Babies
For students between the age of
3 months and 3 years, we offer
group lessons or what we call, Tadpole Groups. These are activity
based lessons that run to a CD of familiar songs and nursery rhymes.
Skills worked on include blowing bubbles, submerging and back
floating. Course details
All
tadpole courses are run at our St. George's location in Ferry Reach
Each group
consists of up to 10 Moms/Dads and babies.
Morning, afternoon and evening courses are available.
Schedule for 2009
Swimming is now finished for 2008. If you are a new client
and haven't previously sent your details to Swimming Instinct,
please also include
the information requested on the home page.
Benefits of swimming
There are many reasons to enroll your baby into swimming lessons.
These are the main ones: 
- To provide a
safe and positive environment for a child’s first water based
experiences
- To develop
motor-skills linked to swimming
- To develop
skills that might help them in a survival situation
Baby swimming lessons will not make your child
safe around the water. Often the child will gain confidence and
develop a love of the water which can make him more of a danger to
himself around the water. Parents must be even more cautious when
your child is around water.
There are other non-water related benefits as well. Swimming can
also help to:
-
Stimulate appetite
-
Encourage good-quality naps and sleep
-
Improve balance and co-ordination
-
Develop neck and back muscles used during
tummy-time
-
Introduce rolling
Click here to view a 3-minute video clip of a tadpole lesson. All
of the students in this video are between two and three years old.
These babies are all in their second or third year of swimming
lessons.
Private groups
There are pre-allotted courses available to arrange a private
group for yourself and up to nine friends. Time allotments are
limited for private groups, so book early to avoid disappointment. For more details, please click here.
Newborns
After leaving the womb, babies quickly forget the sensation of
being in liquid, but with a few lessons, you, the parent, can learn
how to help your child retain that memory and continue to feel safe
and comfortable in the water. The minimum requirements for swimming
lessons are that your baby’s umbilical chord has completely healed
and that you have had approval from his/her pediatrician. For more details, please click
here.
Top: An 8-month old tadpole comfortably submerges under the water.
Bottom: A tadpole group enjoys the Hokey Pokey. To see more pictures of what goes on in a Tadpole lesson, click
here.
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