Back to Pool
Our Back to Pool Guide:
After a restful and relaxing Christmas people of all ages are looking forward to getting back to the pool, myself included. Many of you parents and careers may be asking yourselves:
“What do I need to help my child get back into swimming after the Christmas break?”
1. Refresh their memory
To prepare your child for their return to swimming, you can show them pictures and videos. The Zoggs YouTube channel has plenty of resources, and the Learn to Swim Skills series or Kangaroo Jack Children’s Water Safety Series are great places to start. To really get them motivated, make it interactive. Ask your child questions about their favourite swimming game or activity, or the videos they’ve been watching, to test their knowledge and get them excited.
2. Invest in Goggles, Toys and Extra layers
When children are happy and comfortable in the water they learn faster, so having the right swimming gear can make a huge difference. Some of my favourite products from the Zoggs range which can help boost your child’s confidence at bath time and in the swimming pool are:
Zoggs Little Twist goggles - Easily adjustable, leak free and affordable. The right goggles are important because they allow your child to achieve a flat, horizontal body position, which forms the foundation of learning to swim
Zoggy Seal Flips - These bright, colourful floating toys are great for improving babies’ and toddlers’ fine motor skills as they kick, reach for, and grab, at them. These toys also flip and change colour when a child blows on them, which is great for helping them practice their breath control.
Zoggs Baby Wrap - This baby, burrito-style wrap is an essential investment as when it comes to swimming, as a warm baby is a happy baby. Buy this in addition to your Swim Sure baby nappy to ensure your little one enjoys their first experience in the water.
3. Attend swimming lessons or the pool consistently
Just like with any New Year’s Resolution, consistency is the key to success. The children who make the best progress are the ones who show up for lessons regularly and practice swimming outside of lessons. In my experience, children that swim twice a week were much more advanced than their less-practiced peers due to consolidated learning and increased time in the water.
Although it might be tempting to skip lessons when the January blues hit — or when parties and playdates take over your schedule again — lessons should always come first. Not only because they can increase your child’s physical, mental, social and emotional wellbeing, but because swimming lessons could save your child’s life.
I hope you found these tips useful and hope you and your little ones enjoy their return to the pool.
LATS & UPPER BACK
Find some steps that are empty and slowly lower yourself down the steps until your arms are at a height which is parallel to your chest
On the step, arch your back so that your head is facing down above the water with your arms straight and holding onto the bar
You should feel your upper back beginning to stretch. Hold for 10 seconds
Repeat 4 times
