Slalom Diving

The child pushes off the pool wall and dives as far as possible; the distance is marked with an object and the exercise is repeated during the course to track progress. For children who lack motivation and surface early, set a target distance — around 7 meters is a good starting point, though abilities range widely from 3 to 25 meters.

A single diving hoop is placed sideways on the pool floor. The child swims toward it, dives through in a 180-degree arc, and swims a few meters back along the same path. Start with one hoop before attempting three. The wide arc teaches the child to use hands and legs for a slow directional change — in the core exercise these changes must happen much faster.

Scatter 3 to 8 diving rings around the pool, about one and a half meters apart. The child tries to retrieve as many rings as possible in a single dive. Like the core exercise, this requires holding the breath and changing direction underwater — but the rings add a playful, rewarding element that keeps the child engaged.

The child lies on a swim mat so their arms can move freely in the water, then pushes the water backward with synchronized circular movements — the right arm clockwise, the left counterclockwise. This is a water-sensation exercise: the child learns to use water resistance through the hands for propulsion. The mat allows full focus on the feel of the water, and its size demands efficient arm movements. Note: without a glide phase, this is not yet a breaststroke arm pull.

The child pushes off the surface of the water and does not glide along the surface, but towards a tunnel at the bottom of the pool. Correct arm and head control is crucial. The arms and head must be lowered in order to glide downwards. The tunnel should be far enough away to reach the required depth in time. This exercise promotes an understanding of the upper body control required when descending.

Place a kickboard in the water and try to move it to the other side of the pool without touching it. Increase the challenge with different propulsion methods: only one hand, no hands, only the head, or only the legs. Water feel — sensing water resistance and manipulating the water for a desired result — is crucial for all propulsion techniques, and here the child can focus entirely on it.

In a hip- to chest-deep children's pool, the child stretches both arms upward and touches the pool bottom with a different body part each time. Announce each step, count to three, then go: right hand, left hand, both hands, backside — and as a challenge, the nose (warn the child to avoid injury). The gradual difficulty teaches how to reach a specific depth and provides both success experiences and a rewarding challenge.

The child holds a pool noodle or kickboard on the water with one hand and joins a diving competition: at your signal, they submerge until you remove the noodle. Start with two seconds and gradually increase. This fun exercise builds small successes and the ability to stay underwater longer — important for the core exercise airplane, which requires holding the breath for at least five seconds.