Start in a deeper part of the pool where your child can stand with their head above water. Ask him to raise his feet and kick his legs quickly, keeping his toes straight, to help him stay in place. Encourage him to use his hands to propel himself upwards, reminding him to squeeze his fingers tight!

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2. Activity – Make figures

This exercise combines balance, movement and imagination to make your child an aquatic acrobat. It consists of executing the following figures without sinking.

Ask your child to lie on their back with their pelvis straight, so their ears are under water and their stomach is above the surface. Ask him to make a figure in the shape of a star, extending his arms and legs; he must then bring his legs together and extend his arms on each side of his head while keeping his balance, in order to look like a rocket. Invent new tricks and have fun!

Once the movements are mastered, start again by asking your child to lie on his stomach on the surface of the water.

3. Activity – Go Underwater

Learning to scuba dive can be a little intimidating, but this activity will help your child gain confidence so that they are not afraid to dive. First, throw poles and pool rings into the water. Wearing goggles, your child must bend their knees and put their head underwater to search for them at the bottom of the pool. Encourage him to use both hands to grab the pool poles and bring several at a time.

Once he’s confident, have him repeat the activity without goggles to see how many sticks he can collect.

Sea Squad Aid: Swimming Goggles, Pool Poles, Pool Rings

4. Activity – First Dive

Now that your child is ready to dive, remind him of the method to use (put on the goggles, dive into the water, grab the objects and keep them in hand) to help him master this technique.

In a part of the pool where the water comes up to your child’s shoulders, invite him to put on his swimming goggles. Have him stand with his back to the pool wall, arms stretched up and hands clasped.

By leaning forward, your child can enter the water and propel themselves towards the bottom, pushing their pelvis towards the surface of the water, helping the head and hands to submerge. His arms should be placed on either side of his ears when he propels himself towards the bottom of the pool to grab a pool toy; grabbing it with both hands, your child then uses leg movements to rise to the surface.

Sea Squad Aid: Swimming Goggles, Pool Poles, Pool Rings

5. Activity – Front crawl legs – 10 meters

This activity allows children to perfect their leg movements, which are essential for the front crawl technique. The trick is not to splash around!

Getting on their stomach at the surface of the water, your child should stretch their arms forward and grab the edge of a Minikick floating board. Before beginning to kick the legs, he should keep them straight and together, keeping the toes straight and the ankles relaxed. Encourage your child to look straight ahead and use leg kicks to move through the water.

Sea Squad Brigade Aid: Minikick Board, Swimming Goggles

6. Activity – Crawl with one arm and leg kick

Now that your child has mastered the leg kick, it’s time to introduce the arm technique.

Your child should adopt the same position, holding on to a Minikick board in front of him, with his face submerged and his pelvis and chest straight. He must then lower one arm under the water and use it to “pull” himself forward, pushing the water towards the feet during each movement of the legs.

Encourage your child to inhale sideways as they lift their elbow and arm out of the water. To advance further, he must keep his fingers together, the palm of the hand facing forward, and plunge the face and the hand and the whole arm back into the water, making sure that the thumb enters the water first.

Continue like this and try to make him swim ten meters each time.

Sea Squad Brigade Aid: Minikick Board, Swimming Goggles

7. Activity – Crawl with arm and leg movements – 10 meters

You are almost there! This time, your child can use both arms to do the crawl, without a Minikick board. Start by laying your child on their stomach, on the surface of the water, with their pelvis straight and their legs straight and together.

While doing leg kicks, your child uses their arms to “pull” themselves forward, taking their elbows and arms out of the water before plunging them back in, thumb first and palm hand facing forward. He must also turn his head to the side to breathe every two leg movements and continue to move forward to reach the 10 meter mark.

Sea Squad Aid: Swim Goggles

8. Activity – Backstroke with leg strokes only – 10 meters

Activity 8. Kick-only backstroke – 10 meters Unlike the front crawl, you cannot see where you are going when doing the backstroke. So explain to your child that he will have to be careful not to run into the edges of the pool or other swimmers !

To start, your child should lay on their back and hug a Minikick against their stomach, using both arms. He should stand up straight and stretch his legs as much as possible. To help him swim straight, have him look up at the ceiling for a landmark (like a row of tiles) and follow it as he moves. Now ask her to start kicking, reminding her to straighten her toes and keep her legs straight.

Sea Squad Brigade Aid: Minikick Board, Swimming Goggles

9. Activity – Backstroke with one arm and leg kick – 10 meters

This activity teaches your child how to “mill” their arms, an essential skill for the backstroke technique.

Your child must swim on their back while hugging a Minikick against them, using only one arm. The next step is to lift the other arm out of the water, thumb first, and hold it straight, alongside the body.

The arm comes to rise vertically, your child must then turn the palm of his hand towards the feet, then plunge his arm back into the water, starting with the little finger. He can then raise his arm so that it is once again alongside the body, having made a 360° circular movement. Repeat this circular movement and encourage your child to “do the mill” as well as leg kicks for 10 meters.

Sea Squad Aid: Swim Goggles, Minikick Board

10. Activity – Full backstroke with both arms – 10 meters

Swimming a windmill is easy! Think of what you can accomplish using both arms! Explain to your child that the backstroke is a fun technique because he will move quickly and in a straight line if he uses both arms.

Invite your child to lie on their back on the surface of the water, keeping their legs straight, their toes straight, their chest straight and looking up at the ceiling. Ask him to “mill” one arm at a time, making sure the movement is as smooth as possible. Once one arm dips back into the water, the other arm comes out so your child rocks slightly from side to side as they swim. Practice until he hits the 10 meter mark.

Sea Squad Aid: Swim Goggles

Congratulations, your child has completed the third level of our Learn to Swim program! Keep practicing and having fun in the water, so your little swimmer can benefit from what he’s learned in the future.

Want to get more activities and games? Read Learn to Swim: Level Three – Games and Activities for more water activities.

Discover the three levels of our Speedo Learn to Swim program:

Level One – Start wading. Introduce your baby to water for the first time, and build their confidence with fun activities, songs and gentle movements.

Level Two – Begin to swim. Help your child learn to swim in water, and build swimming skills through games and activities to build swimming confidence.

Level Three – Gain Confidence! Encourage your little swimmer to develop their swimming skills with fun challenges focusing on underwater swimming, front crawl and backstroke technique.