Discovery Duckling Awards

The Discovery Duckling Awards are the start of the learn to swim experience for all children. These awards are perfect for babies and toddlers and pre-school children who are new to swimming lessons.

Ideal for gaining water confidence while staying close to adult support, these awards are followed by the existing Duckling Awards.

The Discovery Duckling Awards 1-4 each have their own certificate and badge.

Discovery Duckling 1

By the end of this stage your child should be able to:

1. Enter the water safely and comfortably, with full adult support.
2. Bob up and down in the water, in an upright position, with full adult support.
3. Float on the back and return to an upright position, with full adult support.
4. Be at ease with water being poured on the back of the head.
5. Move smoothly through the water, in an upright position, with full adult support.
6. Exit the water safely with full adult support.

Discovery Duckling 2

By the end of this stage your child should be able to:

1. Enter the water safely and comfortably, with full adult support.
2. Float on the back, with full adult support.
3. Splash hands in the water.
4. Complete a 360 degree turn, with full adult support. (The adult should hold the child close to them at first and then at arm’s length, the child should be facing away from the adult).
5. Move through the water in a streamlined position on the back, with full adult support.
6. Be at ease with the face being washed or splashed.
7. Move smoothly through the water, in an upright position, with full adult support.
8. Travel on the front or back, with full adult support.
9. Make progress towards holding the side of the pool, with full adult support.
10. Exit the water safely, with full adult support.

Discovery Duckling 3

By the end of this stage your child should be able to:

1. Enter the water safely, with full adult support. Swimmers should be encouraged to sit on the side and wait for adult instruction.
2. Float on the back, with full adult support behind the head, shoulders and hips.
3. Reach and grab toys on the water surface.
4. Rotate 180 degrees either using a log roll or an upright position, with full adult support.
5. Move through the water in a streamlined position on the front, with full adult support.
6. Be at ease with water being showered over the face.
7. Travel on the back using floatation equipment, with full adult support.
8. Hold the rail or side of pool and move towards the step or ladders using floatation equipment, with full adult support.
9. Exit the water safely with adult supervision.

Discovery Duckling 4

By the end of this stage your child should be able to:

1. Enter the water safely from a seated or standing position and return to the wall or pool side, with full adult support.
2. Float on the front using floatation equipment, with full adult support.
3. Reach and grab toys on top of and under the surface of the water.
4. Rotate 180 degrees either using a log roll or an upright position, using floatation equipment and with minimal adult support.
5. Push away from the wall in a streamlined position, with full adult support.
6. Be at ease wetting or splashing the face and putting the chin in the water.
7. Travel on the front using floatation equipment, with full adult support.
8. Hold the rail or side of pool and move towards the steps or ladders using floatation equipment, with full adult support.
9. Exit the water safely with adult supervision.

Duckling Awards

Duckling Awards are the next step on from the Discovery Duckling Awards.

They are designed to help toddlers enjoy learning to swim with help from their parents or guardians.

With Duckling Awards your child can work towards four different colourful Awards. Each Award has its own certificate and badge.

Duckling 1 will see children start to move by themselves in the water.

By Duckling 4 they will be jumping in, going underwater, floating and swimming five metres without support.

Duckling Awards are great at promoting increased independence and water confidence to help prepare for Stage 1 of the Learn to Swim Framework.

Duckling 1

By completing this Award you should be able to:

1. Make a supervised safe entry with adult support if required.
2. Float on back with adult support behind the head without floatation equipment.
3. Blow bubbles at the water surface.
4. Wet the head without submersion.
5. Kick 5 metres on back with adult support.
6. Travel without adult support for 2 metres to a floating object.
7. Enter the pool, rotate and return to the side with adult support.
8. Exit the water safely with minimal adult support.

Duckling 2

By completing this Award you should be able to:

1. Make a sitting entry with adult support if required.
2. Rotate 180 degrees either using a log roll or an upright position, using floatation equipment and without adult support.
3. Submerge the face with confidence and without force under adult supervision.
4. Blow an object for a distance of 2 metres.
5. Travel 3 metres using arms and/or legs without adult support.
6. Move 5 metres along the rail or wall without adult support.
7. Enter the pool, rotate and return to the side with minimal adult support.
8. Exit the water safely with minimal adult support.

Duckling 3

By completing this Award you should be able to:

1. Make a supervised jump to an adult with or without support.
2. Float on the front or back without adult support.
3. Push off on the front or back in a streamlined shape from a supporting adult.
4. Blow bubbles with the mouth and nose underwater.
5. Travel 5 metres on the front to the side of the pool without adult support.
6. Kick 5 metres on the front holding a float (the adult may hold the other end of the float).
7. Enter the pool, rotate and return to the side without adult support.
8. Climb out of the water with adult support if required.

Duckling 4

By completing this Award you should be able to:

1. Jump into the water unaided, but supervised.
2. Perform a mushroom or star float.
3. Rotate 360 degrees either using a log roll or an upright position.
4. Push and glide achieving a streamlined position on the front or back.
5. Submerge completely.
6. Travel 10 metres on the front or back, without adult support.
7. Jump into the water, turn around, swim back to the point of entry and hold on to the side or rail.
8. Climb out of the water with adult support if required.