National Drowning Prevention Alliance Launches Water Watcher Challenge So Families Can Become Water Safety Champions

The National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) Water Watcher Challenge Game with the cute NDPA Mascot, Ripple

The National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) has launched the Water Watcher Challenge, a free mobile experience that teaches children and families about one of the most important drowning prevention behaviors: the importance of designating an adult Wa

Picture of NDPA Executive Director, Alissa Magrum after completing the Water Watcher Challenge

NDPA Executive Director, Alissa Magrum Completes the Water Watcher Challenge

The NDPA Water Watcher Challenge makes learning fun and helps families recognize that drowning prevention begins with them. We believe this immersive technology will save lives.”

— said Alissa Magrum, Executive Director, NDPA

EVERYWHERE, CO, UNITED STATES, July 22, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- A new immersive experience empowers families to change their behavior around the water ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day!

Every summer, families gather around pools, lakes, beaches, and backyard water fun. Yet in just a moment of distraction, lives can change forever.
To help families build safer habits together, the National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) has launched the Water Watcher Challenge, a free mobile experience that teaches children and families about one of the most important drowning prevention behaviors: the importance of designating an adult Water Watcher and recognizing when that adult is truly being an effective Water Watcher. The launch coincides with World Drowning Prevention Day on July 25, a global observance dedicated to raising awareness about preventing drownings, which claim an estimated 236,000 lives every year worldwide.
Rather than simply telling families what to do, the Water Watcher Challenge puts them inside realistic pool, beach, bathtime and lake scenarios where they decide whether the adult is acting as a true Water Watcher. Through an immersive experience, families can learn together what safe supervision looks like and, perhaps more importantly, what it doesn't. The goal is bigger than a game. It's about creating lifesaving conversations that travel from the screen to the backyard, the pool, and into all aquatic environments.

Research has shown that children often influence family behaviors. They remind parents to buckle seatbelts, wear bike helmets, and recycle. The Water Watcher Challenge harnesses that same power, giving children the confidence to recognize safer behaviors and encouraging families to make constant, capable and undistracted supervision a shared commitment whenever children are in or around water.
A Water Watcher is a close, capable, undistracted adult whose only responsibility is actively watching swimmers. No phones. No conversations. No reading. No distractions.

Developed with Public SafetyXR, a division of SugarXR, the experience combines BrowserXR technology with AI-generated video to create an engaging educational tool that launches instantly on any mobile device without requiring an app download.

"We believe that early and continuous family conversations about water safety can prevent drownings and water related tragedies from occurring ," said Alissa Magrum, Executive Director of the National Drowning Prevention Alliance. "The Water Watcher Challenge helps families recognize together that drowning prevention begins with active supervision. By making learning fun and memorable, we hope children and their families become champions for water safety wherever they go. The NDPA is so excited to partner with SugarXR to bring this innovative technology to the water safety world and we know it will save lives".

"We believe the best safety education creates conversations that continue long after the experience ends," said Lisa George, Founder of SugarXR. "Children have an incredible ability to influence the adults they love. If a child finishes this challenge and reminds a parent to put down their phone and become the Water Watcher, we've accomplished something that could save a life."

The Water Watcher Challenge is designed for children, parents, grandparents, caregivers, camps, schools, aquatic facilities, and community organizations. Participants receive instant feedback after every scenario, reinforcing the habits that help prevent drowning while making learning engaging and memorable.

The experience is available free through the National Drowning Prevention Alliance as part of its ongoing commitment to helping every family enjoy the water safely. www.ndpa.org/play

About the National Drowning Prevention Alliance
The National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA) is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to preventing drowning through education, research, advocacy, innovation and collaboration. NDPA works with partners across the country to make the water safer for everyone. www.ndpa.org

About SugarXR
SugarXR creates immersive BrowserXR and VisionAI experiences that help communities learn lifesaving skills through engaging, interactive education. Through its Public SafetyXR division, SugarXR develops experiences for water safety, fire safety, injury prevention, CPR, emergency preparedness, and other public safety initiatives.

Media Contact: Alissa Magrum, Executive Director alissa@ndpa.org 512-294-3910

Alissa Magrum
National Drowning Prevention Alliance (NDPA)
+1 512-294-3910
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