Swimming is such a magical bonding experience, but it can sometimes feel a little daunting if your little one regularly suffers from toddler ear infections or has recently had a grommet procedure.
First things first: your doctor or ENT consultant will always be the best person to advise whether swimming is suitable right now, or if it’s better to pause the pool time for a little while.
If your medical professional has given your family the green light to go swimming, but you still need to keep those little ears dry, don’t worry! There are a few fantastic, tried-and-tested gadgets that can make your next family swim or Turtle Tots lesson completely stress-free.
If your child is old enough, it’s worth having a gentle chat with them before you arrive at the pool about avoiding putting their head fully underwater for now. At Turtle Tots, we are passionate about a child-led approach. The key is to keep your pool time relaxed, positive, and completely pressure-free—we never want our little turtles to become over-cautious or fearful about water around their faces.
The great news? You can still both enjoy lots of fun water activities! From blowing bubbles and gentle face dips to practicing those essential, life-saving water safety skills, you can do so much while keeping their ears high and dry. Over the years, we’ve welcomed lots of little ones with grommets into our baby and toddler swimming lessons, and they love living life to the fullest in the water!
A Mum’s Perspective: As a mum to a now 6-year-old who had grommets, I’ve tried and tested all the products out there. Some were definitely better than others! Along the way, I found a few absolute keepers. They do take a bit of patience and practice at first, but they are total lifesavers—not just for our swimming lessons, but also for bath time, showers, and the dreaded hair-washing at home!
If you need a reliable routine to keep pool water out of your child’s ears, here is the ultimate three-layer toolkit that worked wonders for my family.
The first and most important step is a good pair of children’s earplugs. Make sure they are specifically designed for your child’s age, as little ears vary massively in size and shape. Expect a tiny bit of trial and error to find the perfect pair!
The correct fit is everything; earplugs that are too large or long will be uncomfortable and won’t create that essential watertight seal.
For extra protection and peace of mind, I love adding waterproof ear stickers over the plugs. They are brilliant for keeping the earplugs securely in place. Plus, they reduce the sensation of water splashing right inside the ear, which is incredibly helpful for children who dislike that feeling.
They can be a little fiddly to apply at first, so give yourself a few attempts! Top tip: If your little one has long hair, tie it back securely first to avoid a sticky situation. After swimming, the stickers should peel off easily, but a splash of baby oil or moisturizer helps shift any leftover adhesive. Brands like Aolso offer great, budget-friendly packs.
To lock everything together, top it all off with a comfortable neoprene swimming earband, like the ones from Zoggs.
This headband acts as the ultimate anchor, holding both the earplugs and the stickers firmly in place while muffling loud pool echoes. It gives your little one the freedom to splash without you worrying about an earplug floating away!
Now, using all three layers together might sound like you’re preparing for a deep-sea dive! While this combination is incredibly reliable, we still wouldn’t recommend testing them during deep underwater dives or games like collecting sinking toys from the bottom of the pool. It’s best to avoid submersions completely for now.
However, from my own experience, this clever setup works perfectly for:
At first, managing all these extra bits and pieces in the changing rooms can feel like a lot. But we promise, it gets so much easier with practice! Before you know it, you’ll have your little turtle fully geared up and ready to splash in just a couple of minutes.
Have questions about swimming with grommets or want to chat about how our teachers support children with ear sensitivities? Get in touch with your local Turtle Tots office today—we’re always here to help your family love the water safely!
When it comes to giving kids fun, confidence-building experiences while staying active, Ireland has some fantastic options – and we like to count ourselves one of them! But today we’re shining a spotlight on Soccer Stars Ireland, one of our trusted partners, and a provider of children’s activities with a philosophy near and dear to our own. Whether your little one is just starting to explore movement or is already kicking toward their first goal, Soccer Stars offers structured, engaging, and child-centred experiences that support development at every stage.
If you’ve got a future football star in your family, Soccer Stars Ireland might just be their next favourite thing. Designed for kids from toddlers up to early teens, they inclusive and structured soccer coaching that builds skills and confidence.
Why Kids Will Love Them:
Soccer Stars offers a free trial class so your child can experience the fun first-hand before you commit.
Try it out here: Book A Free Trial Class
Learn more about their full range of programmes on their website.
