Treasure Hunt
Swimmers collect sinking 'treasure' from the pool floor – brings submersion in naturally.
- Stages
- Stage 1
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Water Confidence, Aquatic Breathing, Submersion
- Equipment
- Sinkers, Hoops
- Age
- 4–11 years
- Group size
- 1–12 swimmers
- Time
- About 6 minutes
- In a lesson
- Introduction / Warm-up, Game / Consolidation
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Keep all treasure in standing depth.
- Avoid crowding over the same piece of treasure.
What it develops
- Be comfortable with water over the head
- Blow bubbles with mouth and nose in the water
How to run it
- Scatter sinkers across the pool floor in standing depth.
- Swimmers pick up treasure with their feet, then hands, then by putting their face in.
- Bring the treasure back to a 'treasure chest' (a float or hoop).
- Count the treasure at the end – all together, not competitive.
Teaching cues
- Blow out as you go down.
- Open your eyes to find the treasure.
- Bend your knees to go down – 'sit' to the floor.
Make it easier
- Use toys that float just below the surface.
- Pick up with feet only.
Make it harder
- Deeper sinkers.
- Collect two pieces of treasure on one breath.
Common faults
- Bending over with legs straight and head down.
- Closing eyes tight.
Corrections
- 'Sit down to reach the treasure.'
- Ask them to tell you the colour of the treasure before they grab it.
Assistant / L1 role
- Guide a nervous swimmer to treasure near the surface and hold their hand while they reach for it.