Step 13 How to Streamline

Once your child is becoming confident with floating, it's time to start refining their body position in the water. 💦

In Step 12 of our Teaching Kids to Swim series, we introduce the streamline position — an important skill that helps children move through the water more efficiently and prepares them for independent swimming and freestyle.

Why is streamline so important?

A good streamline is all about getting the body position right. When children learn to make their body long, straight and balanced in the water, they create less resistance and can move through the water more easily.

Before worrying about how fast a child can kick or how far they can swim, spend time developing a strong body position.

Encourage your child to:

🏊 Reach both arms forward
🙌 Bring their hands together
👂 Keep their arms close to their ears
⬇️ Keep their head in a relaxed, neutral position
⭐ Stretch their body long and straight
🦵 Keep their legs extended behind them
💦 Relax and allow their body to glide through the water

You can practise the streamline position out of the water first, showing your child how to stretch their arms above their head and make their body as long as possible. Parental demonstrations can make it easier for children to understand what you're asking them to do.

Once in the pool, practise the position over short distances with lots of repetition. Focus on maintaining a good body position rather than rushing to add more swimming skills.

The Superman Float introduced earlier helped your child learn balance and confidence. Now we're beginning to bring those arms into a narrower streamline position and refine the shape of the body in the water.

A strong streamline creates a great foundation for the skills that come next — gliding, kicking, propulsion and eventually freestyle swimming.

For families with a home swimming pool or access to a swimming pool, continue practising these skills regularly and allow your child plenty of time to master each progression.

▶️ Watch the next video in the playlist to see how we build on the streamline position and continue the progression towards independent freestyle swimming.

⚠️ Water Safety: Children must always be actively supervised and within close reach of a responsible adult around water. Keep activities appropriate to your child's confidence and swimming ability. These videos support swimming practice and are not a replacement for professional swimming lessons.