Among the many activities enjoyed by toddlers, swimming is among the favorites for children. Moreover, it is undoubtedly one of the most effective activities for developing your child's mental and physical abilities.
Today, many parents introduce their children to such activities from a very young age. So what advice should you put into practice to teach your baby to swim? We will explore this topic further in the continuation of this article.
What age to learn to swim?
First of all, you should know that there is no required age to learn to swim. It varies for each child. In general, before the age of 5, specialists refer to teaching a child to swim as familiarization with the aquatic environment or "baby swimming".
If the child becomes familiar with the water early on, especially through baby swimming sessions, their fear of the water environment will be significantly reduced. It is this fear that often causes delays in learning to swim among children. Indeed, you must first ensure that your child enjoys playing in the water.
Furthermore, it's worth noting that swimming is introduced as part of a sports education program from preschool. It's an ideal opportunity for young children to receive training and make progress in swimming.
To find out at what age to start baby swimming, check out our detailed article on this topic.
How to teach your child to swim?
Teaching your child to swim is an essential step that primarily helps them build self-confidence and enhances their motor skills. This way, they will not feel embarrassed in front of their peers. When your child doesn't know how to swim, they may feel anxious about going to the pool with their friends.
Generally, they may fear becoming the laughingstock in front of their peers. However, to teach your child to swim, it is important to have some knowledge and understand the best teaching methods as well as the various tools used, such as baby pool floats, arm bands, and swim vests...
For younger children, a neck float can be a great alternative. Discover our opinion on the neck float in our dedicated article.
Are you looking for the most beautiful floats and armbands for children? Check out our complete collection below:
Swimming lessons with a lifeguard
Today, to teach your child to swim, it is recommended to enlist the help of a lifeguard. By choosing this option, the learning process will be faster. Make sure to respect the minimum age to introduce your baby to the pool.
In general, the lifeguard has good experience in the field for effective swimming instruction. If your children have certain hesitations about the aquatic environment, this specialist will help them overcome their fears and develop their swimming skills quickly.
The parents will then be happy to see their child who was once afraid of water start swimming.
Beyond learning, most lifeguards also oversee children during baby swimming sessions or other swimming classes. They are called to intervene regularly to provide advice and prevent children from drowning dangers.
Swimming lessons based on the child's age
Teaching children to swim should not be taken lightly. The types of sessions should be chosen based on the child's age.
Learning to swim for babies aged 3 months to 2 years
A 4-month-old baby typically has difficulty regulating their body temperature. Additionally, their limited movement can make them feel chilly even if the pool temperature is above 95°F. For this reason, it's crucial to keep swim sessions short and age-appropriate.
To start, you should conduct an introductory session. At this stage, gentle movements should be performed so your baby can get used to the aquatic environment at their own pace. This will be done based on their affinity for the water environment and their psychomotor development.
- Between 4 months and one year: Teach your baby to maintain balance in the water. To do this, you can use a mat. Similarly, you can equip your baby with a neck float and perform motor skill exercises with them.
- When they are close to one year old: we advise you to base your swimming lessons on water games. In a playful setting, your one-year-old baby can overcome their fear and enjoy the water happily. It’s also an ideal activity to introduce them to new sensations.
- Between 15 months and one and a half years: after teaching them to dive into the water, they now need to find their balance. To achieve this, you should use floats. These include floating seats, baby swimming floats, or even neck floats.
Learning to swim for babies aged 2 and up
Starting from the age of 2, the actual learning of swimming begins. Equip your baby with armbands, floating swimsuit or swim belts... At this age, they have a better understanding of their body and these flotation tools allow your little one a lot of freedom of movement. Also, consider introducing them to slides. Children love them.
Around the ages of 3 to 4, teach your child to move with the breaststroke, for example. However, ensure that they keep their head above the water.
By the age of 5 or 6, you can teach your child the fundamentals of swimming. This includes underwater breathing, coordinated movements, proper strokes, etc.
The best exercises to teach your baby to swim
Numerous exercises exist to teach your baby to swim. Some of them have proven to be effective. These include exercises such as:
- Learning to walk in water before swimming,
- Learning to float with the starfish position,
- Putting the head underwater,
- The treasure hunt game to introduce diving to your child,
- The front glide,
- Leg kicks...
In conclusion, there is no specific age to teach your baby to swim. The earlier a baby discovers the water, the more comfortable they will become with their body, motor skills, and self-confidence. Depending on their age, different tools and exercises will be more or less appropriate.
Consider conducting baby swimming sessions with a lifeguard to ensure total safety. We'll be back soon with new articles on your little one's baby swimming!
