We're delighted that our parents frequently eulogise about swimming, and it's not just for reasons of health and water confidence. Often they tell us it's because it's such a great social activity, others will say it's because they love seeing their baby swimming underwater. However, most often we're told it's because they just love sharing a magical activity their baby so obviously adores.  

Obviously your baby lacks the strength and co-ordination to swim properly until they are three or four - so don't think our lessons are all about teaching babies front crawl! However, right from the start we are very definitely teaching you how to teach your child to swim, when they are eventually old enough.

The core Water Babies programme lasts one year, divided into four ten-week terms. The half-hour lessons are designed to introduce your baby gently to the water and increase confidence, experience and understanding.

Each one of our 40 lesson plans is carefully worked out to progress the learning and skills of both you and your child gradually. Overall, our aim is to provide an enjoyable and stimulating activity for the two of you whilst encouraging the development of your baby's natural swimming skills.

Lessons are full of games, songs, role play and, of course, repetition of the key elements of the course. With the emphasis on teaching you to teach your child to swim, the sessions are always highly informative as well as fun. With this important philosophy in mind we've developed our  unique Water Babies Swim Kit, enabling you to recreate lessons in your own time with your child, right from the start.

Throughout the weeks you'll always be with your child in the water – creating an excellent opportunity for the two of you to interact and bond. However, don’t be put off if you yourself can’t swim as the water is always shallow enough for you to stand up in.

Classes are kept small, with a maximum of ten babies per session (even fewer in some hydrotherapy pools). A sense of camaraderie within the group is important and the lessons can be very lively, with parents often staying on to socialise afterwards.