5 Reasons to take your children swimming this Winter
by Guest Blogger: Amanda – Water Babies Swimming Lessons – Edinburgh, Glasgow & Ayrshire
Winter Swimming in Scotland
Taking your little one swimming has many benefits to support their development as they continue to grow. As other children’s activities stop due to the elements, indoor swimming isn’t impacted by seasonal changes and can be enjoyed throughout the year in toasty, warm pools regardless of the weather when the winter months start rolling in. When the temperature starts to drop outside, it can be tempting to stay out of the swimming pool. But there are some key benefits of baby swimming during the winter months. To shed some light on the importance of keeping little one’s water confidence throughout the year, keep reading!
Building Water Confidence
We use repetition a lot within our lessons, to help babies and toddlers understand key safety skills to grow their water confidence. It supports their cognitive development so they can retain the information which they’re learning within their lessons. Practising these skills in and out of lessons supports little one’s memory of skills and their progression. Keeping the routine of going to lessons also contributes to their learning and understanding of the skills taught in lessons.
Physical Benefits
Over the last few years, never has it been more important for families to stay healthy. The physical benefits of baby swimming mean that throughout the year, you’re keeping your little one active and fit to support all the key physical developments swimming encourages, such as:
- Strong heart and lung functions
- Improved appetites
- Typically walk earlier
- Better balance and better at grasping things1
- Significantly stronger and more co-ordinated2
- Improved sleeping patterns
Social Development
In the winter months, you’re more likely to be at home indoors, where there’s limited amount of energy release for little ones and social interaction with children of a similar age to them. Swimming lessons are a great way to:
- Continue little one’s learning a skill for life in a safe environment
- Socialise with other babies to help grow their social development skills
- And have some fun!
It’s also a great opportunity for carers to meet and connect with other mums and dads in their classes.
Bonding Time
Swimming also provides a special opportunity for some skin-to-skin bonding time with your little one, with no distractions and limitations. For that time in the pool, it’s just you and your baby learning key water skills together.
What to Take Swimming in the Winter
There are a few extras your baby may need when attending swimming lessons during the winter months. But essentially, you just need to wrap your little one up nice and warm for when they leave the venue after their lesson. This includes:
- Bring a towel or dressing gown with a hood onto poolside to wrap your little one in after class for the walk back to the change rooms
- Pack a hat or earmuffs for your baby (and yourself!) for after the lesson
- Dry little one’s ears before leaving the venue
- Have a hot water bottle in a towel for when you get out
- Onesies are a great way to keep little ones warm after classes
Water Babies offer swimming lessons across Edinburgh, Glasgow and Ayrshire from birth to 6 years old. Lessons are held in pools such as Dalkeith Hydro Pool, Dalmahoy Country Club, Holiday Inn East Kilbride, Marriott Hotel Glasgow and Viewfield Manor, Kilwinning plus many more. Check out all their available locations here
For more information about our lessons this winter get in touch!
0131 554 6682
