Swimming drills for 6 year olds
What a 6 year old can practice at home: drills the app opens at this age, what changes in swimming this year, how long and how often, what to have at home, and a free week to start.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
USA Swimming sets no yardage or hours cap for young swimmers; clubs set their own. SSTracker keeps sessions short and technique first.
At 6
The age at a glance
- This year
- Most children can master the front crawl by 5 or 6 (American Academy of Pediatrics). At 6, swimmers stay on push-offs from the wall: SSTracker gives no racing starts under 11, stricter than USA Swimming.
- Drills this year
- At 6, SSTracker's plans are the ages 4 to 6 games: play with a ball, no positions and no contact. Beginner drills start at 7.
- Starts
- At 6, swimmers stay on push-offs from the wall: SSTracker gives no racing starts under 11, stricter than USA Swimming.
- In the water
- Under 14, a grown-up stays within arm's reach, and a lifeguard or certified coach watches every swim (SSTracker's rule).
- Breath
- No breath-holding games or contests. One normal breath before going under, no fast breathing, and come up when you want air.
- At 6
- Organized sport in all: no more hours a week than the child's age (NATA), so at most 6 hours for a 6 year old, with two rest days a week.
- At home
- SSTracker keeps one home session for a 6 year old within 30 minutes and plans at most 3 home days a week, with rest days between.
11 drills
Drills for 6 year olds
Every drill here is one the app opens for 6 year olds, at the level for the age. Each page has the steps, a diagram where the setup can be drawn, three ways to make it a game and a practice log to print.
Stroke Technique
Endurance
Race Mindset
Streamline & Breakouts
What you need at home
What you need at home at 6
9 of the 11 swimming drills for 6 year olds work at home, in a room, garage or yard. Most used: beanbags or rolled-up socks (1 of the 9 drills), big soft ball or beach ball (1), bucket or a big box (1), cones, shoes or toys (1), feather, cotton ball or ping-pong ball (1), ropes, towels or chalk lines (1), scarf or sock to tuck in a waistband (1), soft rug or towel (1). 2 drills need nothing but space.
A week to start with
A free week of swimming at home
- 1Flutter Kicks on the Floor + Animal Parade15 min
- 2Rocket Run + Flutter Kicks on the Floor15 min
- 3Big Ball Catch + Rocket Run15 min
Questions parents ask
Swimming for 6 year olds: questions and answers
What swimming drills can a 6 year old do at home?
9 of the 11 swimming drills for 6 year olds work at home, in a room, garage or yard. Most used: beanbags or rolled-up socks (1 of the 9 drills), big soft ball or beach ball (1), bucket or a big box (1), cones, shoes or toys (1), feather, cotton ball or ping-pong ball (1), ropes, towels or chalk lines (1), scarf or sock to tuck in a waistband (1), soft rug or towel (1). 2 drills need nothing but space.
How long should a 6 year old practice swimming?
Organized sport in all: no more hours a week than the child's age (NATA), so at most 6 hours for a 6 year old, with two rest days a week. SSTracker keeps one home session for a 6 year old within 30 minutes and plans at most 3 home days a week, with rest days between.
Can a 6 year old do racing dives?
At 6, swimmers stay on push-offs from the wall: SSTracker gives no racing starts under 11, stricter than USA Swimming.
Does a 6 year old need a grown-up in the pool?
Under 14, a grown-up stays within arm's reach, and a lifeguard or certified coach watches every swim (SSTracker's rule).
What changes in swimming at 6?
Most children can master the front crawl by 5 or 6 (American Academy of Pediatrics). At 6, swimmers stay on push-offs from the wall: SSTracker gives no racing starts under 11, stricter than USA Swimming. At 6, SSTracker's plans are the ages 4 to 6 games: play with a ball, no positions and no contact. Beginner drills start at 7.
Free for families and teams
Save this plan to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free swimming week for 6 year olds opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits for the age, with progress your child sees against their own start. Coaches can send the same drills to the whole team as homework.
14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.