Not only is swimming an important life skill for your kids from a safety standpoint, but there’s a TON of emotional, developmental and physical benefits to getting babies in the water at an early age. It’s such a great bonding opportunity to spend time splashing and smiling with your little one.
That’s actually why I started bringing mine to Goldfish Swim School West Chester. They offer swim classes for kids starting as early as 4 months! Kids ages four to 35 months-old can enjoy a weekly 30 minute class in the water with mom or dad working on basic water and swim safety skills with the help of an instructor. Their pool is kept at 90 degrees to make the water inviting and comfortable for all swimmers all year round.
The classes are fun and interactive for babies and their parents. You’re holding them and guiding them through the various swim skills the entire 30 minutes. It’s actually a really good arm workout — I count it for my exercise of the day!
Mini Class activities include singing group songs, practicing tummy time, and getting little ones comfortable in the water. Babies practice their grasp reflex, move on to holding onto the wall and eventually inching their way down it. With the help of mom or dad, babies work on their pulling paddle, “Superman” glides, sea otter floats and kicks. As babies progress through the Mini Program, they work on crab walking, getting out of the pool safely by climbing up using the “fin, belly, flipper, flipper” technique and breath control.
In addition to weekly Mini Classes, Goldfish offers family swim several times a week so parents can spend time together in the water with baby practicing the water acclimation skills they learned in class.
And the facility is awesome too. There’s a viewing area for parents and siblings and a cool play area to entertain kiddos when they aren’t in the pool. And there are a ton of showers, changing rooms, and even a hair dry station that makes it fun for kids to get ready to go home.
I definitely encourage you to check out Goldfish Swim School West Chester. Both my girls LOVE it there. And I love it too — especially these Mini Classes. They have them at times that are convenient for every family’s schedule, so contact them for more info and see about enrolling your baby in a FREE TRIAL Mini Class! Hey, you can’t beat free!
Go to www.westchester.goldfishswimschool.com to learn more.