  • Give each swimmer a starting card to spread out.

Assistant / L1 role

  • Stand at the hardest task card and judge whether it was done well.