Baby and tots swimming lessons

Enjoy your baby's first aquatic experience in the warm soothing waters of the leisure pool.

Positive early learning experiences will lead to a child's lifelong love of water. Our dedicated and experienced staff will nurture you and your infant through a 30-minute class, with up to eight babies per class.

The lessons teach you and your child on how to be water wise and safe in and around the water. The water familiarisation classes encourage you to praise, reassure, and applaud your baby's natural curiosity.

Through play and song, babies kick and float, exploring the water's buoyancy which acts like an invisible helping hand.

Age groups

Baby age groups

• Little Water Bubs: 3 – 6 months
• Baby 1: 6 – 12 months
• Baby 2: 12 – 18 months

Tots age groups

• Tots 1: 18 – 24 months
• Tots 2: 24 – 36 months
• Tots 3: First time swimmers turning three years within the booked term

Please note, an adult is required to be in the water with the child for the duration of the lesson.

For more information or to enrol, please call the Swim School office at Cannington on 6350 7300 or at Riverton on 9231 0900, or email us.

Program

Your infant's aquatic program provides a balanced and comprehensive aquatic experience.

Our trainers are experienced AUSTSWIM trained Infant Instructors. They will enable parents and infants to share in the swimming experience. Parents are guided through activities that develop water familiarisation, exploration, and water safety skills.

Skills are introduced gradually and never forced on crying babies. Infants acquire skills at their own rate and we will never push them beyond their ability.

Canning Swim School's Baby program is committed to facilitating lifelong swimming skills. Our classes focus on all aspects of water safety:

1. Supervise – always keep watch of your child and be within arm's reach around water.
2. Prevent – your child's unsupervised access to water at all times.
3. Learn – teach your child to be water confident. Swimming lessons do not replace supervision. They provide essential skills which may prevent your child from drowning.
4. Respond – learn CPR and call 000 in an emergency.

Benefits of swimming for infants and toddlers

Introducing your child to swimming lessons at an early age creates many physical and social benefits:

• Great exercise – improves cardiovascular fitness and helps develop muscles, strength, heart and lungs.
• Improves coordination – activities in lessons develop motor skills and balance.
• Self-confidence – confidence to learn and achieve increase as their skills develop.
• Better sleeping and eating patterns – exercise stimulates the appetite and results in babies who sleep and eat better on lesson days.

Helpful hints

• Please wait for instructions from your teacher before entering and exiting the water.
• For classes in the Riverton Leisureplex Program Pool, access is allowed 10 minutes before your lesson. This gives you time to change your baby.
• We do not recommend feeding your baby immediately before your swimming lesson.
• Health regulations prevent babies from entering the spa due to high water temperatures.
• Swimwear can be a swim nappy or bathers that are tightly fitting around the leg. Suitable swimwear is available to buy from main reception.
• Please do not remove swimwear in the water. Always dispose of wet nappies in the bins provided.
• If a toileting accident occurs, infants should be immediately removed from the water. Please thoroughly wash them before returning to their lesson.
• Please do not swim if your baby is unwell.
• Your teacher will educate you on the safe practices of submersions. Please do not continually submerge your infant as this can lead to hyponatremia (water intoxication). Submersions are only done when an infant shows signs of readiness.
• Young infants may not shiver when they are cold. Signs that may indicate your baby is cold include loss of body colour, unsettled behaviour, lack of interest, and tiredness.
• Praise your infant for attempting a task even if the task was not performed perfectly. This will boost their confidence and encourage trying new activities.
• Most importantly, have fun and enjoy your swimming lessons!