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How to Teach Toddlers to Swim

Author: Rachel Lister
Published: Jul 30, 2009

Swimming is an important basic skill that kids need to learn for basic water safety and in order to help them live an active, healthy lifestyle.

Toddlers can be introduced to the basics of water safety and basic swimming techniques while they are young to prepare them for more advanced swimming lessons and keep them save near pools and other water. Swimming lessons can be taken through a local recreation center or through individual lessons at a private pool. Parents can teach toddlers many of the basic swimming skills that toddlers would learn in basic swimming lessons themselves if they have access to a pool.

Teaching Toddlers to Hold their Breath

One of the most basic skills toddlers need to master in order to learn to swim is the ability to hold their breath. The ability to hold their breath will help toddlers be safer in and around water and prepare them for basic swimming strokes that require short periods of time to be spent under water.

Parents can introduce toddlers to holding their breath by having them practice blowing bubbles outside of the pool with soap bubbles. Blowing bubbles helps introduce toddlers to the concept of blowing air out while underwater. Once toddlers have mastered blowing bubbles outside of the pool they can begin to practice blowing bubbles in the water in the pool.

Parents can demonstrate how to blow bubbles by taking a deep breath in, putting the lower half of their face under water, and blowing the air out of their mouth to create bubbles in the water. Toddlers should be encouraged to blow bubbles the way their parent did.

Teaching Toddlers to Go Underwater

One of the most important first concepts for toddlers to learn when learning how to swim is to get comfortable enough with the water that they can first put their face under water and once they are more comfortable they can put their entire head under water. Toddlers can be introduced to the idea of going under water by slowly counting to three, saying “hold your breath”, and then the parent scooping a small amount of pool water over the toddler’s face.

Parents should give plenty of positive reinforcement each time their toddler makes an effort to get his face wet. After the toddler has become comfortable with the idea of getting his face wet, the parent can again count slowly to three, say “hold your breath”, and gently dip their toddler under the water.

Toddlers may become upset after going underwater. It is important that parents praise the child and take a step back to a previous step if the toddler feels uncomfortable. Toddlers can practice going in and out of the water while holding onto the edge of the pool to give them a sense of security.

Teaching Toddlers to Float

A basic back float is an important skill for toddlers to learn early on because it will give them the ability to stay afloat in the water if they accidentally get into water that is too deep for them or if they fall in the pool. Parents can teach toddlers to float by laying them gently on their back in the pool with the toddler’s head on the parent’s shoulder. The parent should put one hand under the small of the toddler’s back and the other hand across the top of the toddler’s chest to make him feel secure.

As the toddler becomes more comfortable with that position, the parent can gradually move the hand from the toddler’s chest and use it to support the back of the child’s head. Teaching toddler’s to relax and stay in the correct position for a back float will help them to eventually learn how to float on their own.

Basic swimming skills help toddler’s feel more confident in their abilities and decrease their dependence on flotation devices in the pool. Most toddlers will be around some sort of water in their lives. Learning basic swimming skills will give toddler’s the ability to stay safe in the water and feel more secure near lakes and pools.