Both Turtle Tots Ireland and Soccer Stars Ireland put children first — blending expert guidance with joyful activity. They make fitness, friendship, and fun accessible for families all over Ireland.
Whether your goal is to help your child:
…there’s something here worth exploring.
Give them a look — your child might just find their next favourite activity!
For many years, we’ve donated a portion of termly fees to Heart Children Ireland and the Irish Kidney Association. This year, we wanted to go even further — so we’re holding our annual Duck Race (actually, lots of them!) to raise money for another incredible Irish charity: Childhood Cancer Ireland.
The child who raises the most sponsorship will win a whole term of Turtle Tots classes — completely free! Our Duck Race 2025 winner will be announced in November 2025, and the winner notified by both phone and email.
During the week 18 to 24 of October 2025, we’ll be making classes extra fun with our very own Duck Races.
Every swimmer is invited to collect sponsorship for their duck. We hope friends and family will support your child and help raise funds for this worthy cause.
✨The winner of each class will take their duck home!
✨ Everyone else can also take their duck home in return for a small donation.
If your child takes their duck home, we’d love to see their duck’s adventures around your town!
When you’ve completed your sponsorship form, there are three ways to donate before 24th October:
After the deadline, we’ll announce the top fundraiser and present the funds to the charity.
Every little helps — please don’t feel pressure to raise huge amounts. If each of our little Turtle Totters raised just €20, together we could donate over €50,000!
Childhood Cancer Ireland is a parent and survivor-led charity, founded by families who know first-hand the devastating impact of a childhood cancer diagnosis.
They raise funds to provide practical and emotional support for children and families, while also advocating for better treatments, services, and outcomes across Ireland.
👉 Hear inspiring stories here: Gold Ribbon Stories
👉Watch Oisín’s dad share his journey here: Oisin’s dad’s video
We know everyone is busy, so we deeply appreciate anyone who chooses to get involved. We promise the Duck Races will be full of laughter, memories, and purpose — while raising vital funds for children, babies, and young people across Ireland and beyond.
A heartfelt thank you from all of us at Turtle Tots Ireland.
Has your toddler hit the brakes when it comes to participating in lessons? If you have a toddler who suddenly wants nothing to do with swimming and it’s been going on for more than a few weeks, it can be tough. You’re probably getting frustrated or anxious, but believe me, you’re not alone. Nearly every toddler has a water wobble at some point. Over the years we’ve seen so many different swimmers, and truly they all are so special and unique! Toddlers are so much fun, but it can be a challenging time when ‘no’ is their new favourite word and your investment in lessons feels like money down the drain.
Here at TT we have a lot of tricks up our sleeve to get kids back on track. Not every idea will work for every child, and so you might need to try a few suggestions before one works. Here are my best tips you might find helpful to help your toddler participating in lessons again.
Always remember that your toddler is a little person, with their own mind, character and feelings. Listen to them, and validate how they feel ❤️. By building their trust in you, in turn they’re more inclined to believe it’s not a trick the next time you ask something new of them. Once they’ve made peace with what’s bothering them, they’ll become unstoppable little sharks in the water! Every scenario is different too. We love to help with advice, and always have time after class for a quiet conversation when you need it.
Bringing your little one for their first baby swimming lessons is an exciting milestone! You’re not just teaching them a vital life skill but also opening a world of fun and confidence in the water. However, amidst the excitement of buying baby’s first swimsuit and googling what swim nappies they need, there’s a crucial consideration often overlooked by the untrained eye: the pool itself.
It might seem like any pool will do, but when it comes to baby swimming lessons, the environment plays a starring role in your child’s comfort and safety. Choosing the right pool isn’t just about convenience; it’s about setting the stage for a positive and enriching introduction to aquatic adventures. That’s why we take the process of selecting pools extremely seriously here at Turtle Tots.
So, before you dive in, let’s explore why careful consideration of the pool facility is paramount for your baby’s swimming journey and what criteria we look for when partnering with a pool owner to deliver our award-winning baby, toddler, and preschool swimming programme.
