Rescue the Teddy
Swimmers travel on the front to rescue a floating toy, then bring it home on their back – combining front and back travel.
- Stages
- Stage 2
- Difficulty
- Developing
- Skills
- Forward Travel, Backward Travel, Rotation, Back Kick
- Equipment
- Noodle, Floating Toys
- Age
- 4–9 years
- Group size
- 2–10 swimmers
- Time
- About 5 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2, Game / Consolidation
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Swimmers travelling back can't see – keep lanes clear.
What it develops
- Travel about 10 metres on the front
- Travel about 10 metres on the back
- Roll from front to back and back to front
How to run it
- Place floating toys a few metres from the wall.
- Swimmers travel on their front to reach a toy.
- They hug it on their chest, lie back and kick back to the wall.
- Put the teddy 'safe' on poolside and go again.
Teaching cues
- Front out, back home.
- Hug the teddy, lie back.
- Keep kicking.
Make it easier
- Toys closer to the wall.
- Wear a noodle for the back travel.
Make it harder
- Toys further away.
- Roll onto the back without standing up.
Common faults
- Standing up to turn around.
- Sitting up on the back to see the wall.
Corrections
- Allow a stand to turn at first, then challenge them to turn without standing.
- Tell them you'll say when the wall is near.
Assistant / L1 role
- Stand by the toys and help swimmers turn onto their backs, giving a hand under the shoulders until they are floating.