At What Age Do Kids Learn to Swim?

my sons learned at about 18 months. I used the Y for my older son, & then taught my younger one.

The very 1st rule taught is that the child has to listen to the adult. :)

The short answer is they learn when you teach them :)

At 18 months, kids who can't yet swim just play on the steps. Throw toys and get them, put their faces in the water, or have you pull them around under the arms while they blow bubbles and kick.

He CAN learn to swim at that age, but lessons will either be a mommy and me or private one-on-one lessons. Places that teach infant swimming will be focused on water safety so likely will tell you NOT to use floaties or anything that makes kids THINK they can swim when they can't (that's what we were taught anyway).

My son (now 6 and a total fish) was swimming at that age. The focus at that age, really should be getting BACK to the side not swimming as far as they can.

He never had a float of ANY kind in the water until he was a strong swimmer (got a noodle and an inner-tube at 4) other than a life vest to wear AROUND the pool at bbqs and parties etc. If he can't swim, he shouldn't be out of arms reach... those wings make kids and PARENTS too relaxed about water safety. At 18 months he HAS TO let you hold him in the water (or stay on the steps with you standing there with him) or he CAN'T go in. Period. (But even fussy kids will let you hold them in the water if you keep it lively... dunking them, splashing etc.)

Hope this helps.

T.

I've taught swimming in the past and work at an indoor pool, so here's my advice:

1. DO NOT buy the arm floaties. They are not safe, can slip off and give a false sense of security. DO get him a swim vest, vest/outfit or actual life jacket if he's going to be in or near a lake or on a boat.

2. Listening skills are the MOST IMPORTANT thing near water! Work on teaching him to "wait" and to tell you "ready" and wait for you to say "ready" back before getting into the water either by walking down steps or jumping to you.

3. Sign up for swim lessons now. He's at a great age to swim with mom and learn about safety, how to propel himself and make friends.

4. USE SUNSCREEN, floppy hats and SPF clothes! His little skin is so sensitive and easily will burn. Any "color" your child has IS sundamage. So getting pink cheeks and nose is NOT GOOD. Water Babies is great as is the Coppertone Sport Spray - neither will run into eyes.

I'm happy to answer any other questions you might have.

Happy swimming!

Note: I read other posts. Kids can swim independently by age 3. Not to say ALONE, but get in and out of the water, swim without a floatie or other swim device keeping them up. This is not the norm, but I have seen it happen quite often with kids who were in regular lessons. I would say MOST kids I've seen swim independently by age 7. And most of them didn't really start until age 3 or 4.

P.:

We had our kids in swimming lessons (mommy and me) at six months to get them used to the water. I know I had Nicky in the water when he was weeks old - he is a July baby and Greg was 3 months old.

ETA: Since I was a lifeguard in high school and in college - I know the importance of learning water safety. They had lessons from people other than me at the age of 2 and 3.

Our daughter took to water and swam at 15 months....just dunked and pushed off....and kicked and then came up for air! We finally decided that it was time to do lessons, since every time summer comes around, we get so busy that we forget....and we wanted them ready to swim in the summer, rather than taking lessons.

Sounds like your little one might be ready. Get a referral, if you choose to do lessons....and watch the teachers before choosing who you want.

We started our 3 year old and 5 year old (who has sensory issues) in swim lessons this past month and it's been great. They are getting SO much done. The infant/toddler classes look like a waste of time, as they just work on floating for weeks on end....more getting them use to the water.

Our now 9 year old took the same lessons when he was 3 and by the end of 7 months, he had to do a survival float. We had him jump in the pool with jeans, sweatshirt, tennis shoes, etc on....and he had to roll over and do a survival float. It was great. We all knew he was ready for anything.

I've been swimming since 9 months and competitively swam in HS.

No floaties, no goggles. I want them comfortable/safe in water without a crutch. Once I know they can do it AND more importantly, THEY know they can do it....then they can use goggles.

I highly recommend ISR (Infant Swim Resource) www.infantswim.com
My stepson and all three of my boys have done it and they are all strong swimmers- my youngst son will complete his last session this summer. Instead of starting with strokes, etc., ISR teaches survival skills. Our instructor says if a baby is mobile enough to find his/her way to the water (crawling, toddling), then they are old enough for ISR. All of my kids started after their first bday, but my nephew started at 9 mos and is now an excellent swimmer. The instructors teach the child what to do should they fall in a pool/water- FLOAT! Then they go on to swimming and being able to find a ladder or other way out of the water. It is really amazing to see such little kids swim so well.
I tried YMCA swim lessons with my now 5 & 6 year olds (ISR is on the pricey side), but it didn't even come close to ISR. You get on the site, find an instructor in your area and find out when his/her sessions are- sessions are typically every weekday for 15 mins for 6 weeks.
If you have any questions, please pm me and I would be happy to share more info.

My children have been in the water since 8 mos .. but we live n a cold climate so they get a ton of exposure for about 8 weeks... then very limited. That doesn't make for very good swimmers!

We've done swim lessons from 3 YO (on and off... it's a cost thing) and with the right instruction (and no innate fear of the water) a child can be swimming w/in 4-6 mos of you starting lessons w/ a STRONG swimmer a year or so out.

I did the expensive school around us (Foss Swim School) and then based on cost switched to the lessons at our gym... I wish I had never done that. they learned more in 12 weeks at the swim school than they learned in 6 mos at the instructor lead lessons/swim program at the gym.

They'll be going back to the swim school for an intensive swim program this summer. No matter what the cost!