Selecting a pool that is the right temperature for your little one is our number one priority. Babies, especially newborn, are not as good at regulating their body temperature as adults and can get cold much faster. We always follow the Swimming Teachers’ Association (STA) guidelines. A pool that is too cold can lead to discomfort, shivering, and even hypothermia, making your little ones first experience in the pool unpleasant and potentially dangerous. On the flip side, a pool that is too warm can also be detrimental, leading to overheating or lethargy. For optimal comfort and safety, we operate our swimming lessons in pools that can be heated to the recommended temperature which is 30°C for babies over 3 months. A properly heated pool ensures your baby can relax, enjoy the sensory experience of the water, and focus on learning, rather than being distracted by the chill.
Beyond a comfortable temperature, the cleanliness and hygiene of the pool are non-negotiable for our baby swimming lessons. Babies have developing immune systems, making them more susceptible to infections from bacteria and viruses.
We always look for a well-maintained pool which has clear water, free from visible debris, where the owners adhere to strict chemical balance guidelines, particularly concerning chlorine levels.
While chlorine is essential for disinfection, too much can irritate a baby’s sensitive skin and eyes, and too little won’t effectively kill germs.
At Turtle Tots, we always work with facilities that prioritise hygiene, have excellent maintenance procedures in place, and ensure that the pools and their environments are always clean and safe.
The physical dimensions of a pool can play an important role in the enjoyment of your baby or toddler swimming lessons. Ideally, we operate our swimming lessons in a small pool, or a dedicated shallow area, roped off area, or lane in a larger pool with a consistent depth, typically around 1-1.2 meters. This allows parents or carers to maintain a good standing posture and provide a sense of security for their child.
After a fun and stimulating Turtle Tots swimming lesson, your baby will be ready for warmth, comfort, and perhaps a feed. This is where changing facilities become incredibly important, transforming what could be a stressful ordeal into a smooth and positive experience. When assessing a potential new pool, we look for changing areas that are clean, warm, and spacious enough to comfortably manoeuvre a baby and everything that comes with them to their lesson.
When the post-swim routine is efficient and comfortable, it contributes significantly to a baby’s overall positive association with the pool.
Here at Turtle Tots, we understand that establishing a consistent routine for your baby is crucial for their well-being, providing a sense of security and predictability that helps them feel safe.
Once set, many parents are loathe to change their little one’s sleep or feeding schedule for a swimming lesson. Therefore, finding pools where we can offer a variety of times to our families is key. That way, parents can choose a time slot that works around their baby’s schedule wherever possible.
While the pool environment and changing facilities are crucial, the convenience and quality of the broader venue also play a significant role in making baby swimming lessons a stress-free and enjoyable experience.
Easily accessible parking is a true lifesaver for parents juggling car seats and swimming bags. That’s why, whenever possible, we partner with pool facilities that offer sufficient parking facilities, close to the pool.
Beyond parking, we also look for any additional facilities that could support the wellbeing of our Turtle Tots families. Some pools even offer an on-site café, providing a convenient spot for parents and carers to meet for a post-swim snack and coffee – a small luxury that can make a big difference to a new parent’s day.
Ultimately, selecting the ideal pool for your baby’s swimming lessons is about more than just convenience; it’s about creating a foundation for a lifelong love of the water. From the optimal water temperature and hygiene that safeguard their delicate systems, to the right pool size and depth that builds confidence, every detail matters. Add to this the comfort of suitable changing facilities, the flexibility of lesson times that suit your baby’s routine, and the practical benefits of good parking and an on-site cafe, and you have an environment where your little one can truly thrive.
At Turtle Tots, we meticulously consider all these elements when choosing our partner pools, ensuring that every aspect of your baby’s swimming journey is as positive, safe, and enjoyable as possible. Because when the environment is right, your baby can focus on what truly matters: making a splash and learning vital life skills in a fun, nurturing space.
*Whilst our aim is to partner with the highest quality swimming facilities, sometimes the pools we teach in don’t quite meet ALL the requirements listed above. However, you can find details of each pool’s qualities on our website, and we always communicate fully with our customers prior to starting their lessons so that they know what to expect.
It’s Children’s Mental Health Week, a vital opportunity to focus on the emotional wellbeing of our children. This week is all about raising awareness, breaking down the stigmas surrounding mental health, and empowering children to understand and manage their own emotional wellbeing. At Turtle Tots, we believe that supporting children’s mental and emotional health is just as important as their physical development, and we’re proud that our swimming program offers a fantastic way to nurture both.
