Swim Kids

Red Cross Swim Kids

A 10 level program for kids 6 years and older. This program for school aged children will help swimmers develop all six swimming strokes (front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, breast stroke, butterfly and sidestroke). Swimmers will learn how to be safe around the water, and increase their fitness levels and endurance through fun activities. Children will be challenged to achieve personal bests in distance and time, which will be a strong motivator through all 10 levels.

Red Cross Swim Kids Level 1

This is the entry level for those who didn’t take the Red Cross Swim Preschool Lessons. This level provides an orientation to water and the pool area. It introduces floats, glides with kicks and children will build their endurance by improving distance.

Red Cross Swim Kids Level 2

A second orientation level which helps the child build skills in front and back swims. Children are introduced to deep water activities and proper use of a PFD. Endurance is built on flutter kicking with assisted glides.

Red Cross Swim Kids Level 3

The level provides an introduction to front crawl as well the foundation for making wise choices on where and when to swim. Diving is introduced and children will work on floats and changing direction. Endurance is achieved by building strength in flutter kick and a 15 meter swim.

Red Cross Swim Kids Level 4

The front crawl, back glide and shoulder roll for back crawl are further developed. Children work on kneeling dives, surface support and developing a greater sense of self-safety by understanding their own limits. Endurance is built through a 25 meter swim.

Red Cross Swim Kids Level 5

Back crawl is introduced, along with sculling skills and whip kick on back. Children try stride dives and receive an introduction to safe boating skills. Endurance is developed through dolphin kick and a 50 meter swim.

Red Cross Swim Kids Level 6

Front and back crawl continue to be refined as the elementary backstroke is introduced. Children are also introduced to safety on ice, elementary rescue of others with throwing assists, treading water and the front dive. Endurance is built through a 75 meter swim.

Red Cross Swim Kids Level 7

Level 7 continues to build skills and endurance for front crawl, back crawl and elementary backstroke and introduces whip kick on front. Children learn about airway and breathing obstructions and participate in timed treading water to increase endurance along with a 150 meter swim.

Red Cross Swim Kids Level 8

Level 8 provides an introduction to breaststroke, foot first surface dives and rescue entries. Children learn about the dangers of open water, hypothermia and the performance of rescue breathing on children and adults. Endurance is built on the dolphin kick and a 300 meter swim.

Red Cross Swim Kids Level 9

Front crawl, back crawl, elementary backstroke, breaststroke continue to be refined. In this level children are encouraged to try combining different strokes and kicks for fitness. They also work on head first surface dives, shallow dives and learn about wise choices, peer influences and self rescue from ice.  Endurance is built through a 400 meter swim.

Red Cross Swim Kids Level 10

Further refinement in strokes, with an introduction to butterfly and scissor kick. Children learn about sun safety, rescue of others from ice and continue development on surface dives. Endurance is built using dolphin kick and butterfly drills and a 500 meter swim.

Parent Information Sheet

Learn all about what your child will learn in their swimming level, what things you can do as a parent to assist and more. Click on the level, a PDF file will open and you can choose to read or print.

