Backward Travel – swimming activities

Moving backwards through the water, walking or swimming.

Activities

• 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.
• Animal Parade – Swimmers travel like different animals, trying out new ways of moving on the front and back.
• Backwards Noodle Ride – Swimmers lie back with a noodle under their arms and kick backwards – early back kick and back position.
• Boiling Pot – Kicking on the back, swimmers try to make the water at their toes 'boil' with small bubbling kicks.
• Colour Corners – Each corner of the area has a colour and a way of travelling; swimmers race to the called corner using the right skill.
• Distance Ladder – Swimmers climb a ladder of distances without buoyancy aids – 3, 5, 7 and 10 metres – building stamina and independence.
• Dolphin on the Back – Dolphin kick on the back with arms by the sides – swimmers can breathe freely while learning the undulating kick.
• Duckling Line – Swimmers follow the 'mother duck' across the pool on their backs, practising steady back travel in a line.
• Follow the Leader – Swimmers copy a leader's way of moving – an easy way to practise lots of travel skills in one activity.
• Frog Legs on Back – Breaststroke kick on the back, holding a float on the tummy, so swimmers can see their feet turn out.
• Home Base – Swimmers are released a few metres from the wall and make their own way 'home', building confidence to travel without support.
• Island Hopping – Swimmers travel between floating 'islands' without walking, building independent front and back travel over short distances.
• Knee Tray – Swimmers kick on their back holding a float over their knees – if the knees bump the 'tray', they're bending too much.
• Moonwalk – Slow-motion backwards travel using sculling hands – a gentle intro to moving without walking.
• Noodle Chair Paddle – Sitting in a noodle 'chair', swimmers use their hands to move themselves backwards – an early feel for sculling.
• 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.
• Reverse Parking – Swimmers walk backwards to 'park' in a space, building safe backward travel.
• Sculling Boat Race – A head-first race on the back using hands only – builds sculling propulsion and a flat back position.
• Soldier Kicks – Kicking on the back without equipment, arms by the sides like a soldier – a steady, flat backstroke kick.
• Traffic Lights – A travel game where swimmers respond to colour calls – great for warm-ups and forward travel.