Think about it: what’s more freeing than the feeling of weightlessness in the water? Swimming isn’t just about learning a life-saving skill; it’s a powerful tool for promoting positive mental health from a young age. Our toddler, preschool, and independent swimming lessons offer a wealth of benefits that extend far beyond the pool.
Swimming offers a unique combination of physical activity, sensory experience, and social interaction, making it an incredibly valuable tool for supporting children’s mental health. It’s more than just a sport; it’s an investment in their overall wellbeing, setting them up for a happier, healthier future.
This Children’s Mental Health Week, let’s celebrate the power of swimming and the positive impact it can have on our little ones’ lives.
This week marks the Royal Lifesaving Society’s Drowning Prevention Week.
Teaching water safety is our No.1 priority here at Turtle Tots. Of course, our award-winning baby, toddler & preschool swimming programme is designed to be great fun and a wonderful bonding experience for parents to share with their little ones. Each lesson we teach contains vital lifesaving skills to help your child to stay safe in and around the water as they grow.
The RLSS Drowning Prevention Week comes at a key time. As we look forward to summer holidays by the pool or on the beach, it’s important that we remind ourselves of the importance of water safety. We all want swimming to be fun, but water safety is subject we should all take very seriously.
We share in the RLSS’ belief that no child should drown and that with the right water safety education, accidental drownings can be preventable. Sadly, on average 7 Irish children’s lives are lost every year to accidental drowning. What’s more, child drowning deaths in Ireland have increased 40% in the last 4 years. We must continue to work together to provide the education our children need to understand the risks that swimming pools and open water can pose, and the skills our children need to stay safe where possible.
Therefore, we are happy to share the following water safety guidance for parents and carers:
To make the Water Safety Code easy to absorb, the RLSS have produced the following video which we urge you to watch and share with your family and friends: https://youtu.be/zwzB7So7jSM
Drowning prevention is a big concept for young children to understand. The RLSS have lots of resources on their website that can help you communicate the importance of water safety to your children without causing concern.
CLICK HERE to find colouring and activity sheets, flashcards and stickers that your children will love. There is also a ‘Colour in to WIN’ competition where your little one could be in with a chance of winning a limited-edition ‘Drowning Prevention Superstar’ pin badge.
If you have slightly older children, you may like to share with them the following animation which tells the story of a young girl who learns to be more confident in the water through the RLSS Rookie Lifesaving Club: https://youtu.be/mYs-fbvie2k
Baring in mind all the above, we hope that all our little Turtle Tots and their families enjoy a sun filled, fun filled holiday this summer. And, don’t forget:
Across Ireland, thousands of babies and toddlers are, or will soon be, taking their six-week break from Turtle Tots swimming lessons for the summer holidays. For some parents, a break from routine is a welcome change, a chance to relax and enjoy some much-needed downtime. For others, time away from their beloved parent and child activities can fill them with a feeling of dread.
Firstly, it is ok to feel either, or even both things at once. It is perfectly natural. We thoroughly encourage a break from the norm and hope that all our lovely customers enjoy this time with their families.
However, for those of you who would prefer not to take a complete pause from their baby or toddler swimming journey and would like to continue building on their recently acquired water safety and swimming skills, here are some great summer holiday swimming skills you can practice at home in the bath, or in the pool, until your lessons begin again in the Autumn Term.
Learning and practicing your summer holiday swimming skills at home, at your local pool, or on holiday can be incredibly rewarding and enjoyable. However, first, it is important to ensure that the environment is safe and suitable before you get started. Whilst it is much easier to check the cleanliness and temperature of your bathtub and water at home, do make sure that your local pool, or hotel pool on holiday, is adequately heated and treated for your child’s age before you get started.
Skill No.1: SUBMERSION: Getting faces wet.
There are many different ways of getting faces wet which are fun for your baby or toddler. If you have just finished Turtle level, your baby will be familiar with lots of sprinkles and cheek dips so make sure that any bath or pool sessions start with a similar activity. Introducing pouring and sprinkling toys and games is a fun and engaging way to practice this skill.
