Swimming Lesson Plans For Beginners

Are you looking for swimming lesson plans for beginners?  Look no further.  Here I give you some sample lesson plans that cover getting used to the water, confidence building and front paddle.  

They are written for children, but can be used across a wide range of age groups.  

These swimming lesson plans for beginners are taken from my best-selling book '101 Swiming Lesson Plans For Swimming Teachers'. 

Starting from first entering the pool, my lesson plans move through the basics of moving through the water, floating, submerging and breathing.  All of which build confidence in beginners learning how to swim.  

Essential Elements That Swimming Lesson Plans For Beginners Must Include

Building water confidence in beginners is essential to making progress, and confidence-building can be broken down into these key areas and included when teaching swimming lessons to beginners:

  • Getting the face wet
  • Partially submerging
  • Breathing
  • Floating
  • Regaining standing
  • Gliding

Lesson Plan: Getting Used To The Water

The first sample swimming lesson plan below aims to get the beginner used to the water.  This will be one of the first swimming lessons that a swimming teacher will teach a complete beginner.

Lesson 2: Getting Used To The Water

Aim: to get used to wetting the face and moving around in the water

Equipment: buoyancy aids, floating toys and watering cans

Exercise/Activity                                                                                

Entry:  swivel or steps entry

Warm up:  

Holding the poolside, bouncing up and down

1. Walking to collect a toy and return it

2. Jumping through the water to collect a toy

3. Splashing water into the air 

4. Pretending to wash the face

5. Blowing a toy across the water surface

6. blowing bubbles at the water surface

Contrasting activity:

Washing hair with a watering can

Holding the poolside and kicking the legs

Exit:

using the pool steps

Teaching Point                         

take your time


slowly at first

take your time

Small jumps

catch the water

wet your hands and wet your face

deep breath and blow

blow gently


close your eyes

splash your feet


take your time

The full lesson plan including timings is in the image below.  

For a full set of 101 swimming lesson plans, click here. 

getting used to the water swimming lesson plan for beginners

Lesson Plan: Confidence Building

The next sample swimming lesson plan for beginners below, aims to develop confidence by introducing breathing and submerging. 

Lesson 4: Confidence Building

Aim: develop confidence by introducing breathing and submerging

Equipment: buoyancy aids, floating toys and sinkers

Exercise/Activity                                                                                

Entry:  swivel or steps entry

Warm up:  

Holding the poolside and kicking the legs

1. Holding the poolside blowing bubbles

2. Cupping water in the hands and pretending to wash the face

3. Breath holding and submerging the mouth and nose

4. kicking legs and blowing bubbles (holding the poolside, assisted or with buoyancy aids)

5. Kicking with buoyancy aids to collect a toy (with assistance)

6. kicking and blowing a toy across the water surface

Contrasting activity:

Assisted sitting dive, face up (with buoyancy aids and/or assistance from teacher or assistant)

Submerging to collect an object

Exit:

using the pool steps

Teaching Point                         

take your time


slash your feet

blow gently

wash your face

deep breath and hold it all in

kick and blow


floppy feet

kick and blow gently


lay your chin on the water

eyes open


take your time

confidence building swimming lesson plan for beginners

The full lesson plan including timings is in the image below.  

For a full set of 101 swimming lesson plans, click here. 

Lesson Plan: Front Paddle

The next sample lesson plan for beginners aims to learn the basic movements needed to swim front paddle. 

Lesson 4: Front Paddle

Aim: to learn the basic movements needed for front paddle

Equipment: buoyancy aids and sinkers

Exercise/Activity                                                                                

Entry:  swivel or steps entry

Warm up:  

2 widths with buoyancy aids (assisted if necessary)

1. Push and glide with a woggle

2. Sitting on the poolsdie edge kicking

3. Kicking using a float under each arm

4. standing on the poolside practicing arm movements

5. walking through the water using arm actions

6. walking through the water using arm and blowing bubbles

Contrasting activity:

Supine star float

Submerging to collect a toy or object

Exit:

using the pool steps

Teaching Point                         

take your time


slash your feet

push off like a rocket

point your toes

floppy feet

reach and pull


fingers together

blow gently as you pull


relax and stretch out

deep breath and stretch down


take your time

The full lesson plan including timings is in the image below.  

For a full set of 101 swimming lesson plans, click here. 

front paddle swimming lesson plan for beginners

Need more swimming lesson plans for beginners like these ones?

Below is my best-selling book 101 Swimming Lesson Plans for Swimming Teachers.  Inside you will find many more lesson plans like the ones listed above, plus every plan you will need to teach the four basic swimming strokes. 

Download your copy today!

Ready-Made Plans to Download and Print

Teaching swimming lesson plans pdf

Ready-made lesson plans for swimming teachers that take the hard work out of planning.

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