When Will My Child Move from Paddlers to Strokes 1?

A common query is for parents to wonder when their child will move up from Paddlers to Strokes 1 level.

This post will explain the stages of development at this level, what children are working towards, and how long it may typically take.

Short answer: To move from Paddlers to Strokes 1, a child should be able to safely and confidently swim 25m basic front crawl with safety rolls to breathe. Children spend longer in Paddlers than Beginners because there are more and harder skills to learn.

The Ultimate Goal: Moving from Paddlers to Strokes 1

The ultimate goal for moving from Paddlers to Strokes 1 is for a child to safely and confidently swim 25m basic front crawl with safety rolls to breathe.

• 

• 

• 

This means they should be able to swim with their arms coming out of the water, use an efficient flutter kick, maintain a good body position, and roll onto their back when they need to breathe, rest, or recover.

They do not need to have “perfect” front crawl before moving up, but they do need to show enough confidence, control, and safety awareness to manage a longer distance independently.

Stage 1: Reinforcing Floating and Building the Kick

At the beginning of Paddlers, children continue reinforcing the floating skills they learned in Beginners. They work on front floats, back floats, recovering from floats, pushing and gliding, and becoming more confident moving through the water without constant support.

At this stage, we also focus heavily on developing an efficient flutter kick on both the front and back. This can be challenging because flutter kick is not a natural movement children use on land. Many children kick from the knees, bicycle their legs, let their legs sink, or stop kicking when they need to think about another skill.

A strong kick takes time to develop, but it is one of the most important foundations for future swimming.

Stage 2: Learning Breathing Patterns

Once children are more comfortable with floating, kicking, and body position, we begin developing breathing patterns.

Children learn to breathe in before setting off, blow bubbles in the water, keep kicking while their face is in the water, and lift or turn to breathe without losing their body position.

• 

• 

• 

This stage can be difficult because many children can kick or paddle a short distance, but once breathing is added, their legs may drop, their body position may change, or they may stop moving. This is why breathing must be introduced gradually and practised often.

You may also see your child using a kick board at this stage. This is not a step backwards. A kick board helps children focus on their legs, body position, breathing timing, and stamina.

Stage 3: Developing Big Arms

As children become stronger and more coordinated, we begin evolving their arms from short underwater paddles into longer strokes with the arms coming out of the water.

This is the beginning of a basic front crawl action. Children learn to reach forward, bring their arms over the water, keep kicking while using their arms, and move forward with more control.

The challenge at this stage is coordination. A child may be able to do good arms on their own, but when they need to add kicking, breathing, body position, and distance, the skill may break down again. This is normal and part of the learning process.

Stage 4: Learning Safety Rolls

In the more developed stage of Paddlers, children work on rolling from front to back and back to front.

This is a very important safety skill. The goal is for children to be able to roll onto their back by themselves to breathe, rest, and recover, then roll back onto their front and continue swimming.

• 

• 

• 

This can be challenging because children need to stay calm, keep control of their body, and trust that they can rest on their back. Some children can do this over short distances but need more time before they feel confident using it while swimming further.

Stage 5: Putting It All Together

In the final stage of Paddlers, children begin combining everything: kick, arms, body position, breathing, safety rolls, confidence, and stamina.

A common goal is for a child to swim a few big arms, roll onto their back to breathe and recover, then roll back to the front and continue swimming. Over time, we build this towards 25m.

This stage can take time because swimming further is not only about physical ability. It also requires confidence, calmness, consistency, and trust in their own skills.

How Long Should I Expect My Child to Be in Paddlers For?

Children that have consistently swam with us year round, taking 1 lesson a week, from at least Beginner level, have generally taken 3–4 terms before moving up from Paddlers to Strokes 1.

Some children may move faster, while others may need longer. This is normal.

If your child has not been consistent with their learning, you should expect it to take longer. Long breaks, missed lessons, or stopping between terms can slow progress because children may lose confidence, stamina, technique, or their feel for the water.

Consistency is especially important at this stage because children are learning many skills at the same time. They need regular practice for these skills to become natural and reliable.

For faster development, you can consider more pool time and/or additional structured lessons. Swimming more than once a week will greatly help their progress, especially when they are building confidence, stamina, kick technique, breathing, and safety rolls.

Why We Do Not Move Children Up Too Early

We understand that moving up a level feels like an important sign of progress, but moving up too early does not help a child in the long run.

If a child moves to Strokes 1 before they are ready, they may struggle with the class expectations. This can affect their confidence and make it harder for them to keep up with the group.

Before moving a child from Paddlers to Strokes 1, we want to make sure they can show the required skills safely, confidently, and consistently.

Final Reassurance

If your child has been in Paddlers for a while, it does not mean they are not progressing.

They may be developing a stronger kick, better floating, improved breathing, bigger arms, safer rolls, stronger body position, or more confidence over distance. These improvements may not always look obvious from the poolside, but they are important steps towards becoming a safe and capable swimmer.

Every child learns at a different pace, and our goal is to help them build strong foundations before moving to the next level.

If in doubt, reach out!