Mimicking and modelling adults is a great learning technique for children – so why not hop in the bath and show your little one just how happy you can be whilst pouring water over your own face.
With toddlers, get them to pour water over your face then pour it over themselves. Keep smiling and laughing throughout to let your child know just how fun and easy it can be.
For those in Seahorse and above, Underwater Peekaboo will now be a regular part of your warmup routine. In the pool, complete the warmup sequence and Underwater Peekaboo skills to remind your child what to do whenever they are in the water.
Skill No.2 BREATHING: Blowing bubbles.
Breathing is another fundamental water skill that you can continue practicing with your child at home or in the pool.
From the very start of your Turtle Tots journey, we start teaching breathing techniques by blowing bubbles on the water surface. At first, we ask the parents to show their baby their bubble blowing so that they can model them, before encouraging them to give it a go themselves.
Continue this technique independently and practice bubble blowing to whatever stage you are at in your lessons. For example, level one babies may only dip a little of their faces in the water momentarily whereas Toddlers might be happy to lay on the tummies, stick their face in the water and blow bubbles alongside you.
Whatever stage you are at, let your child take the lead and do not attempt to push their faces into the water.
Skill No. 3 FLOATATION: Lying flat with ears in the water.
Practicing floating in the bath or pool over the summer break will help your child immensely when they return to lessons in the Autumn term. Simply taking some time to calmly lay your baby or toddler back in the water will help to build confidence with this skill. Start in a shallow bath for very little ones and then progress to deeper baths as their confidence grows. You can support under the head with one hand to allow little ones the sensation of floating.
In the pool you can float together using a woggle to support you both, like we do at the end of classes for ‘Float Little Turtle’. Little ones who are reluctant to lie back in the water may be happier to relax back with the support of an adult behind them. Older or more confident toddlers may be happy to float in the pool with just your hand supporting their head. If so, see if you can reduce the support a little tiny bit at a time until you are using just one finger.
REMEMBER: Watch out for the righting reflex! Babies may not feel happy to lie flat depending on their developmental stage. So, if your little one is struggling to stay upright then just leave out the back floating until they are ready.
Skill No. 4 PROPULSION: Kicking legs.
Anyone who has completed Turtle or above will know the earworm that is the Turtle Tots kicking song.
‘In the pool we go kick, kick, kick…’
Well, this is a great song to use at home to help your baby or toddler practice their kicking skills. For babies, support your child either cheek to cheek, on their backs, or their tummies, and start singing the song, encouraging them to kick their legs is as much as you need to do at first. For Toddlers, get them to hold on to the side of the pool and kick, swim with an adult and practice kicking together, or even bring a few toys to the pool for your toddler to chase will make this water skill fun and easy to practice.
Skill No. 5 SAFETY: Ready Steady Splash and Holding on.
Ready, steady, splash Is one of the first skills we introduce at our Turtle Tots swimming lessons. It is the first opportunity for us to show our babies what it feels like to enter the water chest first. As babies progress, they also learn to turn around and hold on to the poolside – this skill is the most important safety skill you can teach your child before they can swim independently.
For newborns and very little ones, this skill is practiced with lots of support and with gentle movements but as your child grows, they will be able to complete this skill with more independence.
Be mindful of the stage you are at in your lessons and practice your ready, steady, splashes whenever you go to the pool. Remember to encourage a big lean forward into the water (no bottom shuffling!) If your little one is sitting up securely and keen to lean forward, then let them try a submersion. Stand back a little and let them see the gap between you and they will tell you if they are happy to give it a go. The first moment a baby or toddler submerges themselves from the poolside is a proud moment for both parents and teachers.
We know that our families are set to have lots of fun in the water over the summer and we hope that practicing these fundamental skills will help your children continue to build on their confidence in the water during the break.
Don’t forget our TOP TEN WATER SAFETY TIPS whenever you’re visiting new places to swim during your holiday. But most of all, remember that swimming at home can be a fun and bonding experience for all involved. It’s a way to maintain the skills that they have gained and will only help to develop their strength, coordination, and water confidence for the future.
Happy holidays!
Turtle Tots Ireland has become the first swim school in Ireland to offer group swimming sessions for children with Autism; this follows one of their swimming teacher’s receiving world-class training from Australian-based Autism Swim.
