When Is the Right Time to Begin Swim Lessons?

There are recommended age ranges, and they might be much earlier than you think

Anyone over the age of six months can be introduced to formal swimming lessons at Ocaquatics. We recommend starting early so kids can feel more comfortable and learn to be safer around the water.

Children need to learn to swim

The American Academy of Pediatrics believes that children who participate in formal swimming lessons are less likely to drown. However, they also warn that children also need constant adult supervision and all families should have layers of protection between their child and a body of water including fencing, gates and alarms. They also recommend that parents remain within touching distance of their kids at all times.

And we couldn’t agree more! In our Parent and Me groups, we ask an adult family member to accompany their child for the first three baby levels. This keeps the child in close contact with their parent, making them more comfortable and receptive to learning, and this teaches parents skills to work on with their child at home.

A life-saving skill

The Fatherly website reports that half of all Americans are unable to swim well enough to save themselves. Tragically, the leading cause of death under the age of 14 is accidental drowning. This is why it’s never too early to expose a child to the environment of a pool.

Children at this age thrive in the pool with their parents. We offer four Baby Group programs for very young children. The youngest group is for beginners aged 6 to 15 months. Our specially trained instructors work with parents and their children on water adjustment and safety skills. A slightly older group focuses on parents and their children aged 13 to 36 months. These classes are 30 minutes long and have 6 child/parent couples in each class.

We offer another program for parents and their children who are comfortable swimming three feet on their own. We’ll work with parents and children aged 15 to 36 months to extend that swimming distance and help with independent breathing. It’s called Parent and Me Plus.

The last program is for children aged 20 to 30 months who have successfully completed the earlier courses. This Super Baby class is also 30 minutes in length and has 3 children per group.

A yearlong opportunity

Experts recommend that parents take a proactive approach to ensure that their children are being prompted to learn and the process is enjoyable. That can even include things like the pool’s water temperature. Water that’s too cold can be distracting for children who already find it easy to lose their focus.

Ocaquatics removes this concern. Our four locations feature heated indoor, warm water pools so swim lessons can happen any time during the year. Learn more about our commitment to helping children of any age learn to swim and be safer around water. And yes, we teach adults to swim, too!