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Boiling Pot

Kicking on the back, swimmers try to make the water at their toes 'boil' with small bubbling kicks.

Stages
Stage 2
Difficulty
Beginner
Skills
Backward Travel, Back Kick
Equipment
Float, Noodle
Age
4–9 years
Group size
1–12 swimmers
Time
About 3 minutes
In a lesson
Introduction / Warm-up, Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2
Shared by
SwimShare Resource

Safety notes

  • Space swimmers so kicking feet don't hit heads behind.

What it develops

  • Travel about 10 metres on the back
  • Kick on the front and back

How to run it

  1. Swimmers lie on the back with a noodle or float for support.
  2. Kick so the toes just break the surface, making little bubbles like boiling water.
  3. Teacher calls 'simmer' (slow) and 'boil' (fast).
  4. Travel across the width on 'boil'.

Teaching cues

  • Toes just break the surface.
  • Little fast kicks.
  • Tummy up.

Make it easier

  • Sit on the edge and make the pot boil with feet first.

Make it harder

  • No equipment, arms by the sides.
  • Keep boiling for the whole width.

Common faults

  • Knees break the surface instead of toes.
  • No splash at all – feet too deep.

Corrections

  • 'Only your toes are allowed out.'
  • 'Bring your feet up to the top.'

Assistant / L1 role

  • Stand at the swimmers' feet and give each pot a 'temperature' score to keep them focused on the toes.

Helps with