Clock Face Turns
Swimmers turn on the spot to face 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock, learning to turn their body around in the water with control.
- Stages
- Stage 2
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Skills
- Water Confidence, Rotation, Sculling
- Equipment
- Noodle
- Age
- 4–9 years
- Group size
- 1–12 swimmers
- Time
- About 3 minutes
- In a lesson
- Introduction / Warm-up
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Keep swimmers spaced so turning arms don't hit neighbours.
What it develops
- Roll from front to back and back to front
How to run it
- Tell swimmers the pool is a clock: 12 is the teacher, 6 is behind them.
- Standing with shoulders under, they turn to face the time you call, using their arms to scoop.
- Progress: sit in a noodle chair with feet off the floor and turn using hands only.
- Finish with a full clock – one complete turn.
Teaching cues
- Shoulders under.
- Scoop the water to turn.
- Keep your feet up (noodle chair).
Make it easier
- Turn standing, holding a noodle.
- Only 12 and 6.
Make it harder
- Turn while floating on the back.
- Turn with no noodle, feet off the floor.
Common faults
- Walking round instead of turning.
- Arms flapping on the surface.
Corrections
- 'Feet stay on one spot.'
- Hands stay under the water.
Assistant / L1 role
- Stand at 12 o'clock as the fixed point so swimmers always know where 'the top' of the clock is.