Links

Program Level Registration Guide

Participant Requirements Level
4 to 6 months of age or older, able to hold their head up, and participating with a parent or caregiver Red Cross Swim Preschool – Starfish
16 months of age or older, and participating with a parent or caregiver Red Cross Swim Preschool – Duck
24 months of age or older, and participating with a parent or caregiver Red Cross Swim Preschool – Sea Turtle1
3 years of age or older, and just starting out Red Cross Swim Preschool – Sea Turtle2
3-5 years and can comfortably move and float with assistance, and put their face in the water Red Cross Swim Preschool – Salamander
Can enter shallow water safely; float and glide on the front and back without assistance; move around in a PFD, perform rhythmic breathing 3 times Red Cross Swim Preschool – Sunfish (if ages 3-5) orRed Cross Kids Level 1
Can jump into chest deep water, do front and back floats and recover in deep water, do surface support for 5 seconds and swim on front for 2 metres Preschool – CrocodileRed Cross Swim Kids Level 1
Can float/move in deep water with assistance; breathe rhythmically 10 times; flutter kick while gliding on front, back and side; do surface support for 10 seconds and swim 5 metres continuously Red Cross Swim Preschool – WhaleRed Cross Kids Level 2
Are comfortable in deep water; can breathe rhythmically 15 times; do front crawl at least 5 metres, arms recovering above water; and swim 15 metres continuously Red Cross Kids Level 3
Can swim front crawl at least 10 metres while comfortably breathing to the side; and swim 25 metres continuously Red Cross Kids Level 4
Can tread water (1:00); swim front crawl at least 15 metres; swim back crawl at least 15 metres, arms recovering above the water; and swim 50 metres continuously Red Cross Kids Level 5
Can swim efficient front and back crawl at least 25 metres; perform the whip kick on the front and back at least 10 metres; and swim 75 metres continuously Red Cross Kids Level 6
Can swim front crawl and back crawl at least 50 metres; swim coordinated elementary backstroke and breaststroke at least 15 metres; and swim 150 metres continuously Red Cross Kids Level 7
Can swim front crawl and back crawl at least 75 metres; swim elementary backstroke and breaststroke at least 25 metres; and swim 200 metres continuously Red Cross Kids Level 8
Can swim front crawl and back crawl at least 100 metres; swim elementary backstroke and breaststroke at least 50 metres; swim coordinated sidestroke at least 15 metres; perform dolphin kick at least 10 metres; and swim 300 metres continuously Red Cross Kids Level 9
Can swim front crawl and back crawl at least 100 metres; swim elementary backstroke and breaststroke at least 50m; swim 400m continuously Red Cross Kids Level 10
Are an adolescent or adult interested in participating in a swimming and water safety program, based on their own abilities, interests and goals Adult Swim Lessons

Program Content

Red Cross Swim Kids – Level 1
Swimming Fitness Activities Skills and Water Safety
Breathing: rhythmic breathing, 5 timesFloats:

  • Front float and recovery 3 seconds
  • Back float and recovery 3 seconds
  • Rollover floats 6 seconds (assisted)

Glides:

  • Front glide 3 seconds
  • Front glide with kick 5 seconds
  • Back glide 3 seconds
  • Back glide with kick 5 seconds
  • Rollover glides 6 seconds (assisted)
 Kicking drills: flutter kick, 10 m (assisted)Distance swim: 5 m
  • Site orientation and supervision
  • EMS
  • Shallow water entries/exits
  • Submerge head
  • Exhale through mouth and/or nose

 

Red Cross Swim Kids – Level 2
Swimming Fitness Activities Skills and Water Safety
Breathing: rhythmic breathing, 10 times, 2 waysFloats:

  • Front float, 5 sec.
  • Back float, 5 sec.

Glides:

  • Front glide with flutter kick, 3 x 5 m (in one lesson)
  • Back glide with flutter kick, 3 x 5 m (in one lesson)
  • Side glide with flutter kick, 3 m (assisted)
  • Rollover glide with flutter kick, 6 sec.
 Kicking drills: flutter kick, 15 m (assisted)Distance swim:

10 m
  • Site rules
  • Intro to PFD/Lifejacket
  • Weight transfer – shallow water
  • Deep water activities (assisted)

 

Red Cross Swim Kids – Level 3
Swimming Fitness Activities Skills and Water Safety
Breathing: rhythmic breathing, 15 timesGlides:

  • Front glide with flutter kick, 3 x 10 m (in one lesson)
  • Back glide with flutter kick, 3 x 10 m (in one lesson)
  • Side glide with flutter kick, 5 sec.
  • Front glide/side glide combo
  • Front Crawl 3×5 m
 Kicking drills: Flutter kick, 3 x 15 mDistance swim:

15 m
  • When and where to swim
  • Weight transfer, shallow water
  • Deep end floats, 5 sec.
  • Change direction, deep water
  • Surface support, 20 sec., deep water
  • Sitting dive

 

Red Cross Swim Kids – Level 4
Swimming Fitness Activities Skills and Water Safety
Breathing: rhythmic breathing, 15 times(Front Crawl Specific)Glides:

  • Front glide/side glide combo
  • Back glide and kick and shoulder roll, 3 x 10 m (in one lesson)
  • Front Crawl 3×10 m (in one lesson)
 Kicking drills: Flutter kick drill on back 3 x 15 mDistance swim:

25 m
  • Self-safety
  • Show how to contact EMS
  • Safe-safety – safe diving
  • Disorientating entries
  • Kneeling dive
  • Surface support, deep water, 45 sec.

