Early Years Swimming Games & Skill Cards Pack
Designed for Reception and Early Key Stage 1 swimmers

This resource brings together three engaging, story-led swimming games alongside structured skill cards and clear teaching instructions, designed to support early water confidence and foundational aquatic skills.

Built around playful narratives and memorable characters, each game creates a purposeful learning environment where children develop key skills through exploration, imagination, and repetition.

What’s Included

3 Themed Swimming Games

Desmond the Duck – Water confidence, movement, and group engagement

Dino Explorer Dexter – Submersion, underwater exploration, and object retrieval

Freddie and His Fish – Breath control, diving, and sorting/decision-making

Each game is:

Story-driven to increase engagement

Easily adaptable for different ability levels

Designed for whole-class delivery in shallow water settings

Skill Cards (Progressive & Scaffolded)

Each game is supported by structured skill progressions:

Clear learning intentions for each activity

Step-by-step teaching points

Progressive levels (supported → independent)

Aligned to early years aquatic outcomes (confidence, submersion, movement, object retrieval)

Teaching Instructions

Concise and practical guidance for delivery:

Recommended group size and pool depth

Equipment lists

Organisation and set-up

Safety considerations

Differentiation strategies for nervous and more confident swimmers

Key Learning Outcomes

Develop water confidence and independence

Build early submersion and breath control

Introduce underwater object retrieval

Encourage movement through water using a range of body positions

Foster enjoyment and positive early experiences in the pool

Who It’s For

Reception / Early Years teachers

KS1 swim teachers working with beginners

Schools and swim programmes delivering Learn to Swim pathways

Teachers looking to increase engagement through play-based learning

This pack is designed to fit seamlessly into a structured lesson model, whether used as a focused activity or as part of a broader programme. It combines high-quality teaching with imaginative play to ensure every child has the opportunity to build confidence and progress in the water.