Sleeping Starfish
A relaxed back float in a wide star shape – the go-to activity for building back floating.
- Stages
- Stage 1
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Skills
- Water Confidence, Buoyancy, Back Float
- Equipment
- None, Float, Noodle
- Age
- 3–99 years
- Group size
- 1–10 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2, Recap / Safe Exit
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Teach recovery from the back before removing support.
- Keep water calm; waves can wash over the face.
What it develops
- Float on the back with support
- Return to standing from a float
How to run it
- Swimmers stand with a noodle under the arms or with assistant support under the shoulders.
- Gently lean back until the ears are in the water and look at the ceiling.
- Push the tummy up and let arms and legs spread into a star.
- 'Sleep' for a count of 5, breathing normally.
- Wake up: chin to chest, knees forward, sit and stand.
Teaching cues
- Ears in, eyes on the ceiling.
- Tummy up to the sky.
- Breathe normally – sleeping starfish snore!
Make it easier
- Head supported on a float like a pillow.
- Assistant supports under the head and upper back.
Make it harder
- No equipment.
- Starfish to pencil and back again while floating.
Common faults
- Chin on chest, lifting the head to look.
- Hips dropping into a sitting position.
Corrections
- Stick a toy on the ceiling-view or name something on the ceiling to look at.
- 'Push your belly button up to the sky.'
Assistant / L1 role
- Work with one or two nervous swimmers in the water, supporting under the shoulders and reducing support as confidence improves.