What it is
Walk freely through chest-deep water, controlling the body and recovering when falling over. Move without fear through the shallow end, listen to instructions, and demonstrate bold movement without help.
Essentials
- Move and maximize space: use the entire splashpad or shallow end for class.
- Start in the dry portion; play with spray features. Challenge participants to get specific body parts wet without getting others wet.
- Move to water slowly—alligator walking or playing with toys.
- Use slides and structures as part of games and challenges.
- Do jumps into the water with instructor support.
- Promote independent movement.
Progression
- Start in the dry portion; play with spray features. Challenge participants to get specific body parts wet without getting others wet.
- Move to water slowly—alligator walking or playing with toys.
- Use slides and structures as part of games and challenges.
- Do jumps into the water with instructor support.
- Promote independent movement throughout.
What goes wrong
- Instructors loom above swimmers instead of kneeling in the water eye to eye. If an instructor cannot properly do a supported front glide from their current standing-over position, they are in the wrong spot. Correct it quickly—the instructors need to be in the water too.
How you know it worked
Swimmer walks freely through chest-deep water, controls body and recovers when falling over, moves without fear throughout the shallow end, listens to instructions and returns to instructor or group when asked, and demonstrates bold movement without help.
How you teach it
Guppies is a game-focused class using group activities and challenges to promote water comfort and confidence, but it also teaches basic Level 1 skills. The environment is the tool: use the entire splashpad or shallow end, incorporate spray features, slides, and structures into games. The class belongs in the shallowest shallow end at your facility—generally not in traditional 3-foot-deep pools. It is designed for zero-depth or beachfront-style water where instructors and swimmers can move in a large space with the safety of shallow water. Instructors must be in the water, kneeling at eye level with swimmers, not standing and looming above. The progression from dry to wet, from spray to alligator walk to jumps, builds comfort gradually. For ages 2–4, this level is a bridge between Parent Tot and Level 1, intended for swimmers brave enough to step away from their parents and join a class without being held the whole time. Instructors play games, do water exploration activities, and teach swim skills through play rather than direct instruction.