Safe Swimming

Overview

Today students practise core swimming safety and movement skills on land, focusing on staying safe near water, listening to instructions, and using their body safely and efficiently. The lesson links to Te Whāriki by building identity, contributing to wellbeing, and developing communication and participation through movement.

Learning intentions

• WALT explain and practise basic water safety behaviours (listening, buddy checks, and moving safely).
• WALT demonstrate simple body control for swimming readiness (breath control, kicking and “floating” actions on land).
• WALT work cooperatively, taking turns and following safe practices during activities.

Success criteria

• I can name at least 3 safety rules for being near water and tell when to ask for help.
• I can show a controlled kicking action and a safe “float/shape” body position (on land props) with good listening.
• I can demonstrate safe participation: staying with my group/buddy, waiting my turn, and using space responsibly.

Curriculum links

• Te Whāriki Strand: Wellbeing — building safe, confident movement and understanding how to care for self and others.
• Te Whāriki Strand: Contribution — learning to work with others, follow group expectations, and take responsibility.
• Te Whāriki Strand: Communication — using gestures, listening, and simple explanations to share understanding.
• Te Whāriki Strand: Exploration — trying movement skills, noticing what helps, and refining actions.

Lesson structure (60 minutes)

1. 5 min — Warm-up and hook with slides Open with the introduction slides. Students answer a quick question: “What is the safest way to act around water?” Teacher models turn-taking and respectful listening.

2. 8 min — Water safety “signals” on land Teacher introduces 3–4 safety signals (e.g., “freeze”, “look for buddy”, “hands down/ready”, “ask for help”). Practise in small groups while moving safely around markers. Students hold up fingers to indicate how many rules they can recall.

3. 10 min — Breathing and body readiness Set up a station using a mat and a “breath bubble” cue (imagine exhaling slowly through the nose/mouth). Students practise: take a breath on cue, then do slow exhale counts while in a safe crouch/standing “ready” position. Teacher checks technique through observation and brief prompts.

4. 10 min — Kicking practice (on dry land) Use a low hurdle/line and demonstrate two safe kicking actions: gentle flutter-kick at the front of the body and a controlled “kick back” action while seated/lying on mats (as space allows). Students practise in pairs, taking turns with teacher feedback about control and safe spacing.

5. 7 min — Floating “shape” game (on mats/props) Students practise a “tuck–float” or “star shape” (teacher choice based on comfort) using mats and a pool noodle as a prop for guidance. They hold the position for a few seconds, then relax safely. Emphasise: “Stop when you hear my signal.”

6. 8 min — Cooperative challenge: buddy checks With groups, practise a simple routine: buddy faces each other, both confirm the safety signal, then one person demonstrates a movement (kick or shape) while the other watches for the success criteria. Rotate roles after each round.

7. 12 min — Plenary and reflection with slides Return to the introduction slides for the final prompts. Students share one “I learned…” and one “I will do…” relating to water safety and movement. Teacher consolidates the 3 safety behaviours and praises safe teamwork and effort.

Resources

• the introduction slides for hook, modelling cues, and reflection prompts
• the safe swimming worksheet for drawing/short responses (rules + what I practised)
• Mats or a soft landing space for seated/lying balance and kicking practice
• Pool noodle(s) or similar float-shape props for the “floating shape” station
• Cones/spots/tape markers to create safe activity zones
• Timer or countdown device for turns and holds
• Simple buddy-pair arrangement (name cards or classroom grouping list)
• A “freeze/ready/ask for help” visual cue card set (teacher-made)

Assessment

• Teacher observation checklist: safety rule recall, listening behaviours, and safe space management during stations.
• Formative feedback during partner buddy checks: student can explain one safety rule and demonstrate a practised action (kick or shape).
• Worksheet review: student identifies at least 3 safety rules and records one movement they improved.

Differentiation

• Support: provide a smaller number of rules to learn (3 key signals), use hand-under-hand modelling for safe positions, and reduce hold time (e.g., 2–3 seconds).
• Support for SEN: give clear step-by-step verbal cues and consistent station routines; allow extra rest breaks on request.
• Extension: add a “why” question (“Why do we freeze and look for a buddy?”) and ask students to demonstrate control with a longer hold or more consistent exhale counts.
• EAL: allow students to point to pictorial safety cue cards; accept single-word or gesture responses on the worksheet; pair with a supportive buddy.