Parents are the key to their child’s successful experiences in the water. Water activities often described as baby swimming lessons, are one of the only activities that can involve Mum or Dad, Granny or Grandad, or combinations of both. Other participants could be guardians, nannies, or nursery helpers.
Benefits
- Provides opportunities for adult and babies to share in a social activity
- Provides pleasant experiences that encourage babies to return to the water willingly
- Promotes water confidence early as a natural element in their lives
- Assists in the familiarity with the water
- Teaches parents/adults methods that will help babies be confident and happy in the water and willing to learn
- Educates parents/adults about routines and aspects of safety in and around water
- Teaches adults/parents technical swimming methods appropriate to a baby/child’s physical capabilities
- Promotes personal well-being for babies and toddlers
SwimSprouts Swimming Lessons for Babies and Toddlers
Your child is in good hands with well-qualified experts in the education of both academia and swimming. Keith Anderson, Gail Smith, Jenni Morris, and Lindsay Strickland work with SwimSprouts to provide the pathway for aquatic learning to develop from birth.
It is not uncommon nowadays for mothers to choose water as the means of introducing their babies into the World. However, most parents introduce their babies to the water for the first time through the ritual of a daily bath. The bath should be the first point of teaching a baby to become comfortable and familiar with water. Parents should be willing to allow the baby to experience water being poured over their heads. Babies will cry initially but, if repeated gently without shocking, a baby will soon accept this as a daily routine.
As babies get older they should be encouraged to shower with their parents. They could be held or seated on the floor allowing the water to flow freely over them. A little singing usually helps to make the baby happy as well as cheer up the parent. Parents can also assist by showing the baby how to point their toes and how to draw up the feet; a baby can learn this skill from birth with assistance from the parent.
SwimSprout teachers trained in-house know that play is an important part in shaping the lifestyle of babies and families, therefore, learning through play is an established practice method. The teacher’s privileged position carries with it a high level of trust and responsibility in making sure that both parent and baby are given guidance and encouragement to learn new skills together.
SwimSprout teachers trained in-house know that play is an important part in shaping the lifestyle of babies and families therefore learning through play is an established practice method. The teacher’s privileged position carries with it a high level of trust and responsibility in making sure that both parent and baby are given guidance and encouragement to learn new skills together.
All parents know that babies are all individuals and that development comes at different stages for each baby and child. Therefore, one of the first things that parents need to understand is that babies don’t actually swim they merely travel in the water in the first instance before being able to negotiate specific strokes which make them swimmers.
Categories of class
New Born
Baby 1&2
Baby 3&4
Toddler
Infant
The first stages of baby development reflect changes in motor skills, cognitive skills and personal development
Motor Development refers to posture and locomotion including manipulation.
Cognitive development refers to changes in awareness, understanding and communication.
Personal development refers to changes in emotional needs and competencies.
New Born
SwimSprouts prefers to wait until babies are at least 3 months old before participating in an aquatic activity within a communal pool. Formal aquatic lessons for babies under 3 months are not recommended. Parents can however access educational advice from members of the SwimSprouts educational team on an early introduction to aquatic experiences through our video pre lessons preparation site.
Ages 3 – 24 months
Babies need to be properly supported to prevent excess swallowing of water and the main aim is to promote water familiarisation. Simply getting used to the water environment within a pool is different to the experiences of the family bath. Lessons are planned and designed to emphasise a happy, non-threatening, secure atmosphere which will provide babies with social, intellectual, physical and emotional development. Our lesson programme provides education to parents on their skills in relation to water participation. Handling and awareness of the baby’s needs are more important than any skills participation at these early baby lessons stages, emphasis however exploration and movement are encouraged through games and parental involvement.
Appropriate clothing should be worn by both baby and parent and we encourage parents to wear a T-shirt when participating in our lessons as this allows easy access to grabbing and gripping. (Ape-like clinging for babies)
When you come to the SwimSprouts swimming lessons for babies you will experience lovely warm water at a purpose-built centre for learning in Linlithgow where you will learn with your baby/toddler where the water is warm and safe. Travel with us from the beginning. SwimSprouts is the start of an exciting water experience that progresses from being in the water to having coffee/tea and socialising, progress on through with lessons for babies to toddlers (2 and 3-year-olds)
Remember learning to travel and then swim through early aquatic participation gives your baby/toddler a skill that will last for their entire life!
Contact SwimSprouts
Address:
SwimSprouts,
48 Eastfield,
Edinburgh,
EH15 2PN
Tel: 07436 875 047
Email: info@swimsprouts.com
