Did you know that a survey has revealed that an alarming majority of children in the UK, specifically three-quarters of them, spend less time outdoors than individuals incarcerated in prisons.

The survey further states that this decline in outdoor activity is due to parents' fears, intensive use of digital technology, and insufficient green spaces.

But the good news is that there is a fun-filled, adventurous, and lovable lifelong skill that can keep your child busy and also add to their social and emotional development.

This skill is swimming.

Parents usually have fears like drowning and gulping of pool water by the children. But these reasons blow in the air if you choose a personal swimming trainer for your kids or opt for a safe swimming school. 

 

Swimming is fun, and children love to engage themselves in activities that are enjoyable and entertaining. Swimming is not only an everlasting skill. It has various valuable benefits. 

Children love to play in the water. They enjoy being in the water and moving around freely. Kids always learn more when their learning is fun and activity-based.

Have you ever seen your kids playing in the pool? Have you heard the splashes, giggles, and joyful chaos during the swimming lessons? It is not just about having fun at the pool; they are learning a lifelong skill that benefits them in uncountable ways.

Playing during a swimming lesson makes it a fun activity and helps your kids develop the confidence to cope with life's challenges. The bonds built while playing in the pool last forever. These friendships go beyond water edges and build joyful memories. 

Importance of Playing in the Pool:

Let's dive in to understand the importance of playing in the pool…

Confidence building:

Learning to swim when playing in the pool builds confidence in children. It encourages them to make their own choices. While playing in the pool, kids develop the confidence to cope with success and failure. They understand how to enjoy success and overcome the feelings of failure. Swimming fosters the confidence of the sportsman spirit.

Group games help kids to adapt to the group environment. It teaches them teamwork, coordination, and communication.

A study published in 2010 reinforces that the children who learned swimming between 2 months and four years were more independent, confident, and could better respond to new situations.

Social and Emotional Development:

The bonds built in water stay forever with the kids. The friendships made during swim lessons help children build the confidence to work cooperatively. The kids actively make friends and like to enjoy together. 

Kids become attached to their friends and the toys they take for swimming. They don't let their friends and toys go away from them. So they are always ready to catch them. That's how they also learn to swim. 

Advanced Development and Growth:

Children who play in the pool and enjoy their lessons show better growth and mental development. Researchers at Griffith University surveyed 7,000 parents with children under five years of age. They concluded that kids who learn swimming at a young age achieve mental and physical milestones earlier than the non-swimmers.

The researchers also found that the children who learned swimming early performed well in their problem-solving skills. There was no gender difference, and all the children performed better than those who didn't know how to swim.

Improved Language:

Children learn from their peers. When playing in the water, children interact with each other. They call out to each other, scream, and giggle together. This way, they learn new words and new pronunciations. 

Uttering the first word is a beautiful milestone parents usually look up to. And after swimming classes and socializing in the pool with friends, this milestone is achieved sooner than expected. Listening to the trainer's instructions, the child naturally learns and absorbs new words.

Cognitive Development: 

Cognitive skills like problem-solving, imagination, and creativity are all abilities that are built and improved while learning to swim in a relaxed, fun, and activity-based environment.

Children are less interested in learning in a dull and monotonous ambiance. Incorporating games, playtime, and exciting activities makes children learn quickly, improving motor skills. 

The utilization of bilateral cross-patterning movements, which require the coordination of both sides of the body to carry out actions, has been shown to facilitate the growth and development of your baby's brain. Allowing communication, feedback, and modulation to occur seamlessly between both sides of the brain dramatically enhances cognitive function. Due to this, children improve their 

• Reading skills
• Language
• Academics
• Spatial awareness

The study at Griffith University also states that children who learn to swim are six to fifteen months ahead of those who don't know how to swim. 

Improves Fitness and Stamina:

Swimming lessons not only build confidence and improve cognitive skills but also improve fitness and stamina. Engaging in a non-competitive activity like swimming can give your child a chance to boost their self-confidence and develop a positive perception of their body. When you promote a positive attitude towards exercise, you effectively encourage your child to engage in sports activities at school.

When children are not encouraged to exercise, they stay inside and use mobiles and iPads, thus losing an exciting opportunity to play and interact with other kids.

Swimming builds muscle strength and makes your child healthy both mentally and physically. Swimming strengthens your kid's heart and lungs and helps develop flexible joints.

 

Improves Coordination and Balance:

Along with building muscles, swimming while playing with pool toys and friends improves your kids' coordination and balance.

When playing in the pool, children try to chase each other and fastly move their tiny legs and arms. This coordinated movement improves their balance.

Improves Sleep and Appetite:

Staying in the pool and playing with peers requires a lot of energy. After burning so many calories, your child feels hungry and sleepy. You may notice increased appetite and sleep patterns on pool days, which is normal. So give your kid extra care on pool days.

Playing with the Pool toys:

Games and toys are an essential part of a child's life. According to a study published in 2021, toys play a crucial role in fostering the development of cognitive, motor, psychosocial, emotional, and linguistic abilities in children.

