What is the right age to start swimming lessons?

Swimming is a vital skill for children in Australia to learn. It’s also great for physical and mental health. Read on to find out everything you need to know about kids’ swimming lessons, including the right age to start.

Swimming pool safety

We Australians love our pools. Over 2.7 million of us live in a house with a backyard pool. Perth has the second highest number of any location in the country. We also have plenty of beaches, creeks and other waterways that we use as swimming holes.

It’s little wonder. The weather in Perth and in most parts of the country is ideal for us all to enjoy the water for many months of the year. Tragically though, the latest figures from the Royal Life Saving Society show that 25 children aged between 0 and 17 drowned in 2020.

This sobering statistic highlights the need to teach all of our children to swim as early as possible.

Skills for life

Being comfortable in the water and learning important lifesaving skills is essential not only to be safe in the backyard pool, but anywhere that children go to splash, cool off and have fun. A huge percentage of Australia’s population lives near beaches, including people in Perth.

Learning to swim should be an important part of every child’s development. It’s a skill for life that also saves lives.

When should my child start swimming lessons?

There is no ‘right’ age to start swimming lessons. The main thing is that your child learns to swim as early as possible. There are specialised swimming lessons for children of all ages and abilities, from babies through to teenagers.

• Parent and baby classes introduce babies to the water from 6 months of age up to 3 years. They help babies and toddlers to build confidence and feel comfortable in the water.
  Parents are in the water with their babies in these classes, so it’s enjoyable for everyone. Classes run for 30 minutes and provide not only a great learning experience, but a chance to bond even more while doing a fun activity.
• Pre-school classes are for 3-5 year old’s, Children at these ages can start to develop more independence in the water. Classes run for 30 minutes and focus on physical, social, emotional and cognitive development.
• School-age classes are for children from the ages of 5-15. These 30-minute classes are structured for children from beginners to intermediate level. They focus on stroke techniques for freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke.
  As they progress, children will learn survival strokes and competitive training skills and capabilities such as diving and endurance.
• Squad swimming classes are for 8-15 year-old swimmers who have mastered the basics. They include junior, intermediate and senior programs to develop technique, test endurance, increase fitness and advance current skill levels. Squads are also a fabulous way to meet friends in a healthy environment.

What should I look for in a swim class?

Good swimming classes for children and teenagers should have all of the following characteristics:

• lessons should be fun as well as instructional.
• a small student to instructor ratio to maximise interaction and learning opportunities.
• diversity to cater for children of different ages and ability levels.
• good word-of-mouth and online testimonials from both parents and students.

In addition, the swim school offering the classes should be a member of the Australian Swim Schools Association.

What should I look for in a swim instructor?

A good swim instructor should have all of the following characteristics:

• fully qualified with expert knowledge (AUSTSWIM accredited).
• the ability to relate well to children and to adapt to different needs. Children learn at different rates and have different personalities. Good swimming instructors cater for these individual differences.
• the ability to make lessons fun and engaging for children.

How we can help

If you’re looking for kids swimming classes, look no further than HBF Arena at Joondalup! We have the best learn to swim classes Perth has to offer.

Kids’ swimming lessons are available all year round in our heated, indoor, state-of-the art pools. We have flexible class times and continuous programs to cater for all ages and ability levels.

All of our instructors are fully qualified and class numbers are deliberately kept low to maximise learning. All of our instructors are accredited by AUSTSWIM and we are a member of the Australian Swim Schools Association.

Contact us today to find out more or simply drop in to check out our facilities. We’d love to see you!