Turtle Tots Ireland has grown to become a major name in the Irish baby swimming market, teaching more than 1000 babies and infants under 4 years old each week across Ireland. More recently, at Club Vitae in The Maldron Hotel in Tallaght they have been working with the Tallaght Parents Autism Support Group (TPASG) to bring specialist ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder)groupswim classes to Ireland for the first time.
Alan said: “Teaching young learners with an ASD/cognitive deficit has traditionally been offered on a private one to one tuition basis but through our partnership with Tallaght Parents Autism Support Group, we recognised the need for children (and their parents) to have the opportunity to access group swimming lessons, where they can socialise together, have fun, and receive the professional support they need to thrive and survive in the water.”
“Thanks to specialist training from Autism Swim, we are proud to become the first in Ireland that can offer group classes that have been designed specifically for this wonderful population group with teachers trained with their needs in mind. In the future, our aim is to open up these sessions to other communities across Ireland,” confirmed Alan.
Autism Swim is widely recognised as world leaders in wandering, drowning prevention and swimming for those with ASD/cognitive deficit.Autism Swim’s training programme has been developed combining the expertise of Autism Specialists, Behaviour Specialists, Occupational Therapists and Swimming Instructors, and gives teachers the knowledge, skills, resources and confidence needed, to most effectively teach swimmers who need extra support in the water – in addition to being able to provide effective advice to parents / carers.
Jo Woods, Head of Aquatics at Turtle Tots said: “I am thrilled that Turtle Tots Ireland is the first to offer group classes for children with Autism and their parents. This is part of a wider company commitment to ensure that our lessons are inclusive for all and cater for the needs of each individual child. We do this by training all our teachers to the very highest standards, not just in swimming technique but also in understanding early non-verbal communication and sensory awareness. By tuning in and responding to each child’s communication cues we can adapt each and every activity to suit that particular child, so every lesson is right for all.”
The first Turtle Tots group classes for children aged 2-6 years old will start at the Club Vitae Gym in the Maldron Hotel Tallaght in September 2020. For further information on Turtle Tots baby and pre-school swimming classes, which have received international recognition by being named amongst the best in family-friendly educational services by the Mom’s Choice Awards, please visit https://www.turtletots.ie/
Seeing your baby swim under the water is a magical moment for any parent. It’s a special time that you can share with your little one.
There are, however, some important reasons why you should get underwater with your baby and wear goggles when you are there!
Babies’ behaviour is their language, and we can tell a lot from body language if we are looking closely. Babies are communicating with us all the time, below and above the water. We encourage you to bring your own goggles and go underwater with your little one so that you can see how happy your baby is under there.
Without goggles on, or if adults remain above the water, we may miss the subtle signs that can tell us when little ones are ready to progress with their independent swims and stay swimming for a few seconds longer.
Equally we may miss the signs that tell us that baby needs your help to surface straight away. Careful attention to your baby’s cues and communication in the pool is essential for building and maintaining the relationship of trust in each other, and in the water.
So what are the signs that your baby is happy under the water?
Look out for bright eyes, a relaxed face, relaxed kicking and body movement.
And what signs should we be looking for to indicate that baby is not so comfortable under the water yet?
We look out for a cluster of signs (not just one!) including tension in face or body, tongue poking out, arms splayed out or fists clenched and back arched.
Why do I need to wear goggles?
Many parents tell us they don’t need goggles to be comfortable underwater. The goggles are not for our comfort, they can help us accurately see and read babies body language, which is much more difficult without goggles as they are just a blur!
Which goggles are the best for swimming with my little one?
The best goggles to buy are ones with clear straps and lenses, as babies can still see your eyes, rather than mirrored or very brightly coloured goggles which can unsettle them.
Babies get used to seeing you wearing goggles each time you swim, right from the start of their swimming journey, and tend to accept them as normal from the beginning.
Toddlers and goggles
Toddlers can start wearing goggles from the age of around 3 years old, although many other children will continue to swim without goggles for some time to come.
When toddlers start to wear goggles it can open up a whole magical world, when they can see clearly underwater!
We would advise that you let your toddler play and practice wearing goggles in the bath before wearing them in the pool, otherwise you may find you spend the whole lesson putting them on and off!
