We talk a lot about the physical and mental benefits of swimming and probably don’t focus enough attention on the fun side. You know what we mean: the excitement of jumping into a pool and the joy that comes from making new friends and spending time with family. In this blog, we go some way to redressing that balance.
As we grow older and take on more responsibilities, we tend to forget about the importance of just larking around and having fun. Remember the excitement you felt running down the beach, making a beeline for the waves breaking on the shoreline? And the competitions you had with your friends to find out who could do the best dive or the splashiest bomb in the pool.
Kids love swimming! The fact is, among children aged 5 to 10 in England, swimming is the favourite sport, followed by football. It can be so enjoyable stretching our limbs and our imaginations with fun new games featuring great white sharks, submarines, mermaids and treasure lying on the bottom of the ocean.
The social side of swimming
While it might just look like fun, when your children are playing with their peers in the pool or taking part in group lessons, they’re busy developing their social skills without even knowing it.
This development is really useful for any boy or girl, but particularly those who struggle to make friends at school. Regular practice of successfully ‘getting on with others’ can contribute to improved behaviour and performance outside the pool in other areas of their life.
As they adapt to a completely new setting and interact with class instructors and fellow swimmers, children are building their confidence and their self-esteem. Soon you can find you have a completely new child on your hands, one bursting with pride and enjoying life to the max. This new-found confidence can be as rewarding for parents as watching their son or daughter swim their first length or pick up an award for some new achievement in the pool.
Better relationships at home too
Time in and around the pool can also bring families closer together with positive shared experiences creating happy memories. The wonderful thing about swimming lessons for the kids is that, when you think about it, they can easily benefit three generations of the same family.
So, for example, it won’t just be children who have the opportunity to make new friends at their swimming lessons. The pace of everything around the pool is different from the school gate where, with all the comings and goings, it can be difficult to forge meaningful friendships with other parents. At the pool, you’re there watching your child doing their lessons over several weeks, along with the other parents. This provides you with the perfect opportunity to develop friendships slowly and steadily over, say, a relaxing cup of coffee.
Enjoyment for the grandparents
Even grandparents can enjoy the benefits of swimming lessons for the little ones.
For those lucky enough to live nearby, swimming lessons provide the opportunity to build even stronger bonds if they can also take their grandchildren to the pool every week. After watching the action in the water, they will then have the chance to hear all about the best bits on the drive home.
Half of those grandparents surveyed said that doing things with the grandkids kept them physically and mentally active, while 38% admitted that it gave them a new sense of purpose.
Not all swim schools are the same
Some parents prefer to teach their children themselves, but many would rather leave that to the experts. To get the most value from swimming lessons and to ensure your child has the most fun while they learn, it pays to do your research to find the best teacher possible. As the world’s largest independent swim school in the UK, Swimtime’s standards are higher than most.
All our teachers are qualified to internationally recognised standards with a swimming teaching qualification at Level 2 from a leading Awarding Body such as Swim England or STA. Our teachers will also have a rescue qualification, First Aid training and safeguarding certification.
For over 20 years, Swimtime has developed knowledge and experience that not just complies with internationally recognised standards but even plays an active role in forming them. Swimtime is a member of the International Swim School Association that helps shape the educational and strategic direction of the industry.
If you’d like to give your child the opportunity to learn to swim, with all the benefits that come with that, you’ll find it’s easy to book swimming lessons in your local area using our online lesson finder.
