Children can start learning how to swim at any age, but the younger you catch them, the better. You don’t need to sell the idea of swimming to children. Splashing around in water is fun, and toddler swimming is not as strange as it seems.
Besides being fun, swimming also positively affects the mind and body, regardless of age. Most people discover the fun and potential of swimming after the age of five or as adults. But younger children can also learn swimming, say experts, and toddler swimming or infant swimming is slowly gaining popularity.
Benefits of toddler swimming lessons
“Swimming has a lot of benefits for any individual, not [just for] a toddler, kid, or adult,” says Vijay Agnel, founder and operations head of Trana Sports, Bengaluru. “It is a life skill. Unlike any other sport, once learnt, it stays with you forever. It can come to your aid at any point in time. When toddlers learn to swim, it’s a great form of exercise to develop strength and coordination. It [improves] their cardiovascular fitness and brain development.”
Swimming uses many muscle groups simultaneously which helps children develop their motor skills and improve their physical coordination which gets carried over to adulthood through muscle memory. It can also help children develop better balance as they learn to control their movements in the water.
Regular swimming also helps improve a child’s lung capacity, which benefits them later in life. Learning to swim and mastering new skills in the water can give children of all ages a sense of accomplishment. It also provides a safe environment for toddlers to socialise and interact with their peers. Toddler swimming lessons can also lay the foundation for a lifelong love of water-based activities such as snorkelling, diving, and water sports.
Being in the water from a young age hones the instinct to stay calm in the water. Drowning is among the 10 leading causes of death for children worldwide. One of the accident prevention strategies is to increase their swimming skill through participation in toddler swimming programmes. Participation in formal swimming lessons was associated with an 88% reduction in the risk of drowning in 1- to 4-year-old children.
How young can one learn swimming?
“The earliest kids can start entering the water [is at six months],” says Agnel. “You can’t do muscle training at this age but introducing them to water at an early age can help them get rid of the fear that challenges many adults. Infants can easily learn basic water safety skills and become comfortable in the water through activities such as water play, gentle movements, and blowing bubbles.”
As children grow older, they can start learning advanced techniques such as floating, kicking, and stroking. However, every child progresses at a different pace. Parents and instructors who give toddler swimming lessons must consider a child’s individual needs and abilities while teaching them how to swim.
Toddler swimming lessons: Precautions
When starting to teach swimming to toddlers, there are several precautions that a swimming centre or instructor should take, and the parent must check to ensure safety and well-being.
- Instructor qualifications: “We hire coaches who are certified to teach toddlers, unlike the certifications that are available in the market for kids and adults. We make sure they have the knowledge and they’re qualified enough to instruct a toddler,” says Agnel. The instructors should be trained in first aid and CPR and should have completed a lifeguard certification programme as well.
- Adequate supervision: A designated supervisor should always be present to keep an eye on the children and respond to any emergencies. “In the class, we make sure that the kid is always within our reach. We don’t just let them be by themselves in the water,” says Agnel.
- Safe environment and proper equipment: The swimming centre should have proper swimming equipment such as life jackets and kickboards. The pool should be well-maintained and inspected regularly for safety hazards.
- Water safety education: The swimming centre should provide water safety education to both parents and children. It should include basic water safety skills such as floating and treading water, and recognizing and responding to emergencies.
- Small class sizes: “When it comes to toddler swimming, we also make sure that we take only four to five toddlers and not beyond that – unlike our regular batches, where we take about 10 or 12 kids,” says Agnel.
- Gradual progression: The centre should ensure that children progress gradually through the various levels of swimming instruction, ensuring that they are comfortable and competent before moving on to more advanced skills.
Takeaways
- Swimming is a great form of exercise for children to develop strength and coordination. It helps improve their cardiovascular fitness and brain development.
- Formal toddler swimming lessons are a good preventive measure against drowning.
- Children can start learning to swim from the age of 6 months.
- Parents must check whether the swimming centre meets all safety requirements and has every measure in place to ensure children’s safety.