Suitable goggles for toddlers are available from our Turtle Tots shop.
Whether you join our toddler programme after finishing the baby levels, or join us as a toddler ‘newbie’, these lessons are all about building up your child’s confidence and independence in the pool through fun, games and songs, cleverly disguising the basics of swimming technique and safety practices.
The benefits you see from baby swimming are still very prominent at this stage. Lessons are great for building children’s confidence in social situations, it helps their coordination, eating and sleeping habits, and teaches them a skill that will stay with them for life.
Life with a toddler is invariably busy and so by having lessons with us, it also makes sure that your child has regular time in the water, which isn’t easy to do on your own once you factor in other children, work and a million other things on your weekly to do list.
So… what to expect?
Repetition, repetition, repetition!
The majority of the skills your child will learn during their toddler lessons are introduced in the baby lessons and so we take the time at toddler level to practice those skills and perfect them. If you join us in the toddler levels, don’t worry, you can easily catch up as toddlers love to learn new things. There is no fast track way to teach your child to swim and so through repeating and practising an exercise, we are helping to strengthen the neural pathway in their brains and the movement becomes more refined and efficient. In short, the more times they do it, the better they become at it. Whilst this can sometimes feel a bit tedious for a parent, it has been proven that this is how children learn best (just think of their ability to watch that episode of Paw Patrol for the umpteenth time!). Toddlers also tend to be wary of change, so in our toddler lessons we build up a familiar structure that little people come to recognise and feel comfortable in. This allows them to gain that all-important confidence and before you know it, they are ready to take their first attempt at solo swimming (be that with woggles, floats or going solo).
Confidence building
It is not unusual for a toddler to be wary or have developed fear of the water; we have lots of parents starting lessons at this stage precisely because of this. Building up a child’s confidence in the water is one of the key aims of the toddler programme as once they have confidence, they are happy and ready to learn the skills they need to be able to swim. We adopt a purely child-led approach to our lessons which means they are never pressured into joining in or doing something that they don’t want to do. Because of this, they can take their time, watch their classmates and then try things out when they are ready. This no-pressure approach also allows them to build trust in their carer and in the teacher, so they are more likely to want to take risks and try out new things. We throw a lot of toys, games, songs and activities into our lessons so there is always something going on to get them engaged too.
Skill development
Throughout the toddler levels, we build on what’s known as core aquatic skills. These are the building blocks to independent swimming, so things like being able to float, tread water and learning how and when to breathe when they swim, all form part of this. Although our lessons may look like a lot of games and play, we incorporate these skills into all of our games and lessons. This all helps them prepare for independent swimming when they are ready.
Give them choice
Toddlers being toddlers, they like to let us know who is the boss (and let’s face it, that is them most of the time!). We sometimes see toddlers go from loving the water, to refusing to do certain activities. To help with this, we try to offer them choices, so for example, let them choose between a blue woggle or a red one, or between a fish and a ball. These small changes give them a feeling of control over the activities and can distract them from their refusal and before you know it they are taking part again. A refusal to take part in something in lesson is no different from children asserting their will outside of the pool and whilst it can be frustrating as a parent, with a bit of patience, consistency and encouragement, we usually see them back to their splashy selves in no time.
Plateaus and Progress Leaps
One thing that becomes more obvious as your little ones grow, is that children don’t learn in a linear pattern. A characteristic of this stage is something we call plateauing; so, your little one could attend lessons week on week and you may see little progress. This can be disheartening as a parent (especially if you look at other children in the lesson who may be doing something your little one is struggling with) but in this plateauing time, they are taking in information and processing it. This often leads to a progress leap where they suddenly gain a new skill or bunch of skills and are eager to show them off to everyone. This makes the weeks of practice worthwhile.
Conclusions
When you consider that 1 in 3 children in the UK between the age of 10-16 cannot currently swim (STA May 2017), getting your toddler in the pool and confident before they even start school is giving them a huge head start. The toddler years offer challenges to both us as teachers and you as parents, but they also offer great rewards. Seeing a confident toddler getting to grips with independent swimming and really loving the water makes it all worthwhile. It is also lovely to witness the friendships that are formed between our turtles and also with us teachers. Practice, Patience and Praise will open the door to some great new splashy adventures!
