Parent & Toddler

Start classes with your baby from 3 months to 3 Years

When you introduce your baby to swimming early, it prepares them to be confident swimmers later in life. Swimming is a natural experience for babies, Sean`s Swim School planned activities will achieve much more than just letting your baby splash about!

Building bonds through water play

As you reassure and guide your baby through our lesson activities, it'll strengthen the bond between you. Lessons are very sociable and give you an opportunity to make new friends.

Helping your baby develop physically and mentally

Our instructors teach in the pool using natural buoyancy to improve your baby's co-ordination and balance, develop muscle control and strengthen their heart and lungs. Progressive exercises encourage them to move independently, hold onto the side and boost their confidence in the water. But more than that, our unique Swimming Nature programme also uses words, symbols, sounds and gestures - teaching your baby to respond to commands which can help facilitate mental alertness and improve their level of understanding. Fun activities stimulate their memory, problem solving and abstract thinking.

What will your child learn?

Learning to swim as a baby will teach your child to be wonderfully confident in the water. Introducing babies to underwater swimming requires a very gentle and gradual process. The weekly and gradual repetition and a carefully controlled structure mean babies happily and quickly become familiar with it. They will come to understand what will happen next, recognising commands that precipitate going underwater. Your baby will gradually build their skills and, by the age of two, should be able to complete short underwater swims towards their parent or to the side of the pool. The underwater work forms a small proportion of what happens in our classes and the majority of the lesson takes place on the surface.

The Benefits of Starting Early

The programme is designed to help baby's development in the following areas:

• Social: The swimming lessons help to strengthen the bond between parent and baby as well as introducing them to other babies for more social interaction.

• Physical: The lack of gravity in a water environment helps to improve co-ordination and balance, helping to develop excellent muscles control.

• Language: New words, symbols, sounds and gestures are introduced throughout the programme to communicate and improve baby's vocabulary, use of language and stimulate their little brains.

• Cognitive: Swimming lessons improve memory, problem solving and abstract thought abilities in a stimulating and safe environment.

• Creative: Imaginative play is used and encouraged throughout lessons and practices can be used by parents at home and away from lessons to encourage baby's development.

• Emotional: Progressive exercises encourage babies to move independently in the water and hold onto the side which boosts their confidence reducing the risk of them developing a fear of water.

Moving On

We are very proud of our little swimmers who learn to swim naturally, without any permanent floatation devices, and who display great water confidence. By the time your child is three years old they will be ready to take classes without you, whereby they will use the skills learnt to swim the four strokes, becoming strong, competent swimmers.

Babies Swimming Kit

There are a few items that can bring to make the whole experience more comfortable for your baby and you. You will need to bring a swimming costume and towel for yourself.

Change yourself first and then get your baby changed. Please bring your own baby changing mat too. Bring towels and/or robes to the poolside to keep warm before and after the lesson.

Your baby will need a disposable Aqua nappy (available from most supermarkets) together with a Splash about Happy Nappy over it. An alternative to this is to purchase disposable Aqua nappies and complement the look with either a BabySnug or BabyWrap to ensure your infant is cosy and warm in the pool! To assist you take a look at our baby swimming accessories page we have listed a few items that may be of interest.

Babies must have their swim kit on before entering the pool.