10 minutes per stroke. Start on wall, drop start each end.
Octopus introduces two new strokes — backstroke and butterfly — while continuing to build endurance and confidence with freestyle.
What your child learns in Octopus
1. Safe Entry
A safe, controlled pool entry.
2. Streamline Kicking
The core streamlined kick position, maintained as strokes get more advanced.
3. Freestyle Drill (Scissor Kick or Two Arms One Breath)
A choice of drills to refine freestyle technique — either a scissor-kick timing drill or a two-strokes-per-breath pattern, depending on what the swimmer needs most.
4. Freestyle Bilateral Breathing
Straight-arm freestyle breathing every third stroke, now swum continuously rather than as an isolated drill.
5. Streamline Back Kicking
Backstroke kicking in a tight streamline, carried over and reinforced from Turtle.
6. Backstroke Introduction
The first proper backstroke arm technique, building on the kicking foundation already in place.
7. Dolphin Kicking
The undulating kick that powers butterfly, refined further ahead of the full stroke.
8. Butterfly Introduction (4 Kicks, 1 Arm)
A first introduction to butterfly technique, timed at four dolphin kicks to one arm pull — butterfly is the most physically demanding stroke, so it's built up gradually.
9. Tumble Turns (Freestyle and Backstroke)
Tumble turns practised on both freestyle and backstroke, extending the introduction from Turtle.
10. Safe Exit
Exiting the pool safely and independently.
What's next: Seals continues the same four strokes with more distance and the first introduction to breaststroke.
Ready to see it in the water?
Book a Free Trial Lesson →