Teaching a Child to Swim: A Simple 5-Step Guide for Parents

By Mark Young

The best way to teach a child to swim is in short, playful sessions and five small steps: getting happy in the water, putting the face in, kicking, floating, then a first stroke like doggy paddle. Keep it fun, stay within arm's reach, and finish before they get cold or tired.

I've taught thousands of children to swim, and the ones who learn fastest are rarely the bravest. They're the ones who are having so much fun they forget they're learning. You don't need to be a swimming teacher to give your child that. You just need a plan, a few games and a bit of patience.

10 Free Pool Games to Get You Started

Ten of my favourite games for helping children feel happy in the water, put their face in and start to kick. No equipment needed for most of them.

Get the 10 free games

Before you start: keeping your child safe

• Stay within arm's reach of your child the whole time, even with armbands or a float.
• Buoyancy aids help with learning. They are not life jackets and never replace you watching.
• Choose a pool with a shallow area or a teaching pool, and a lifeguard on duty.
• Keep sessions short: 15 to 20 minutes for toddlers, up to 30 minutes for older children.
• Stop when they're cold, tired or upset. Ending on a happy note matters more than one more go.

The 5 steps to teaching your child to swim

Every child moves through these steps at their own speed. Spend as long as you need on each one, and go back a step whenever your child gets worried. That isn't going backwards. It's how confidence is built.

Step 1: Happy in the water

Goal: your child enjoys being in the water with you.

• Sit on the side together and splash your feet.
• Walk, hop and bounce through the shallow water holding hands.
• Pour water over their arms and shoulders with a cup or watering can.

A game to play: Treasure hunt. Float a few toys and race to collect them, then let your child throw them out for you.
What to say: "Big splashes!" "Can you walk like a giant?"
Ready to move on when your child gets in happily and wants to play.

Step 2: Face in and bubbles

Goal: happy with water on the face, and able to blow bubbles.

• Start at bath time. Blowing bubbles in the bath is the easiest way to begin.
• Blow a ping-pong ball or small toy across the water.
• Put the mouth in and blow, then the mouth and nose, then the whole face. Do it together so they can copy you.
• Goggles help a lot. Seeing underwater takes away much of the fear.

A game to play: Motorboats. Blow bubbles with your lips in the water to make engine noises, and "drive" across the pool.
What to say: "Hum like a motorboat." "Can you tickle your nose with bubbles?"
Ready to move on when they put their face in and blow bubbles without rushing to wipe their eyes.

Step 3: Kicking

Goal: kick their legs to move along, with support.

• Sit on the poolside and kick to make splashes.
• Hold the side, or your hands, and kick with long legs.
• Kick along holding a float or noodle while you walk backwards in front of them. Most children love this step, because they can see their kicking moves them.

A game to play: Splash the parent. The bigger their kicks, the wetter you get.
What to say: "Long legs." "Floppy feet." "Kick from your hips."
Ready to move on when they kick themselves along on a float for a few metres.

Step 4: Floating and standing up

Goal: float on the front and back, and stand up again on their own.
Teach standing up first. A child who knows they can get their feet back down relaxes, and a relaxed body floats much more easily.

• Standing up from the front: knees to the chest, push both arms down, lift the head, feet down.
• Standing up from the back: chin to the chest, sit like you're in a chair, feet down.
• Star shapes on the front and back, with your hands under them at first.

Some children float more easily than others. That's to do with body shape, not effort, so praise the relaxing, not the result.

A game to play: Starfish and statues. Make a star shape in the water, then stand up as still as a statue when you call "statues!"
What to say: "Tummy up to the sky." "Be as floppy as spaghetti."
Ready to move on when they float for a few seconds and stand up without grabbing you.

Step 5: Doggy paddle, then a first stroke

Goal: move through the water on their own.

Doggy paddle is the perfect first stroke for young children. The legs kick, and the arms reach forward and pull back one at a time, like a dog swimming. It keeps the head up, so they can see and breathe easily. Front crawl and breaststroke are a lot to ask of a three or four-year-old, so there's no rush.

Start with a noodle or float and let them paddle to you over a short distance. Then step back a little each time.

A game to play: Catch me. Stand a short way away and let them paddle to you. Step back a little further each time they reach you.
What to say: "Reach and pull, like a puppy." "Kick, kick, kick."
Ready to move on when they paddle a few metres on their own. Now they're ready to start learning front crawl, and lessons with a qualified teacher are often the quickest way.

60 games that teach your child to swim

Teach Your Child To Swim gives you 60 pool games, each one marked for how confident your child needs to be, from nervous beginner to adventurous swimmer. Every game teaches a real skill: getting the face in, blowing bubbles, floating, kicking or staying safe. Your child just thinks they're playing.

What to expect at each age

Every child is different, so treat this as a rough guide, not a deadline.

Age	What to aim for	Session length
Under 3	Happy in the water with you: splashing, kicking, bubbles, songs and games	15 to 20 minutes
3 to 4	Face in, kicking with a float, jumping in to you, doggy paddle with an aid	20 to 30 minutes
5 to 6	Floating, push and glide, doggy paddle on their own, first front crawl kicks	Around 30 minutes
7 and over	Learning proper strokes: front crawl, backstroke and breaststroke	30 minutes or more

Wondering when to start? Read my answer to what is the best age to learn swimming.

Useful equipment for teaching a child to swim

You don't need much. A noodle and a float cover most of the steps above. Armbands and discs give more support but stop the arms moving freely, so move on from them as soon as your child is confident. From about age five, a Swimfin or a swim vest gives support while leaving the arms free to learn a stroke.

My top recommendations:

For more details about the best swimming aids for kids, click here. 

Common questions from parents

Can a parent really teach their own child to swim?
Yes, especially the early steps. Children often listen to a teacher more readily than a parent, so if your child is very nervous or you feel stuck, lessons with a qualified teacher can help. Many families do both: lessons once a week, and playing in the pool together in between.

How do I get my child to put their face in without upsetting them?
Go slowly and never force it. Start in the bath, then the mouth in the water, then the mouth and nose. Do it alongside them so they can copy you, and give them goggles so they can see.

How long does it take a child to learn to swim?
Some children swim a short distance within a few months; for many it takes a year or more. The biggest difference is how often they're in the water. The more often they swim, the faster they learn.

Is doggy paddle a bad habit?
No. It's the easiest stroke for young children and a great step towards front crawl.

Should my child wear armbands?
They're fine for the first steps, as long as you stay within arm's reach. Move on to a noodle or SwimFin as soon as your child is confident, so their arms can move freely.

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