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Introducing your Baby to Swimming

At JoJo, we love to work closely with experts to bring you helpful, trustworthy advice. That’s why we’ve written this blog post in collaboration with Aine Halton-Hanley from Water Babies who has over 25 years of experience in helping little ones develop essential swimming skills and confidence in the water.

From their first paddle moments to capturing their happy, confident smiles, baby swimming is not only a great form of exercise, but it will open up a new world of enjoyment that brings so many benefits! There’s physical development, psychological and sensory, as well as the unique bonding experience you’ll share with your baby. It’s a much-loved family activity. So, if you’re thinking of signing your little one up for their very first baby swimming classes, we’re here to help you wade through the information you need and dive into the facts with a few drip drops of top tips on getting started (from the bath to the pool!) to help ease your little one into the water and nurture their love for it.

Key Benefits of Baby Swimming

Swimming is a well-known form of exercise that carries so many positives! Aine from Water Babies shares a few of the best benefits of baby swimming below:

Independent movement. Did you know babies can swim before they can walk? By being in a safe environment, the water helps them explore their balance meaning they’ll become a lot more coordinated out of the water too!
Teaches buoyancy and hand-eye coordination. As well as reducing pressure on joints, pool time activities such as reaching for toys help develop their finer motor skills in their hands, wrists, feet and toes.
Builds strength. Not only does baby swimming help strengthen their arm, leg and neck muscles - but their heart and lungs too!
Strengthens connections to their brain. The cross-lateral movements needed with swimming builds nerve pathways, helping the brain to store and retrieve information.
Supports social development and bonding experience. Focused time in the water as well as skin to skin contact creates a calm and comforting experience the two of you will share. It’s also a special time to grow their confidence as they connect with other babies and toddlers in the class, learning in a safe space, whilst also having fun - they’ll soon associate swimming as a positive experience!
Enhances water safety and prevents drowning. The most important one of all! Learning to swim is a lifesaving skill and exposing children from a young age in a safe, controlled environment such as swimming lessons can help them understand the importance of water safety.
Helps aid eating and sleeping patterns - Say hello to improved appetites and better quality sleep - hooray!
Accessibility. No matter their age or ability, swimming lessons create an environment where everyone can flourish! And there’s a whole range of benefits with babies and toddler with disabilities and learning difficulties.

Tips for getting them familiar with water

It can feel a little daunting when taking your little one to their first swimming lesson, but worry not! There are lots of small things you can do to prepare yourself and your baby for their very first lesson.

The best place to start is with their bath time routine. Their familiarity with water will start here, so laugh, splash, play and sing away! By creating a reassuring environment, it will serve as gentle encouragement that the water is a fun and safe place to be.

Aine's top tip:

A gentle way to build their water confidence is to say, “[Name], are you ready? ... Go!”, then calmly splash water over the top of their forehead. Be sure to pause between “ready” and “go” before applying the water. This will help them get used to the sensation of water on their face and gives them a clear cue for what’s about to happen.

“You can build your baby’s water confidence, wherever you are. Our Water Babies Learn Series is a free resource for you to enjoy and help to start building your baby’s water confidence from birth.”

Our highly-qualified teachers pass on their knowledge and expertise through our practical videos, which show you key skills you can do with your little one, wherever you are"

Whether you’re learning in the sink, bath, or swimming pool, this little video will help you.

Another thing to consider is water temperature. Babies who are less than 12 weeks should only be in pools heated to at least 32°C. Older babies can be in pools heated to 30°C and toddlers under 2 years can swim in 29°C as long as they are wearing a wetsuit. if you’re worried about this, you can always ring your local pool in advance - and rest assured that a Water Babies swim lesson means staff will always make sure you’re in the right temperature pool with your little one.

When can you start?

The question many parents wonder is: When can babies go swimming? The great news is, it’s never too early to introduce your baby to the water! Aine states; ‘According to NHS guidelines, babies can begin swimming at any age — even before they’ve had their vaccinations. At Water Babies, we welcome little ones from birth in our specially heated hydrotherapy pools, maintained at a toasty 32°C to ensure even the tiniest swimmers stay warm and comfortable. In fact, our youngest swimmer joined us at just one day old! Babies are born with a natural connection to water, and early exposure not only nurtures that bond but also helps build water confidence and vital swimming skills. The safety and wellbeing of your little one is at the heart of everything we do, and we take all our cues from them. Through gentle song, sensory play, and engaging repetition, our baby and toddler lessons are carefully designed to develop your baby’s natural instincts and transform these into core aquatic skills.’

What to bring for a swim?

Packing your pool bag? Here’s a list of all the bits and bobs you’ll need for a splash-perfect lesson:

☐ Baby swim nappies. Water Babies strongly recommend the Happy Nappy.™ “It’s tested and approved,” Aine says, “the only one that can guarantee against leakages”

☐ Reusable or paper swim nappy – Water Babies states on their website, “You’ll need to wear a reusable or paper swim nappy under your Happy Nappy™ to adhere to our double layer system, or you can opt for a swim nappy that has a layer built in!”

☐ Baby wetsuits (if you’re swimming in pools heated to 29°C)

☐Baby sunsafe suits are great for sun protection if you’re headed to a heated outdoor pool. (they do not add a layer of warmth)

☐ Baby swimsuits and baby swim shorts are also a great option for toddlers. We also have some matching pieces in our maternity range so you can match with your mini for the day (Psst! Water Babies do an underwater photoshoot!)

☐ Baby swim shoes (great for protecting little toes if they’re toddling around in and out of the baby pool!)

☐ Baby towels and cover-ups for bundling up your little one

☐ Changing mat – Our fold-up travel changing mat is compact and easy to store in your swim bag.

☐ Baby hats, little heads get cold easily after swimming.

☐ Bath toys. Toys and floats will most likely be provided in your swim lessons, but for days when you’ll be visiting the pool for play, a floating ball or toy will bring hours of endless fun!

☐ Swimwear for yourself

☐ Snacks and a drink on the way home - Swimming builds up an appetite!