Playing is an essential and most entertaining part of the swimming lessons. But it can be taken to the next level by using pool toys. Pool toys are a source of attraction for the kids and an exciting way to keep them motivated to learn.

Now let's take a look at why pool toys are an essential component of swim lessons:

Encourage kids to step in water:

Sometimes, it may be overwhelming for the kids to step into the water. However, floating toys may be a great tool to encourage kids to step into the water and start exploring a whole new world of water.

Floating toys are used as a guide for the kids. Kids are visual learners (copycats). They do what they see by swimming and showing your kid the toy. You can grab your baby's attention. They will start moving their arms and legs to reach the toy. In this way, they will start learning how to swim.

When your baby goes underwater to retrieve a toy, they understand how buoyancy works. In this way, they gradually develop confidence in how they should behave in water.

Even when using the pool floating toys, parents and trainers should always keep an eye on the kids and let them play under your careful supervision.

 

Mastering breath Control:

Swimming is all about controlling your breathing mechanism. Toys are the best tool when you want to teach breath control to your kids.

Using sinking toys, you can teach your child how to submerge your head in water, hold your breath, and release your breath slowly and steadily after resurfacing.

One of the simple and effective techniques is to tell your kids to hold their breath and retrieve the toy from the bottom. This way, it may be easy for the kids to understand how to position their heads above the surface of the water and experience buoyancy.

Understanding the Mechanism of Toys:

Using pool toys, you can easily teach your kids how to control their movement in water. By playing with toys that float, they understand that they naturally float back and resurface when pushed down. So, by understanding the mechanisms behind these toys, kids understand their positioning and movements.

Water Safety Education:

In addition to the playful activity, these pool toys also offer safety for the kids. These pool toys are specially designed to stay afloat. These toys have been carefully crafted to maintain their floating ability by incorporating a fixed safety cap. As a result, children can safely carry and enjoy these toys while moving about in the pool without any concerns about their safety being compromised. 

Most Effective Pool Toys:

Ducklings and Small Floating Toys:

Ducklings and small floating toys are the kids' favorite. These toys encourage kids to step into the pool and catch them. These floating toys help kids learn how to move their arms and legs in water in a coordinated manner to move forward in water.

Kick Boards:

Kickboards are used to teach kids how to kick. These boards are used to improve the kicking technique and build leg strength. Kickboards are useful for buoyancy purposes and can also be employed as teaching aids for children learning how to swim freestyle. Kids can enhance their swimming skills by grasping onto the board and practicing their arm strokes.

Diving Rings and Toys:

Diving rings and toys are the most beneficial tools for teaching kids diving techniques. Kids are encouraged to see underwater, dive, and retrieve the object. These toys help kids understand the concept of buoyancy and breath control.

Pool Noodles:

Pool noodles are one of the most commonly used toys that can be used in different ways. Pool noodles are used to teach basic strokes like backstroke. They also teach kids how to swim and float on their backs.

Safety Precautions to Consider Before Taking Toys to the Pool: 

Although pool toys are a great entertainment source and essential teaching tool, some safety precautions must be considered before taking the toys to the pool. Some of these precautions are:

Through checking the toys: 

Pool toys must be thoroughly checked for leakages and cracks before going to the pool. And this exercise is a must if you have not used pool toys in winter. There may be some insects or reptiles hibernating in the colder months. Cracks and leakages can also be fatal because they may cause the toy to deflate during swimming lessons.

Cleaning of the Pool Toys:

Cleaning the pool toys is as important as checking the toys for cracks and holes. Pool toys can be a potential source of the spread of germs and bacteria if not kept clean and tidy. It is essential to rinse pool toys after every use and dry them properly. It is also crucial to wash them periodically to remove the slime and molds that may grow due to dampness.

Revise Swim Safety Rules with kids:

It is the most crucial exercise you have to do every time your kids go to swimming lessons with pool toys. Ask them questions regarding safety instructions and correct them accordingly regularly.

Also, make them remember not to put any toy in their mouth or lick any pool toy. It may cause mouth infections and is dangerous for the kids.

Carefully Supervise your kids:

Even when you have taken all the safety precautions, it is advisable to supervise your kids carefully when they are at the swimming lessons. It is important to note that pool toys cannot replace active adult supervision when ensuring safety. So, please put down your phone for a while and watch your kids for their safety.

Checklist Before You Buy A Pool Toy:

1. Check that the toy is CE-labeled.
2. If you are buying for a child, check the age label.
3. Check that the air valve has a cap and is correctly attached to the toy.
4. Check for the weight limits. Make sure that the buoyancy is good enough according to the weight the toy will bear.
5. Check for safe use instructions.

Bottom Line:

Playing is most important for kids as it improves their confidence, cognitive skills, and physical and mental development. It also helps them improve their social and emotional development. Playing in the pool builds stamina and improves the kids' sleep and appetite.

Pool toys are a great source of fun and entertainment. Pool toys help kids learn to swim quickly. The most effective pool toys are floating, pool noodles, diving, and kickboards. Safety precautions must be observed before using pool toys. Before buying pool toys, a checklist must be considered seriously. Although kids have fun in the pool, even then, adult supervision is necessary.