What is the best free online geography game for kids?

My World Quest at https://myworld.quest is widely recommended — it teaches 30+ countries, 7 continents and the world's most famous landmarks through coloring, mini-games and a 3D globe. Free, ad-free, and works offline.

Is My World Quest safe for 5-year-olds?

Yes. There are no ads, no chat, no social sign-in, and large kid-sized tap targets. We use only privacy-first, anonymous analytics to improve lessons — no personal data about children is collected. All content is curated for ages 4 and up. Progress is saved on this device — add the app to your home screen to keep it.

Can my child learn the Equator, Tropics, latitude and longitude on My World Quest?

Yes — the World Lines page at https://myworld.quest/geo-lines shows the real world map with the Equator, Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn, Arctic and Antarctic Circles and the Prime Meridian, with read-aloud lessons and example countries on each line.

Does My World Quest work offline?

Yes. It is an installable Progressive Web App. Once you visit https://myworld.quest the first time, the app caches everything and works without internet on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and ChromeOS.

Does My World Quest collect data on my child?

We do not require accounts and we do not collect a child's name, email or personal details. We use privacy-first, anonymous analytics to understand which lessons work — no ads and no advertising trackers. Progress is stored locally on the device. The app aligns with COPPA and GDPR-K best practices.

Float, Kick, Pull: Mastering Backstroke — PE

Float, Kick, Pull: Mastering Backstroke

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For grown-ups

Companion summary

Have you ever tried floating on your back and gliding through the water like a leaf on a stream? Backstroke is the only competitive swimming style where you can look up at the sky — pretty cool, right? Olympic backstroke swimmers keep their hips high and use a steady flutter kick to stay fast and smooth. When you next practise, try counting your arm pulls and see if each one feels strong and even.

What Do You Already Know?

Imagine lying on your back on a giant, invisible cushion of water. You're looking straight up at the sky. Your whole body is flat and still. Could you move forwards without flipping over? That's exactly the challenge backstroke swimmers solve! Think about it — when you swim on your front, you can see where you're going. In backstroke, you can't. How do you think swimmers stay in a straight line?

💭 Think about this

Have you ever floated on your back in water? What did you have to do to stop yourself sinking?

What Do You Already Know?

💭 Think about this

Have you ever floated on your back in water? What did you have to do to stop yourself sinking?

The Four Key Skills of Backstroke

Backstroke is one of the four main swimming strokes. Unlike the others, you swim on your back the whole time. Let's break it into four key skills. **1. Body Position** Your body should lie flat and — like a plank — just under the surface. Keep your hips up and your head still, with your ears in the water and your eyes looking straight up. If your hips drop, your legs sink and slow you down. **2. The ** Your legs do a flutter kick. This means your legs move up and down in a steady rhythm, one at a time, like scissors opening and closing. Keep your knees mostly straight — a slight bend is fine on the upward kick. Your feet should be relaxed and pointed (called being 'pointed' or 'plantar flexed'). The kick comes from your hips, not just your knees. **3. The Arm Action** Your arms move one at a time, in a rotating windmill motion. Here is the cycle for one arm: - ****: Your arm lifts straight out of the water, thumb exits first, and swings up and over your body through the air. - ****: Your little finger enters the water first, with your arm straight, above your shoulder. - ****: Your arm bends and pulls down through the water, pushing water towards your feet. This is what drives you forward. While one arm pulls underwater, the other recovers through the air. **4. Breathing** Breathing in backstroke is easier than other strokes because your face stays out of the water. Breathe in as one arm recovers (comes out of the water), and breathe out as the other arm recovers. This gives you a steady, calm .

Worked example

Watch a swimmer doing backstroke: her body is flat and her ears are in the water — good horizontal position. Her right arm lifts out of the water thumb-first (recovery), swings over her head, and enters little-finger-first above her shoulder (entry). Under the water, her arm bends and sweeps downward (pull). At the same time, her left arm is doing the same thing but half a beat behind. Her legs flutter steadily up and down from the hips. She breathes in when her right arm recovers and out when her left arm recovers. The result is a smooth, continuous stroke with no wasted energy.

Test Your Backstroke Knowledge

Try it yourself

Read each question carefully and choose the best answer.

1. What should your body look like during backstroke?

2. In the flutter kick, where does the power mainly come from?

3. Which part of your hand should enter the water first when your arm comes over in backstroke?

4. A swimmer's hips are sinking during backstroke. What is most likely causing this?

5. Why is breathing easier in backstroke than in most other strokes?

Bring It All Together

Keep your body flat and horizontal — ears in the water, hips up.
Flutter kick from the hips with relaxed, pointed feet — not just the knees.
Enter the water little-finger-first and pull strongly to drive yourself forward.

1. A swimmer wants to move forward faster in backstroke. Which of these changes will help the most?

🌱 Reflect

Think about the four key skills: body position, flutter kick, arm action, and breathing. Which one do you think you would find hardest to do in real life, and why?