Step 5 Introduing Breath Control

Breath control is an important step in learning to swim and becoming confident underwater. 💦

In Step 5 of our Teaching Kids to Swim series, we introduce breath control by encouraging children to put their own face into the water when they feel ready.

At this stage, we want the child to initiate the submersion. Rather than pushing or pulling their face underwater, encourage them to practise holding their breath and choosing when to put their face in.

A fun way to introduce breath holding is to make a “Balloon Face” 🎈 or “Fish Face” 🐠 before going underwater. Encourage your child to take a breath, close their mouth and hold their breath.

Start by counting to 5 seconds, and as their confidence and breath control improve, you can gradually work towards 10 seconds.

Parents – show them how!

Children learn so much by watching. Parental demonstrations can make this skill fun and much less intimidating.

Show your child how you:

🎈 Make a big balloon face
🐠 Make a funny fish face
💨 Take and hold a breath
💦 Put your own face into the water
🔢 Hold your breath while counting to 5 or 10

Then encourage your child to have a turn.

Keep it playful and positive. Never force a child's face underwater. Allowing children to initiate their own submersion helps them feel safe, secure and in control while they develop confidence in the water.

For families with a home swimming pool or access to a swimming pool, these simple activities can be practised through play and repetition as your child progresses towards independent swimming.

▶️ Watch the next video in the playlist to continue the progression. Follow the complete Teaching Kids to Swim series to see the full journey from water familiarisation through to freestyle swimming.

⚠️ Water Safety: Children must always be actively supervised and within close reach of a responsible adult around water. Breath-holding activities should be brief, supervised and never competitive. These videos support swimming practice and are not a replacement for professional swimming lessons.