Let’s foster a culture of safety and awareness, so we reduce drowning and promote lifelong enjoyment of water-based activities and environment.
Water Skills for a Life, developed by Water Safety New Zealand, provides freely available resources aimed at enhancing the quality and focus of aquatic programmes.
Teaching real-world water safety
Water Skills for Life is about teaching real-world water safety.
Learning to survive is not optional — it’s essential.
Learning to swim is just the start.
In Aotearoa, water is part of our everyday life — from backyard pools to wild rivers, rocky coastlines, and ever-changing weather. While swimming pools provide a controlled environment to learn basic skills, it’s the open water where things can quickly become unpredictable.
Where’s the need?
A majority of drownings happen in open water environments, but most aquatic programmes are delivered in controlled pool environments
Survival skills taught in the pool aren’t easy to relate to the real-world conditions that tamariki will experience.
Water Skills for Life goes beyond the pool
Water Safety NZ works closely with partners, communities and swim schools to teach children the skills they need to survive.
Water Skills for Life is aimed at teaching 5 – 13-year-old Kiwis the skills they need to help keep themselves safe in, on and around water.
Building water confidence for the real-world
A confident swimmer in a pool can still struggle in the surf. A child who’s learned the basics might freeze in a strong current. If we’re not teaching children how to float, recognise risks, and react under pressure, we’re not setting them up for success — we’re leaving them vulnerable.
Water safety isn’t about ticking boxes — it’s about preparing kids for the environments they will actually face.
Age-appropriate skills for every stage
Our approach is tailored to match a child’s stage of development:
- Young children: Focus on body awareness, water confidence, floating, and survival basics.
- Primary-aged children: Learn decision-making, how to stay safe in groups, and basic rescue skills.
- Older children: Practice real-world scenarios, risk assessment, and more advanced survival techniques.
Through every stage, we aim to stimulate without scaring — building knowledge and confidence in a fun, supportive way.
What tamariki learn in Water Skills for Life
Water Skills for Life is designed for 5–13-year-olds and gives them the essential skills to stay safe in, on, and around water. These include:
- Floating and treading water
- Identifying hazards like rips and currents
- Safe ways to enter and exit the water
- Basic emergency response and rescue techniques
- Making smart decisions in unpredictable situations
These are the building blocks not just for water safety, but for enjoying all the aquatic activities New Zealand has to offer — from kayaking and surfing to swimming and waka ama.
Let’s raise a generation who respect the water, know their limits, and can respond when it counts.
Because every child deserves the chance to enjoy our waterways — safely.
See more at Water Skills For Life
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