Shapes
Swimmers make body shapes in the water – star, pencil, ball – to explore buoyancy and body position.
- Stages
- Stage 1
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Skills
- Buoyancy, Front Float, Back Float, Streamlining
- Equipment
- None, Noodle
- Age
- 4–99 years
- Group size
- 1–12 swimmers
- Time
- About 4 minutes
- In a lesson
- Skill Development 1, Skill Development 2, Recap / Safe Exit
- Shared by
- SwimShare Resource
Safety notes
- Swimmers must be able to recover to standing or have support before trying shapes without the wall.
What it develops
- Float on the front with support
- Float on the back with support
How to run it
- Show the shapes on poolside first: star (arms and legs wide), pencil (long and thin), ball (knees hugged in).
- In the water, swimmers make each shape holding a noodle or the wall.
- Call shapes in a random order; hold each for a count of 3.
- Talk about which shape feels most 'floaty'.
Teaching cues
- Stretch really long in pencil.
- Wide and relaxed in star.
- Stay calm – breathe out slowly.
Make it easier
- Do shapes standing up, with only the arms.
- Assistant supports under the shoulders.
Make it harder
- Make shapes on the front with face in.
- Change shape without putting feet down.
Common faults
- Tensing up and holding breath.
- Head lifting high out of the water.
Corrections
- Ask swimmers to hum while holding the shape.
- Give a visual target: 'look at the ceiling' (back) or 'look at the floor' (front).
Assistant / L1 role
- Support swimmers under the shoulders or hips for back and front shapes, reducing support as they relax.