Before the pandemic, Kingswim had more than 24,000 students enrolled weekly but with reduced rates of families returning to the pool in 2021, the leading swim school is encouraging little swimmers to dive in and reap the benefits of feeling safe and confident in the water.
Leading Child & Educational Psychologist and Kingswim ambassador, Andrew Greenfield, says that compared to other sports, swimming lessons are one of the best extra-curricular activities for children and provide a well-rounded spectrum of benefits in and outside of the pool.
“Beyond the pool, swimming lessons aid in the development of coordination, balance, social and cognitive growth, muscle development and helps foster bonding time between loved ones, which is why it should be viewed as a non-negotiable when parents are choosing their child’s extra-curricular activities,” Andrew says.
“Other psychological benefits of teaching kids to swim includes the development of coordination, reduces stress and anxiety and most importantly releases endorphins and serotonin which leads to feelings of positivity and happiness.”
In addition to making children feel more confident in the water, Andrew says that being there and celebrating milestones with your children, whether it’s that first splash in the pool or if your child has completed a fully clothed swim for survival training, helps parents to feel more comfortable too.
“Many parents can feel quite anxious in the lead up to their child’s first swimming lesson, but the benefits far outweigh any hesitations parents might feel, when every lesson further develops theirs and their child’s swimming skills in order to feel safe and enjoy the water.”
Kingswim Area Manager, Anne Brown, says each class at Kingswim is based on ability not age, so no matter what stage of development or skill your child is at, it’s never too late to start swimming.
“Every goal is a big goal at Kingswim. For our youngest swimmers it’s all about blowing bubbles, safe play in the water and starting to float and kick with the help of their parents to build confidence for parents and bub,” Anne says.
“Between four and 12, students start building momentum with their confidence, kicking unassisted or with a kick board, and start to learn the different strokes along with basic water safety.”
Anne says getting involved and asking your little swimmer what their goals are in the pool ahead of next summer will help keep them on track to their target, feel proud and once reached, helps them strive for that next Big Goal.
“For those children who are already little dolphins in the pool, what does their big goal look like to them - perhaps it’s swimming 10 laps of the pool, and for youngsters yet to dip their toes, celebrate those big moments when splashing in the pool to help build confidence in the water.”
Andrew shares the top benefits of swimming lessons
● Assists with social and cognitive development i.e. turn taking, coordination ● Improved ability to follow instructions
● Helps develop confidence in and out of the pool
● Leads to release of endorphins and serotonin which lead to feelings of positivity, happiness and reduced stress levels
About Kingswim
Kingswim has taught more than 18 million swim lessons to Aussie kids over the last 30 years. Kingswim offers programs for babies from 12 weeks of age, right through to graduate level swimmers, who graduate being able to freestyle one kilometre nonstop. Kingswim has 20 centres across the country. For more information on programs and the benefits of childhood swimming lessons please visit http://www.kingswim.com.au.