Swimming – Stage 8 swimming activities

Refining all four strokes: a long, balanced body line, an efficient kick, a better catch and pull and breathing that fits the stroke, with confident push-offs, turns and finishes. Outcomes are SwimShare focus areas.

Swimming · 45 activities.

Outcomes

Front crawl: long body line with breathing timed to the pull
Backstroke: steady head, continuous kick and in-line entry
Breaststroke: symmetrical kick with a controlled glide
Butterfly: body wave and two-kick rhythm over short distances
Streamlined push-offs, turns and finishes
Relaxed sculling and treading
Notice stroke count and keep a long stroke
Swim continuously with good technique

Activities

Backstroke Hip Lift – Kick on the back with a float held on the tummy, pressing the hips up to the float – a simple way to feel a high, flat backstroke position.
Backstroke Streamline Kick-Out – A tight streamline off the wall on the back, head between the arms, then kick to the surface – fixing the head-up, arms-apart push-off.
Basic Sculling Control – Small, continuous figure-of-eight hand movements that hold the body still on the back, then move it head-first – the foundation skill for swimming, water polo and artistic swimming.
Bend and Push – The backstroke underwater arm bends and then pushes the water down to the thigh – a stronger, safer catch than a straight-arm sweep.
Body Wave Glide – From a streamlined glide, swimmers make a gentle wave from chest to toes – the movement that drives dolphin kick and butterfly.
Breaststroke Streamline Kick Count – Breaststroke kick with arms in streamline, counting kicks per width – a powerful, well-finished kick means fewer kicks.
Breaststroke Timing Calls – Teacher calls 'pull – kick – glide' as swimmers swim, then fades the calls so swimmers keep the rhythm themselves.
Breath Window Check – Partners watch for 'one goggle in, one goggle out' as the swimmer breathes, turning a common fault into something swimmers can see and fix themselves.
Breathe with the Pull – Timing drill: the head starts to turn as that arm begins to push back, and returns as the arm recovers.
Butterfly Stand-Up Arms – Rehearse the butterfly arm path standing chest-deep, then lean forward and try two strokes – so the recovery clears the water before it's swum.
Canoe Scull – Sculling on the front with hands under the hips – supports a flat front position and builds feel for the water.
Continuous Mixed-Stroke Swim – A steady continuous swim changing stroke every length or width, building distance while each stroke stays recognisable.
Cool-Down Float and Stretch – A calm finish: easy swim, gentle floating and simple stretches in the water, with a quick recap of the lesson aim.
Doggy Paddle Catch – Front crawl with the arms recovering under the water, so swimmers can concentrate on catching and pressing water back in front of the face.
Easy Choice Swim – Easy continuous swimming on a stroke of the swimmer's choice – a warm-up or calm finish that builds distance without pressure.
Finish on a Full Stroke – Practise arriving at the wall at full stretch – no gliding in, no tiny extra stroke – with the right touch for each stroke.
Focus Point Swim – Each length has one focus – head, kick, reach, breathing – so swimmers practise thinking about their own technique.
Kick Variety Warm-Up – Widths of front crawl, backstroke, breaststroke and dolphin kick with a float or in streamline – wakes the legs up and checks kick technique.
Kickboard-Depth Kicks – Front crawl kick kept within the depth of a float: small, fast, from the hips, with relaxed ankles – a cure for big, slow knee kicks.
Lead-Arm Balance Kick – Kick on the side with the lower arm stretched forward and the head resting on it, to find the long, balanced line front crawl is built on.
Left, Right, Both – Two single-arm butterfly strokes (left then right) followed by one full stroke – keeps rhythm while building strength and timing.
Mirror Feet Kick – Breaststroke kick at the wall while a partner watches both feet like a mirror – are they doing exactly the same thing at the same time?
Narrow Kick Through the Gate – Breaststroke kick between two noodles held as a 'gate' at hip width, so knees stay narrow and the feet do the work.
One-Arm Front Crawl – Single-arm front crawl with the other arm stretched forward, breathing to the side of the working arm, to isolate entry, catch, pull and rotation.
Opposite Arms – As one hand enters, the other leaves the water at the thigh – continuous backstroke arms with no pause.
Pull, Breathe, Kick, Glide – The breaststroke timing progression: arms first, breathe, then kick, then glide – built step by step to full stroke.
Push, Glide, Kick, Break Out – A short, controlled underwater push-off: streamline, a few kicks, then rise gently into the first stroke.
Relaxed Treading Ladder – Tread water for short, relaxed rounds that gradually lengthen, with rests at the wall – building efficient treading rather than a test of endurance.
Show Your Shoulder – Front crawl where swimmers roll enough for one shoulder to break the surface each stroke – easier breathing and a longer reach.
Six-Kick Switch – Six kicks on one side, one stroke to roll through to the other side – teaches rotation and breathing without stopping the kick.
Spear Entry – Hands enter fingertips-first in front of the shoulder, then extend forward under the water – fixes slapping and overreaching.
Streamline Off Every Wall – During normal swimming, every push-off becomes a streamline check – partners score walls, so streamlining becomes a habit, not a drill.
Streamline Turn Relay – A relay where teams earn points for streamlined push-offs and tidy turns, not for finishing first.
Streamlined Back Kick – Back kick with arms locked in a streamline above the head – a long, high body position and a steady kick from the hip.
Stroke Count Challenge – Swimmers count strokes per width, then try to take fewer while keeping the same effort – rewards efficiency, not speed.
Stroke Sampler Warm-Up – An easy warm-up of one width of each stroke with a single focus each – loosens up and lets the teacher see everyone's strokes.
Three-and-Three Backstroke – Three strokes with the right arm, three with the left, then full stroke – breaks backstroke into pieces while keeping the rotation going.
Three-Stroke Breathing Ladder – A step-by-step route to comfortable breathing to both sides: breathe every two, then mix in every three, then every three for a whole length.
Tight Streamline Test – Pairs check each other's streamline – locked hands, squeezed ears, pointed toes – then test it on front, side and back push-offs.
Torpedo Scull – On the back with arms stretched above the head, swimmers scull to travel feet-first – a demanding, precise scull.
Tumble Turn at the Wall – From the forward roll to a front crawl tumble turn: roll, feet to the wall, push on the back, rotate to the front.
Two Kicks, One Pull – An extra kick between arm strokes – forces swimmers to separate kick and pull and to glide in a streamline.
Two Stars and a Wish Cool-Down – An easy cool-down swim followed by each swimmer naming two things that went well and one thing to work on next time.
Two-Kick Rhythm – Butterfly timing: one kick as the hands enter, one as they push past the hips – the rhythm that makes the stroke flow.
Vertical Dolphin Kick – Dolphin kick upright in deep water, holding a noodle, so swimmers feel the kick start from the chest and hips rather than the knees.