admin 10 Sep 2025
When children begin swimming, being comfortable and able to move in the water is most important. While stroke technique and powerful kicking are important, there is one fundamental skill that is the foundation of all stroke technique: breath control while swimming. At Starfish Swim School, we try to assist children in mastering this critical swimming skill. Breath control is not simply holding one's breath, it is mastering a smooth, constant way to breathe that builds a lifelong relationship with swimming.
Knowing how to handle their breath lets kids swim farther and improves how they perform strokes. Beyond that, kids gain other great benefits from breath control that go way beyond just swimming.
Let’s go over some key techniques we focus on teaching for breath control at Starfish Swim School.
This simple exercise lays the groundwork for controlling breathing underwater. We ask young swimmers to dip their faces in the water and blow bubbles. Doing this helps them practice breathing out while submerged, which clears out carbon dioxide and sets them up for good swimming breathing habits. To make it fun, we turn it into a game. Who can blow the longest bubbles? Who makes the biggest ones?
Starting with blowing bubbles, this activity includes humming underwater before blowing out air. Humming helps manage how fast air is let out and keeps the release consistent. It also helps avoid a quick gulp of air when coming up to breathe.
Essentially, bobbing is going underwater and coming back up repeatedly. We teach kids how to breathe out underwater and then, when they come up, take a huge breath back in. Bobbing gets the kids comfortable with the in-water and out-of-water breathing pattern and helps them feel comfortable while hybrid breathing, or exhaling underwater, then taking a huge breath up out of the water. Whenever we can add some counting, or singing, or chanting into bobbing, we do, as this adds a fun element to the practice.
Once they feel comfortable underwater, we start them on wall push-offs. The kids work on pushing off of the pool wall, gliding a little ways in the water with their faces down, and breathing out and exhaling as they do. Wall push-offs get them comfortable with breathing out when they breathe and move like a swimmer would when doing strokes.
As the kids develop, we begin to frame the breath practices with kicking swim lessons. The kids use a kickboard and breathe out along the bottom of the pool, turning their heads to the side to breathe, and face back down to bubble again. This practice is the starting foundation for working on breathing to match their body, which is the basis for swimming.
The main aim is to make breath control fit with swimming movements. Coaches guide young swimmers on when to breathe in and out with each stroke. In freestyle, swimmers exhale while underwater and turn their heads sideways to breathe in during the arm recovery part. This steady breathing pattern keeps oxygen flowing and helps avoid getting tired.
At Starfish Swim School, we understand that children learn and learn at their own pace. Our instructors believe that patience is the key to assisting children while they are learning breathing control in the water. Our instructors integrate games and activities that maintain the fun of the lessons while developing some important skills. Our infant aquatics programme provides the opportunity for basic breath control development in a fun and playful manner, providing each child a solid foundation for swimming in the future. For group classes or private lessons, we will continue to work on these important skills.
In conclusion, breath control is an essential swimming skill for young swimmers. It not only reinforces their ability to move efficiently and confidently through the water but also provides the added benefits of breath control for kids, empowering swimming confidence and supporting well-being. At Starfish Swim School, we are proud to offer a safe and effective place for children to learn these concepts through our many programs, including infant aquatics and one-on-one swim lessons. Come to Starfish Swim School and let your child swim into their world of swimming with skill and confidence!
10 Clapperton Street, Bentleigh 3204