Float Like a Starfish Campaign
The Float Like a Starfish Campaign is a fun, all-ages water safety initiative by Safe Shores Georgia. Its goal is to encourage children, families, and even adults to practice floating on their backs with arms and legs stretched out—like a starfish.
Floating like a starfish is a life-saving skill because it helps you stay calm, breathe, and conserve energy in the water while waiting for help.
The campaign works by:
- Inviting participants (ages 9 months to 99+) to try the starfish float at home, in a bathtub, or in a pool.
- Asking them to share a photo through a simple online form.
- Celebrating their achievement by mailing them a special starfish sticker as recognition.
- Optionally, encouraging families to donate to support Safe Shores Georgia’s drowning prevention programs.
Why It Matters
- Builds confidence in the water.
- Reinforces that small milestones count (like bubbles, face-in, or first float).
- Makes water safety fun, shareable, and community-driven.
- Spreads awareness of drowning prevention across Georgia while engaging families.
In short: It’s both a safety skill and a community celebration—a way for Safe Shores Georgia to recognize every achievement on the journey to being water-safe.
What’s a Starfish Float?
A starfish float is when you lay on your back in the water with your arms and legs spread out like a starfish. Your face stays above the surface while your body relaxes. It’s one of the first water safety skills kids (and adults!) can learn, because it helps you stay calm, conserve energy, and stay safe while waiting for help.
With an Adult
Keep it simple and practice in bathtubs, pools, or shallow, supervised water.
Start in shallow water with a trusted adult right beside you.
Begin in the bathtub.
Then try the top step of the pool.
If you’re in the water, have an adult hold you—your head can rest on their shoulder while they support your back with both hands.
Once you’re comfortable, the adult can move you slightly in front of them (off the shoulder) while still providing support.
Lean back gently and spread your arms and legs wide.
Keep your ears in the water and your face above the surface.
Relax your body—pretend you’re “napping on the water.”
And don’t forget to smile! Floating is about calm and confidence.
💡 Always practice with a trusted adult nearby—never float alone.
With a Noodle
Not ready to float fully on your own yet? That’s okay! You can use a pool noodle as a support while you practice your starfish float.
Here’s how:
Sit in the water and place a pool noodle behind your back.
Gently lean back so the noodle is under your neck and shoulders.
Rest your head in the water, with the back of your neck supported by the noodle.
Spread your arms and legs out wide like a starfish.
You can tuck your arms under the noodle for extra support,
Or drape them over the noodle if you feel more comfortable.
Breathe, relax, and enjoy the feeling of floating with just a little bit of help.
💡 As you gain confidence, try moving your arms off the noodle and letting the water hold you up.
All By Yourself
Once you feel confident floating with an adult nearby and using the noodle for support, you can try your starfish float on your own.
Step-by-step:
Take a deep breath and gently lay back in the water.
Let your head fall back so your ears are in the water (like you’re listening underwater).
Keep your toes pointed up toward the surface.
Stretch your arms out wide like a starfish.
Relax your body—don’t fight the water. The calmer you are, the easier it is to float.
💡 Remember: Always practice with a trusted adult close by. Independent doesn’t mean alone—it means the water is holding you without extra support.