How your child stays afloat

Most children are completely obsessed with water, and the earlier in life they become familiar with it, the more joy they can get from it. But it naturally requires some aids in relation to learning to swim. The most important function of these aids is to be able to keep the child on the surface of the water - and there are several ways to do this.

Baby swimming

You can start from the age of 2 months babyswimming. It is a good way to stimulate the child's senses and motor skills, and it provides a closer relationship between you as a parent and the child. However, most baby swimming takes place in the arms of the parents - so if you are on holiday in the south, you could use a way where the small child could stay above the surface of the water, while still having the opportunity to splash around.

You can of course go all out with swimming fins, life jacket and belt, but here it will probably be just as practical to wrap the child in bubble wrap. There is not much freedom of movement in that solution, and they will mostly just float around like a cork.

It is here a swimming seat is a completely brilliant solution. It makes it possible to keep the child in a natural and free-floating position in the water, without the risk of it tipping over, falling through the ring or getting wear marks around the legs and lower body. The best solution for the little ones.

Little children

Before we start looking at all the different aids that make it easier for children to learn to swim, it should be mentioned that none of these products are rescue aids. They are only flotation aids and must therefore always be used under supervision. So we just got the most grown-up part sorted out, so let's dive into the children's world.

Because when it comes to young children, children between the ages of 2-6 are most often thought of, but all aids depend to a much greater extent on weight. Therefore, it is much more important to choose based on the child's real weight and not on weight and age statements. Because if the child weighs too much in relation to what is indicated, the aid will not provide the necessary buoyancy. If the child weighs too little, the buoyancy will be too great for the child to get anything out of it.

But what are the various aids? Well, let's start with the most common ones:

Swimming belts

Swimming belts is one of the most effective ways to keep your child afloat. They provide a good and natural position in the water without getting in the way of swimming strokes or kicks. There are different models that can basically do the same thing, but still have their differences. The last one should have its own category.

Beco swimming belt-mono is the most classic and best-known swimming belt, as they are the ones you find in almost all swimming pools. They are divided into colors according to weight and from 2-3 years (15-18kg) it is the red one you should go for. It is easy to adjust, has a good fit and a good width, which ensures an evenly distributed buoyancy of the body - nothing above, nothing below.

Beco neopren - Sealife is for some just the level above the Mono Swimming Belt. It is made of neoprene with a layer of foam that provides extra good buoyancy.

Swimfin Hajfinne is a different type of swimming belt that can seem more fun for children to swim with. It keeps the child stable on the surface of the water and is even designed so that they can also swim on their back with it.

These are some of the most common swimming belts, all well tested and known to work on learning to swim. The advantage of a swimming belt is that it provides a natural lift, so that over time it becomes easier to do without when you have to swim without aids. But often you don't just use a swimming belt, which leads us on to the next category.

Arm wings

Arm wings - which are also called bathing wings - are some of the most well-known buoyancy aids. You often see them with smaller children on holiday or in the swimming pool, and for good reason. Because not only do they keep the child above water, they also give the head a natural position above the water. The advantage of arm wings is that they are mainly made to keep just the head above water, but "force" the child to keep the rest of the body above the surface of the water, in order to be able to swim and create propulsion.

Therefore, they learn more naturally to keep their body and legs above the surface of the water, which gives them an advantage when they are ready to throw away the flotation aids. So let's take a look at what different arm wings are available:

Beco swimming fins are probably some of the most well-known on the market with their orange colour. The smart thing about them is that they are inflatable, so they are easy to carry in your bag without taking up too much space. Their orange colors also help to create visibility, so you can always see where the child is in the water and thus avoid accidents.

Beco swimming wings for children -Sealife is for those who want a safe and longer-lasting buoyancy. As they consist of foam, they will not become "flat" during use, which inflatable swimming wings do. Therefore, they are also more stable, as they will always deliver the same buoyancy and do not need to be inflated. The disadvantage of this, however, is that they take up more space in a possible travel bag.

