Water Safety Games & Activities

These games and activities can be easily implemented in any child or youth program. From daycare to Grade 12 and beginner water safety to first aid and babysitting course providers, these games and activities will help make essential water safety education part of your program!

What age would you like to find water safety games and activities for?

0-4 YEARS

5-12 YEARS

13-18 YEARS

ACTIVITIES FOR AGES 0-4

Colouring Sheets

Within Arms Reach

Bathtub Safety

Colour your Lifejacket

Make Sure Your Adult is Watching

Activity: Create a dry "pool" using an inflatable kiddie pool and either tissue paper or plastic balls to simulate water. Have your students line up behind the pool and, when it's their turn to "go in the water", they ask the teacher "are you watching?", the teacher replies "yes", they high-five and the child jumps in the pool. Modification for hot days - add a sprinkler or a bit of water to the pool to cool down. Message: Children should know that they need to make sure their adult is watching to make sure they are safe before entering the water. This also gives adults a second to ask them to wait while they grab anything they need before committing themselves to watching the pool.

Ask for Permission

This is a great, low skill activity for little kids to practice wearing lifejackets and hats while outside around water. Adults should take their time fitting kids with lifejackets so the chaos of running through the sprinkler is controlled. Once the child is fitted with a lifejacket, they ask the next adult if they can go in the water (*This is the adult watching the sprinkler, not the adult putting lifejackets on*). Equipment you will need: Sprinkler or very shallow kiddie pool Towels, sunscreen, etc. Optional: lifejacket (can bring from home), hat and sunglasses for each person for water and sun safety

ACTIVITIES FOR AGES 5-12

Grade 3 Swim to Survive Activity Sheets

Colouring Sheets

Water Safety Maze

Spot the Danger

Don't Overload the Boat

Marlin's Coming!

A play on the classic game "Captain's Coming" where one person acts as the Marlin and calls out water safety-themed commands, each requiring a specific action from the other players. Optional commands include: Movement - these commands get everyone moving again and build anticipation for a big action or elimination command "Freestyle" - all players will walk around using freestyle stroke arms. "Backstroke" - all players will walk around using backstroke arms. "Breaststroke" - all players will walk around using breaststroke arms. "Suntan" - all players lay on their back, eyes closed. Big action/elimination - once these are called out, players scramble to get themselves into position. "Swim with a Buddy" - each player needs to stand with a partner, shoulder to shoulder. "Drowning Swimmer" - each player lays on the ground with their arm outstretched to another player simulating a rescue. "Distracted Adult" - all players simulate being on their phone. "Marlin's Coming" - all players simulate scanning the water, looking back and forth. Modification: Play to elimination. The last person or pair to do an elimination command is "out". These could include rescue commands such as "drowning swimmer", "Marlin's coming!" and "swim with a buddy". The last person standing wins! This game does very well in courses and programs for pre-teens/young teenagers (i.e. babysitting courses).

Throw Rescue Relay

Equipment. You will need the following items for each team: Ring buoy, pool noodle, throw bag, flutter board or other "rescue" item appropriate for age and ability of participants Lifejacket(s) appropriate for age and ability of participants. Multiple sizes recommended. Cone/pylon You can have as many teams as you like, depending on how long you would like the game to last. One player will start on one side and the rest of the team will be a good throwing distance away. This distance will be determined by what they are throwing and their age/ability. The starting player, for each team, at the start of the whistle, will don the lifejacket including all zippers and buckles. Once the lifejacket is on properly, they will take the ring buoy (or other piece of equipment) and try to or hit the cone (simulating their rescued victim). Once the cone has been hit (or lassoed by the ring buoy for greater difficulty), the first player on the other side will retrieve any and all equipment and run it back to the rescuer. It will then be their turn to throw for the next person. The first team to get all players to the other side wins.