Across the River Relay
A team relay across a 'river' zone where feet must not touch the floor – everyone gets their feet up and travels independently.
- Stages
- Stage 2
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Skills
- Water Confidence, Forward Travel, Backward Travel
- Equipment
- Float, Noodle
- Age
- 4–10 years
- Group size
- 4–14 swimmers
- Time
- About 6 minutes
- In a lesson
- Game / Consolidation
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
- Rating
- 1.0 out of 5 from 1 rating
Safety notes
- Keep the river in standing depth.
- Stagger starts so swimmers don't collide.
What it develops
- Travel about 10 metres on the front
- Travel about 10 metres on the back
How to run it
- Mark a 'river' across the middle of the teaching area with two noodles.
- Teams line up at the wall. Swimmers walk to the river bank, then cross the river with feet off the floor.
- Any travel is allowed: front, back, paddling, kicking.
- Tag the next swimmer, who then crosses.
Teaching cues
- Feet up in the river.
- Choose front or back.
- Keep going until the other bank.
Make it easier
- Narrow river.
- Swimmers may carry a float across.
Make it harder
- Widen the river.
- Everyone must cross on their back.
Common faults
- Tiptoeing along the bottom.
- Rushing and swallowing water.
Corrections
- The river has 'crocodiles' on the floor – feet up!
- Reward the smoothest crossing, not the fastest.
Assistant / L1 role
- Stand in the middle of the river and be ready to support any swimmer who stops mid-crossing.