Malmsten batg wings for children - Flipper is a bit the same as those from Beco, just in a different design. They also consist of foam, but in a more continuous piece. In addition, they can be tightened and the whole design therefore provides a strong and more even buoyancy. Since they can be turned both towards the body and away from the body, they can be set to provide the best buoyancy in relation to the swimming level the child is at.

Many will initially combine swimming wings with a swimming belt, especially for the very smallest. It provides the most effective buoyancy and will keep children without swimming abilities naturally on the surface of the water. In fact, it becomes impossible for them to sink or get their heads under water. Therefore, this combination is also the safest, as it will both keep the legs, lower and upper body above the water surface and will keep the child afloat, even if they are not moving in the water.

If you want to get a complete set with the two properties, you will a float kit certainly be worth preferring. And if you combine it all with a wetsuit, it will give an extra buoyancy. They are most often used for smaller children, so that they can better retain the heat and their skin is not exposed to harmful UV rays. But in addition, neoprene also has a natural buoyancy, as it consists of air bubbles. Therefore, children get an extra boost.

Older children

For the older children where they are starting to have some basic swimming skills but still need buoyancy, will a swimming vest be a good solution. Of course, they also work for smaller children, where they are available a compact design, which effectively keeps the head and upper body above or in the water a larger model, which lifts the whole body more. Here you can consider choosing a model with a strap between the legs, so that you are sure that it will stay where it should while they are in the water.

The reason why older children will greatly benefit from a life jacket is that they provide more flexibility in the water and therefore do not hinder swimming or orientation in relation to the water surface. This makes it much easier in the long term for children to throw away all aids, and thus for them to be able to swim themselves.

There are different models to choose from, but basically there are 2 predominant features that will make swimming lessons much easier. The first is to choose a life vest which is narrow in design like it here. The advantage of it is that it provides good buoyancy both in front and behind, and does not hinder the movements in the water. In addition, it can be adjusted in several ways so that it more easily fits size, body shape and weight - something that is particularly important for older children, as they are far from having the same general measurements. In addition, it also has a handle on the back, so you can more easily hold on and support the child on the surface of the water while they learn to swim perfectly.

Another way to teach children to swim is to choose a life jacket with removable flotation elements. It will make the transition to buoyancy much smoother as you can gradually take out the buoyancy elements as swimming skills improve. Therefore, this type of life jacket can also be used from an early age and right up to the time when the child no longer needs buoyancy aid. All life vests can of course also be combined with arm wings if necessary, but often the life vest is enough in itself.

If the child has reached the point where they can almost swim without aids, it is worth considering other aids. Here will an aqua noodle be a good solution, as it provides good buoyancy, but is not fastened to the child. Therefore, they will be able to go to and from it much more easily, so they can try swimming themselves. They will be able to use it to have a short break between swimming intervals without aids. In addition, it is also just really fun to play with, and with children's wonderful imagination, it can quickly be transformed into a seahorse.

Remember support and patience

As an adult, you can quickly forget how naturally swimming comes to us. We are often familiar with most styles, and can easily stay afloat, float and tread water if necessary. But you can't avoid the fact that that naturalness takes time to learn, a bit like riding a bike or knowing the alphabet.

Therefore, the best way to teach children to swim is patience. Their bodies, motor skills and musculature are not fully developed yet, and therefore learning to swim comes more gradually. One might come across a 5-year-old can swim without problems, while a 9-year-old will still struggle with it. However, there is not much else to do but be supportive and let it take its time. Some children are also much more comfortable with water than others, which is an attitude they largely learn from their parents.

Therefore, it is important that you show that water is not dangerous as long as you manage to be in it. If children sense a safe atmosphere around it, it will also be much easier for them to be in it. The best thing you can do as a parent is to learn from yourself and e.g. support under the stomach when they have to learn the different techniques. It should also be mentioned that children learn at very different rates, which means that some catch the swimming techniques very quickly, while others need a little more time.

In addition, it is of course also important that you practice in a place where they can base themselves. This way they avoid panic if they suddenly become unsure of themselves. It can, for example, be in connection with starting to cut back on the various aids. But until the day they can throw them away completely, buoyancy aids are a really good way to teach children to swim.