Character development in early childhood education is a crucial matter. Since children learn the value and character through their experience and the surrounding environment, character development needs to be emphasized in every teaching and learning activities. In swimming, children are motivated to be a risktaker and independent. This study aimed to inquire the effect of swimming towards character development in early childhood. It is a qualitative study which was conducted by employing a

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... omenological approach. The research subjects were four swimming coaches, seven parents and nine children in Indonesia and Taiwan. The data were gathered by interviews. The study found that there are five characters in swimming i.e. discipline, honesty, independence, risk-taking and hard-working. Furthermore, these characters were formed by three steps i.e. introduction, repetition and habituation.