For a long time, we have heard from experts about the benefits of enrolling your infant in starter swim lessons. In fact, many studies show strong evidence that children who start with infant swimming lessons (age <1) enjoy many benefits in their development. These are five great reasons to start your chilc off with infant swim lessons:

1. Lessons help your baby in Cognitive Development:

A major study conducted over a four-years with almost 7,000 child participants found that young children who had baby swimming lessons showed more cognitive development than children their age who had not. The study concluded that baby swimmers were:

• 11 months ahead of the non-swimmers in verbal skills
• 6 months ahead in math skills
• 2 months ahead in literacy skills
• 17 months ahead in story recall
• 20 months ahead in following directions

All versus non-swimming children the same age.

2. Improved Movement and Coordination:

A 2010 Norwegian study demonstrated how baby swimmers tend to have better balance and and more coordinated than non-swimming children in the study. In The Norwegian University of Science and Technology study looked at the results of19 baby swimmers with 19 other children that had not received baby swim lessons.  The result was that the  swimmers who started as babies clearly had better balance and could grasp items better than those children who did not participate in swimming lessons as babies. 

3. Early baby sensory development:

We know that babies that receive more sensory stimulation  benefit from this development.  Professor Van der Meer’s research on 100s of children over years confirmed that sensory perception, motor skills, and brain development all happen simultaneously.   A baby’s brain is more malleable in the earlier months of life. As a result, babies need the stimulation and challenge of activities such as swim lessons, at am appropriate level starting from the time they are born.

4. Promotes Water Safety In Later Years:

Although there are inconclusive studies about the reduced risk of drowning in ages one-to-four, starting swimming lessons as a baby get kids comfortable with the water, create bonding time between the mother and infant, and provide the baby with survival techniques that can be applied later in life.

5. Confidence Around Water:

There are many studies showing that baby swimming lessons help children achieve a higher level of self-confidence. One such study showed that children who received early swimming lessons year-round displayed better self-esteem & self-control, and a stronger desire to succeed.

Because of the numerous benefits swimming lessons as a baby, there are many early swim programs that offer swimming lessons for infants, toddlers and older children. However, regardless of the starting age or experience level, children always require adult supervision for safety.