Over the summer break, as an extension to their Turtle Tots baby and toddler swimming lessons, there is a lot we can do to help and encourage our little ones to be water confident and learn about water safety. 

At this young age, building their confidence and teaching them how to be safe in and around water is essential.  Our swimming lessons have a strong focus on teaching lifesaving skills from a young age; we help babies and toddlers learn the skills they need to help keep them safe in and around water, until they are able to swim independently.

So, this summer, we’d encourage you to keep on practicing the skills that you have been learning in your Turtle Tots classes at your local pool. A good tip is that your child will learn much faster if visits are little and often, rather than long and infrequent. And include the whole family in the trips as well!

In our baby and toddler swimming lessons, an essential part of the learning process is to have lots of FUN with your child.  Children learn through play, so if you do go to the pool this summer:

• Continue to use toys and flotation aids to provide a stimulating environment and encourage exploratory play.
• Sing nursery songs and play games, which are a great way to make swimming fun. You can do this at bath time too – sing our popular song ‘Dingle dangle scarecrow’ and enjoy practising some floating in the bath!
• Encourage your toddlers to blow bubbles on the surface of the water, which is also a fun way of getting them used to their face being wet.

Importantly, ensure you continually praise and reward your child – this is naturally important for building confidence and self-esteem.

As a parent / carer, creating a safe environment is important too. And just like we do in our lessons, bring babies and toddlers into the water by holding them close. Once they know you will protect them in the water, they will feel more at ease.  For older children, floatation aids can also be used if needed, to encourage independence in the water.

If they feel safe and happy, and are having fun in the water, your child will soon learn to relax, float, breath and co-ordinate movements that are the foundations of good swimming and water safety.

And remember, every child is a unique individual and will develop at varying rates in the water – at this age it’s all about having fun, gaining water confidence and learning essential lifesaving skills.

Have a great summer, and we’ll see you next term!