Discovery Duckling Awards

All 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.