Give the Gift of Swim Lessons

The best gift for kids under the tree this year will last them a lifetime!

While a swimming pool won’t fit under the Christmas tree — not to mention that it would be impossible to gift wrap — there’s a better way to give this life-changing experience to children, and fortunately, it’s a lot more practical.

The gift of swimming lessons is one of the most valuable things you can give to children. It’s not the latest gadget, and it might take some time to understand the importance, but ultimately this can be a gift that will never be forgotten and used for the rest of their lives.

How young is too young to learn how to swim?

The American Academy of Pediatrics has long recommended that most children should learn to swim starting at the age of 4. In the last decade, however, they’ve been advising that children as young as six months should be exposed to formal swimming instruction. It’s because of the growing number of studies showing that children that young may be less likely to drown if they’ve been taught to swim.

The gift of safety

We think of swimming lessons for children as a way to make it safer for them to be around water – and that’s the most important reason to consider giving swim lessons as a holiday gift. Drowning statistics for children remain alarmingly high – especially in areas like Florida where water is a constant part of the environment. Water safety is a precious gift, but the benefits definitely don’t stop there.

Amazing health benefits

A study by Griffith University found that children as young as 3 years old who were actively engaged in swimming lessons were often months and sometimes years ahead of non-swimmers in certain developmental milestones. Medical experts attribute this to the movements involved in swimming, which help to develop nerve fibers connecting the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) agrees, citing research showing that increased blood flow during swimming improved cognitive functions.

Preparing for the future

Most gifts have a specific lifespan. Gadgets get outdated or forgotten. The gift of swimming lessons is an experience that can benefit over a lifetime. Once learned, swimming is a skill that’s rarely forgotten. It increases confidence and teaches important social skills like team-building that children will use throughout their lives.

And if your child is interested in sports of any kind, swimming is an excellent way to increase lung capacity and improve cardiovascular health. Swimming is low impact, which makes it great for an all-around workout to prepare a child for the demands of land-based sports.

The gift of swim lessons might just be the only present you can give this holiday that offers your child so many benefits. No batteries are needed, and you don’t have to worry about an Internet connection.

At Ocaquatics, our goal is to teach families to love swimming and become safer, more comfortable, and more responsible in the water. If you want to give the gift of swim lessons, feel free to reach out to our team today by phone at 305-969-SWIM (7946), or by visiting our contact page to learn more about our year-round swimming lessons.