What's a good age to begin swim lessons?

I'm asked this question often, and while there's not an absolute answer (it's never too late to begin learning how to swim) I encourage parents to enroll their child in a small group swim program around the time they are two and a half years old. Kids' brains at this age are amazing; they soak up new information so impressively and can really show the quickest advancements when their brains are at this stage.

Between the ages of birth and 5 years, children's neurological systems are growing rapidly. Their neurons are building information "connectors" called synapses. These synapses are pathways that transport loads of information, the most relevant to this discussion is the information that tells the body how to respond in new environments. In the water our bodies experience buoyancy, which is a unique environment to us that changes the way our bodies move and how we propel ourselves. Children or adults who have not formed the synapses that interpret buoyancy during the developmental stages of their brains will have a more difficult time learning how to swim. This is why lessons at an early age are most important; we want our children to have all the best tools available to them, especially the strongest neural pathways possible.

The movements used in swimming are so distinctly different from other movements we use in everyday life. For effective propulsion in water we use a pointed-toe, mostly-straight leg kick. When we walk, run, ride a bike, climb stairs, or kick a ball we flex out feet and bend our knees. Children who have learned the foundations of swimming have developed the information pathways in their brains that are important for being an effective swimmer.

I recommend the early age of two and a half because at this age, most children have developed the vocabulary needed to understand instructions from their instructors but haven't begun to form a strong fear of the water. Many children in the later stages of neural development who haven't been exposed to a swimming setting (water depths above their head, water in their faces, lying in a face-up floating position) regularly can often adopt an intense fear of water, which makes learning to swim more difficult.

Another benefit to learning to swim at the age of two and a half is that children this age have begun to master many of the gross motor skills needed to appropriately propel themselves the length of a pool. Also, the younger that a child learns to swim, the sooner the added layer of protection against drowning is put into place. Children at this age are curious and large bodies of water offer a great source of intrigue. Children in a good swim lesson program will have learned effective life saving techniques and should be aware of their limits in deep water. While no child can ever be considered drown-proofed, enrollment into a well-researched strong swim lesson program can add an additional tool to potentially saving your child's life.

One final thought: Mommy and Me style swim lessons for infants are wonderful. Effective programs will introduce life-saving skills and teach important aspects of swimming such as breath control, managing water in the face, learning to float and become comfortable in a face-up floating position. Fun programs will offer a great bonding experience for parents and children, include socialization with other children, and will also be educational and teach the parents how to interact with their babies in the water for the most beneficial experience.