What baby swimwear you choose depends mostly on the age of your little one and whether or not they are toilet-trained. There are now many companies catering to the baby swimwear market and lots of factors to keep in mind. So whether you are at the beach for the day or the pool for an hour, here are some of the options you have to choose from.

Going swimming is a great way to have fun and bond with your baby. However, like many things, the first time can seem quite daunting.

Teaching your child basic swimming skills is the first step to having your very own Chad le Clos. You can start teaching your little one some fundamental swimming skills when they are as young as 6 months old. The good thing is you just need to refresh your baby’s memory; they did spend 9 months in a liquid-filled sack inside the womb and have some instinctive swimming skills already.

An afternoon of splashing around in the pool with your kids can be so much fun, with games, activities and just plain enjoyment being had by all. But that doesn’t mean you should let your guard down. All children (especially under the age of 5) should be carefully supervised, this means an adult should be within an arm’s reach of any kids swimming in the pool.

Many parents are a little hesitant about introducing their infant into the world of swimming and the risk that accompanies it, whilst others like to get their infant swimming as early as possible. It is suggested that 6 months is the most common starting age for baby swim classes, but the choice is yours; there is no exact right age to get your little one swimming.

Come on in…. the water’s waiting! It doesn’t matter if your child is six months old or five years and above, swimming is a great sport for kids. Learning to swim can be one of the most satisfying experiences of childhood. Introducing your kid to swimming at a young age makes perfect sense because of the big part swimming, beaches and water sports play in the lives of most South Africans.

You want your kids to learn to swim but don’t know where to start? As with many aspects of parenting it can all look a bit daunting at first. Here are some tips to get you and the kids splashing around in no time!

Swimming pool games for kids and toddlers are fantastic as they keep children occupied during the hot summer months. It’s a great way to cool down and even get your little one doing some exercise. They can also be great for when your little ones are a bit bored with just ‘swimming around’. You should always ensure that safety is the first thing you think about before getting started with pool games for kids. Here are some old favourites and even a few new pool games for kids.

As South Africans, we spend our summers around water, so it’s important to learn basic water skills as early as possible. It is recommended that children can take part in water activities from the age of 6 months. That means you can start having fun with your little one earlier! Although, enrolling them in formal swimming classes can wait until they are about 4.

Before the invention of the swim nappy, little ones weren’t allowed in the local pool until they could reliably use the potty. Now kids can get into the local public pool and have swimming lessons at a much younger age, which is great news for moms and dads looking for fun activities.

Swim schools provide more specialised swimming instruction for all ages and are a great place to get your child swimming. In South Africa, all swimming instructors should have completed their training at a Swimming South Africa Accredited (SSA) Swim School or Centre. Swimming South Africa is the governing body of aquatics in South Africa.

Swimming practice makes perfect fun bath-time exercises. While some children love splashing in the tub, swimming in a pool is a different story. Ease your child’s anxiety and fear of the water with three fun bath-time swimming lessons. Caution: As always, never leave your child unattended during bath time.

Swimming lessons, and the resulting ability to swim, are something that will benefit every child for their whole life. In the early years, the primary advantage is obviously one of water safety but, in the longer term, benefits include improved fitness, balance, co-ordination and increased self-esteem.

Getting your toddler used to water early on is important from a safety point of view and it is great fun too. While your tot won’t be co-ordinated enough to learn to swim until they are about two or three, you can get baby to feel confident and relaxed in the water and make swimming a fun way to exercise for both of you.

World Wide Swim School is one of the world’s first online swim schools. It is designed for parents and swimming instructors to use as an online learning tool to teach children of all ages to learn to swim. They have over 40 years of swimming teaching experience.

Learning and understanding beach safety and how the ocean works is important for you, and it’s a key thing that your child should learn as early as possible. Waves, winds and tides can all affect the conditions of the surf and, if you can recognise some menacing signs, you will be able to take action and prevent any harm coming to you or your child.

Sun, sand and the ocean – sounds like a recipe for fun to me. A day with the kids at the beach can be a perfect way to spend a lovely weekend (or weekday, if you’re lucky). However, it can quickly become dangerous if you are not careful, and you don’t want to take any chances with your precious little ones. In order to make your day great without any hassles, here are some musts for a fantastic day out.

Hypernatremia might sound like a big and scary word but, for all purposes, it’s pretty much the same thing as dehydration. However this does not mean it’s a condition you can afford to ignore either. It happens when there is too much sodium (salt) or a lack of water in the body. You can lose water in a number of different ways, from sweating to going to the bathroom; the problem arises when you lose more water than you drink.

A swimming pool can be a very hazardous place for young children, especially if they can’t swim well, so pool safety is a vital part of keeping your children out of harm’s way. If you have a pool, here are some vital pool safety tips that you should remember and carry out:

Taking your little one to a pool can result in a day filled with fun and games. Although most pools at hotels or recreation centres are generally manned by lifeguards and cleaned regularly, it doesn’t mean you should let your guard down against any potential dangers that may be lurking in this otherwise happy atmosphere. Here are some good pool safety tips to keep your child out of harm’s way:

We all know how much fun our kids can have playing around at the beach, in the pool or even at home in the garden on a hot summer’s day. However, there are inherent risks associated with spending all that time in the sun; these include dehydration and sunburn. When it comes to your kid’s delicate skin, which is thinner and more sensitive than yours, you have to be even more careful.

Swimming pool first aid is a necessary skill for any parent who has a swimming child or learning-to-swim baby. Drowning is the second-leading cause of death in children aged 0-15 – accounting for nearly 42% of all fatal drowning cases in South Africa.

To help prevent any accidents occurring in your pool at home, you need to put in place some swimming pool rules that you and any children using the pool should abide by. You can get these rules printed on a big sheet of paper, laminate it with plastic, and place it at the entrance of the pool.

Fun at the pool and beach starts with a clean and safe place to swim. Here’s a water safety checklist for at the beach or pool:

Shocking fact – a child can drown in just a few centimetres of water, in a very short space of time. Supervision is always required around water.

South Africa is an exquisite country with some of the most gorgeous beaches, but in that beauty also lies danger. The ocean can present a lot of peril for even an experienced swimmer, never mind a young child who is just learning to swim. That’s why it’s vital that you follow the rules and regulations of the beach while there with your child.

As most of us spend our summers around the water, whether it’s at the beach or by the pool, it’s smart to make sure babies and toddlers learn basic water skills as early as possible.