Toddler Swimming Lessons
Our lessons for toddlers aged 18 months to 2 years 11 months are a natural progression from baby swimming and carefully designed to balance technique, safety skills, floating, games and songs with an emphasis on having fun!
THE PATH TO INDEPENDENT SWIMMING
Our Turtle Tots toddler lessons are a great way to teach your child to swim and will develop your toddler’s water confidence and stroke development, helping them progress to independent swimming. We consolidate the fundamental skills your child has already learnt and introduce new skills too. You’ll see your child’s strength and confidence increasing, as they become more independent.
Play is an essential part of early development and we use songs and games in the lessons, with the emphasis on learning though having fun. Lessons improve balance and co-ordination. They also focus on promoting water confidence and early stroke practices, helping them to progress towards independent swimming. By this time, most children are happily self-submerging multiple times within each lesson and this remains under their control.
During this phase there is a stronger focus on developing aquatic breathing techniques so that younger toddlers learn to exhale as they swim and then surface to breathe. Water safety is of course key to our lessons and we build your child’s ability to assess and make judgements about risk – they will also further develop their knowledge of water safety techniques, enabling them to be as safe as possible around water. Our lessons for younger toddlers are fun-packed and energetic for both toddler and parent! We incorporate themed lessons into our programme to keep lessons feeling fresh and exciting.
THE BENEFITS OF SWIMMING
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why teach my toddler to swim?
The Turtle Tots philosophy is to ensure safety and water confidence, encouraging parents to fully utilise the benefits and enjoyment that can have swimming with their children – whether that is at our lessons, on holiday or trips to the pool. We also provide a great social environment for parents and toddlers, giving them the opportunity to meet other families and children, forging friendships for life.
When will my child learn to swim on their own?
The age a child learns to swim independently depends on many factors including ability, confidence, and regularity of swimming.
Introducing children to Turtle Tots from an early age, and continue regular lessons, means that by the age of 3 and a half many children will be swimming short distances independently.
Do lessons include submersions
Swimming underwater is not the main focus of Turtle Tots swimming lessons. Our award-winning swim programme does include natural submersions once your little one is ready. This will be different for every child and our teachers are fully trained to understand when this will be. However, most of our activities take place above the water, with lots of fun and games.
More Information About Our Lessons and Classes
May 19, 2026
Swimming with Grommets: How to Keep Your Little Turtle Splashing Safely!
January 12, 2026
Soccer Stars: A Kids Activity Every Parent Should Know About
December 24, 2025
Underwater Photoshoots: The Low-down
October 16, 2025
Charity Duck Race 2025: Childhood Cancer Ireland
October 13, 2025
Jumping For Joy
October 01, 2025
Top Tips For Tough Toddlers
September 02, 2025
Why Do Babies Need Thermal Layers for Swimming Lessons?
June 03, 2025
Why the Right Pool Matters for Your Baby’s First Swimming Lessons
February 05, 2025
Making a Splash for Mental Health: How Swimming Supports Children’s Wellbeing
June 21, 2024
Drowning Prevention Week – How To Stay Safe This Summer
October 21, 2023
Time To Ditch The Disposable Nappy
July 19, 2023
Summer Holiday Swim Skills To Practice At Home
Reviews
Posted on Google Sinéad McCabe01/07/2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Really enjoyed the lessons and I now feel more confident taking my baby swimming. Our teacher Kimberlie Rose is so kind and patient with the babies, cannot recommend Turtle Tots enough.Posted on Google Claire o'connor28/06/2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Liam loved his swimming lessonsPosted on Google Ana Silva10/06/2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My daughter has started swimming lesson with Turtle Tots, for the first time, for the summer time and we are having so much fun. As a parent I think swimming is such a great, fun and important skill. The classes are well elaborated for the young ones, and our teacher Niamh Doyle is great. Would highly recommend.Posted on Google Claire Bedford10/06/2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Really recommend turtle tots, excellent instructors, child led and child focused. Small classes with great interactionPosted on Google Keelin Hughes09/06/2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great lessons, fun for parents and babyPosted on Google Stacey Murray08/06/2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My little boy Ollie loves going to Turtle Tots every week. It’s amazing to see how much his confidence has grown over the last few months. Thank you to Emer for making the classes super fun, will definitely be enrolling in the Autumn term. ☺️Posted on Google Shane Kennedy07/06/2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. I've done Turtle Tots with both of my daughters in the Clayton in Cork and they both absolutely flourished in the classes. Their confidence grew hugely over the courses, as did their enjoyment of it. The teachers are absolutely amazing and really respond to every child's needs during the class.Posted on Google Dervla07/06/2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great instructor, both my boys really enjoy going every week, it’s a fun and stress free lesson.Posted on Google Siobhan Ní Dhufaidh07/06/2025Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Really enjoying the classes in Liffey Valley with Veronika. She has made us both feel at ease in the water despite my daughter only being 4 months old. The classes are fun too which keeps baby entertained.