 

Red Cross Swim Kids – Level 5
Swimming Fitness Activities Skills and Water Safety
  • Rhythmic breathing, 15 times, 2 ways
  • Front crawl, 3 x 15 m (in one lesson
  • Back crawl, 3 x 15 m (in one lesson
  • Intro to whip kick on back, 3×5 m (in one lesson)
 Kicking drills: dolphin kick drill3 x 5 m

Distance swim:

50 m
  • How to be a safe boater
  • Staying warm
  • Cold water HELP/HUDDLE
  • Intro to sculling, shallow water
  • Tread water, 1 min.
  • Stride dive

 

Red Cross Swim Kids – Level 6
Swimming Fitness Activities Skills and Water Safety
  • Front crawl, 3 x 25 m (in one lesson
  • Back crawl, 3 x 25 m (in one lesson)
  • Elementary back stroke,
  • 3 x 15 m (in one lesson)
 Kicking drills:3×25 m

Distance swim:

75 m
  • Causes of boating incidents
  • When and where to go on ice
  • Victim recognition and simulation
  • Throwing assist without a line
  • Head-first sculling on back, 5 m
  • Tread water, deep water, 1:30
  • Front dive

 

Red Cross Swim Kids – Level 7
Swimming Fitness Activities Skills and Water Safety
  • Front crawl, 50 m (in one lesson)
  • Back crawl, 50 m (in one lesson)
  • Elementary back stroke, 3 x 25 m (in one lesson)
  • Front scull, 3 x 5 m (in one lesson)
  • Whip kick on front, arms extended, 3 x 15 m (in one lesson)
 Activity:eggbeater/tread water stationary, 3 min.Distance swim:

150 m
  • Partial and complete airway obstruction
  • Chocking rescue – conscious person
  • Throwing assist with a line
  • Reaching assist with an aid
  • Head-first sculling on back, 10 m

 

Red Cross Swim Kids – Level 8
Swimming Fitness Activities Skills and Water Safety
  • Front crawl, 75 m
  • Back crawl, 75 m
  • Elementary back stroke, 50 m
  • Breast stroke, 3 x 25 m (in one lesson)
 Activity: egg beater/tread water, 3 min.Kicking Drill: Dolphin kick drills,

3 x 10 m

Distance swim:

300 m
  • Hypothermia
  • Dangers on open water
  • Rescue breathing, adult and child
  • Feet-first surface dive
  • Stride entry

 

Red Cross Swim Kids – Level 9
Swimming Fitness Activities Skills and Water Safety
  • Front crawl, 100 m
  • Back crawl, 100 m
  • Elementary back stroke, 50 m
  • Breast stroke, 3 x 25 m (in one lesson)
 Activities:

  • Travelling legs, only 3 min.
  • Combo of stroke drills

Distance swim:

400 m
  • Wise choices – peer influence
  • Complications of rescue breathing
  • Boating regulations
  • Self-rescue – fallen through ice
  • Head-first surface dive
  • Standing shallow dive

 

Red Cross Swim Kids – Level 10
Swimming Fitness Activities Skills and Water Safety
  • Front crawl, 100 m
  • Back crawl, 100 m
  • Elementary back stroke, 50 m
  • Breast stroke, 50 m
 Kicking drills: dolphin kick (vertical), 3x 10 sec.Strokes:

  • butterfly drill, 3 x 10 m
  • sidestroke

Distance swim:

500 m
  • Sun smart
  • Ice rescue from safe zone
  • Statistically Speaking: Drowning
  • Next steps
  • Head/ feet first surface dive with underwater swim 2 m