Aquatic Breathing – swimming activities

Controlling breathing in and around the water, including breathing out into the water.

Activities

  • Bubble Count – Swimmers blow bubbles for longer and longer counts, progressing from mouth to nose to whole face.
  • Bubble Orchestra – Swimmers make different bubble 'instruments' with their mouth and nose, learning to control how they breathe out.
  • Bubble Trails – Swimmers leave a continuous trail of bubbles behind them as they travel – breathing out while moving, not just standing still.
  • Car Wash – Swimmers drive through a 'car wash' of sprinkled water to get used to water on the head and face.
  • Chin on the Water – Butterfly breathing drill: the chin stays on the water surface as the swimmer breathes forward, early in the pull.
  • Duck Dive for Treasure – Swimmers learn a head-first surface dive to reach sinkers on the pool floor instead of just crouching down.
  • Fishing Net – Two helpers hold a noodle 'net' across the water; the fish must duck fully under it to escape.
  • Handstand Challenge – Swimmers do handstands in shallow water – great for confident submersion, breath control and body awareness.
  • Hot Chocolate – Pretend the pool is a mug of hot chocolate – blow on it to cool it down.
  • Hum and Glide – Swimmers hum steadily through a front push and glide so breathing out becomes part of every glide.
  • Jack-in-the-Box – Rhythmic bobbing: swimmers crouch down, blow bubbles, then spring up – builds breathing rhythm and submersion.
  • Kick and Breathe Sideways – Kicking with a float, swimmers turn the head to the side to breathe instead of lifting it – the first step to front crawl breathing.
  • Motorboats – Holding a float, swimmers 'drive' their motorboat by kicking and blowing bubbles.
  • Noodle Crawl – A noodle under the chest keeps the body high so swimmers can focus on front crawl arms and breathing.
  • Pull and Peek – Breaststroke arms with a small forward breath as the hands sweep in – linking arm action and breathing without lifting too high.
  • Rain Hat – Swimmers pour a cup of water over their own head – giving them control builds confidence fast.
  • Ring of Bubbles – A circle game that combines a rhyme, holding hands and blowing bubbles – ideal for younger groups.
  • Seabed Spotter – A memory game: swimmers look underwater at a group of sinkers and try to remember the colours they saw.
  • Short Underwater Swim – A controlled underwater swim of a few metres through a hoop, breathing out steadily – never a breath-holding challenge.
  • Simon Says – The classic listening game used to sneak in face wetting, bubbles and movement.
  • Sink or Float Experiments – Swimmers test which body shapes and breathing make them float or sink – learning how breath and shape affect buoyancy.
  • Sinker Ladder – Swimmers retrieve sinkers placed at increasing depths – knee, thigh, then waist – so going fully under builds step by step.
  • Sit on the Bottom – Swimmers breathe out steadily to sink and sit on the pool floor – a clear test of controlled exhalation and relaxed submersion.
  • Slow Leak – Swimmers let air out slowly through the nose underwater, like a slow puncture – the exhale they will need for strokes.
  • Spy on the Side – Swimmers 'spy' on the teacher walking alongside by turning to breathe – a game that fixes lifting the head forwards.
  • Streamline Dolphin with Forward Breath – Streamlined dolphin kick on the front, breathing with a low forward lift – rhythm and breathing without the arms.
  • Toy Blowing Race – Swimmers blow a floating toy across the water – develops controlled breathing out with the mouth at the surface.
  • Travelling Bobs – Swimmers bob across the pool – under to breathe out, up to breathe in – building a breathing rhythm for swimming.
  • Treasure Chest Relay – Teams swim out, dive for a sinker 'treasure' and bring it back – combining travel and submersion under light pressure.
  • Treasure Hunt – Swimmers collect sinking 'treasure' from the pool floor – brings submersion in naturally.
  • Under the Bridge – Swimmers duck under a noodle 'bridge' that is lowered a little each time.
  • Underwater Finger Count – Swimmers look underwater to count how many fingers the teacher or partner is holding up.
  • Underwater Humming – Swimmers hum a tune with their face in the water – stops water going up the nose and makes breathing out automatic.
  • Underwater Rock, Paper, Scissors – Pairs play rock, paper, scissors under the water – swimmers must open their eyes and stay under calmly to see who won.
  • Underwater Tea Party – Pairs sit on the pool floor and 'pour tea' for each other – staying down calmly by breathing out slowly.
  • Underwater Word Hunt – Letters on sinkers or laminated cards are scattered on the pool floor; teams collect them to spell a word.
  • Wall Kick Countdown – Holding the wall, swimmers kick with face in for a set count, linking a steady kick with blowing bubbles.
  • Wash Your Face – A simple routine where swimmers scoop water and 'wash' their face, building up one feature at a time.