Most kids I know haven't become competent nor confident swimmers until starting around age 6 or 7. I don't trust the arm wing things.... it is a false sense of security. If you are RIGHT THERE WITH them, then I guess it would be okay. The problem is that folks tend to get lax and lazy and NOT be right there. :(

We used a trainer similar to this one: http://www.yoyo.com/p/swimways-power-swimr-swim-float-med...

It keeps the arms completely free, and as the kids get comfortable in the water, you can remove layers of the floatation pad. There are 4 or 5 in front and in back, inside a cover. You can open the cover and remove one, and as they improve, remove another, and so on....until it barely keeps them above water without their own efforts. So it slowly trains them over time.
But these are for older kids, too. Not for 18 mo. olds. We got one for our daughter when she was 4. It is how she learned to swim....

My kids all wore life jackets when inside our pool area (in or out of the water) until they learned to swim. We didn't do formal swim lessons, so they were 5 when they could swim proficiently. IMO, you can't do water wings and bubbles and such on a child as small as yours unless you are literally holding him with eyes on him the whole time - he either needs to really know how to swim and swims right next to you, with you never taking your eyes off him, or wears a life jacket (and even then needs to be within arms length and watched, but you can literally turn your head away and talk to another child or attend to something else for a second). With 4 kids and sometimes additional friends in the pool, I was never comfortable with anything but the appropriate life jackets on all non-swimming children.

When our oldest was two, we put her in a coast guard approved life vest for her size/weight and let her swim...with an adult right next to her in the water, of course. She learned to swim independently (diving boards, etc) when she was six.

I just want to mention that you can find swimming vests now at Babies R Us/Toys R Us. They become harder to find closer to summer.
You can also look for small inner tubes that your son could fit in. He will have fun kicking around with you close by.

Swim classes at his current age focus on learning to float, getting to the edge of the pool and working you way to the laddder to get out.

By 3 mine were paddling to me from elsewhere.
I had those suits with baffles in them to keep them afloat.
I also used the arm floats. I don't like them as much as they limit the use of the arms and kids need to learn to use their arms.

My oldest was able to swim on his own by 3. My youngest is 2 and is learning to swim. We live in Florida and have the in-laws pool next door. They are pretty in the pool all summer long. Lots of classes start at 6 months.

when i was a baby i had this thing that was like little bathing suit with suspenders that had a little tube around the middle they would put on over my bathing suit so i could "swim" on my own.. god i dont kno if they even make them anymore.. if u ask me its never too early according to my parents (my bday is in septmeber) i was walking talking and swimming all around the same time b4 my first birthday..the next summer i wore swimmies but very quickly i didnt need them, we have an inground pool in our yard and my dad was concerned what would happen if i ever fell in .. a few months before i turned 3yrs old he picked me up one day and threw me in the deep end.. i swam right up over to the ladder and got out.. i was so pissed off at him but it ended his fears that if anything happend i would be able to swim out on my own .. id say try to find one of those.. im sure they make little tubes with holes u can put his little legs n feet through, he mayb too little for swimmies if all hes done b4 was sit in a floaty

My 3 y/o loves the water look up Archimede Floatation Swimwear and see what will work best for you :)

I do not know what the national average is but my daughter learned how to swim without any floatation devices last summer before she turned 4. She was in my parents pool 2-3x a week all summer and just got it. Before then we put her in the bathing suit with the floatation in it so she could learn to keep herself upright. She was doing this at age 2. My son, however, at age 2 (this past summer) was almost dealthy afraid of the water. Would not go into it! Now he goes in my parents hottub and I hope this summer he'll learn to be comfortable in his suit with the floatation otherwise I'll have to hold him the entire time he's in the pool! I think my daughter will regress a bit since she hasn't been swimming on a regular basis. She never took swim lessons - but every year since she was about 10 months old she has been in the pool several times a week during swimming season.

HTH!

Depends on the kid. Our pool manager/head lifeguard said that DD is not afraid of the water and while she usually gives formal lessons to kids 4 and up, if DD is game, she will see how she does this summer (a little shy of 4). I took lessons when I was 4ish. (I personally am not a fish so I am hoping DD takes after DH and not me.)

In the pool as a non-swimmer/new walker, DD floated around with us (you can get a kiddie life vest) or we took her to splash parks, lazy rivers and toddler pools.

My sister's niece and nephews have done the infant swimming safety class that was described by someone else. If DD spent more time near water I would have considered it. I may have heard about a different program. The one I was told about was more like "put the kid in the water fully clothed so they find their way out" vs swimming. Like pre-swimming lessons and not the formal training I was thinking of for learning the crawl, etc.

if he's not swimming by the summer there is plenty for him to do, you can spin him around quick and dip him in and out of the water, jump up and down and throw him up and catch him J. as he hits. Get those little boats they can sit in and float and play in. The pool is endless fun=) He can jump in and you can catch him too...if he lets you catch him after he dunks under all the better.

Get him a life jacket and start teaching him to swim. Here in Florida they have instructors that will come to the house and teach babies starting at 6 months to float on their backs and swim a little bit at a time to reach the edge of the pool if they fall in.

We will be in the same boat. You can start lessons but they really don't completely know how to swim until probably 6 or 7. My 4 year old is very comfortable in the water and can get to a wall or steps but he's by no means completely capable of swimming on his own. We started him around 12 months and he was comfortable in the water. We started at our community center but put him in a swim school after the first session because it was much more structured and had skilled teachers. For our summer that he was 18 months, we got a floatation device that has like a small inner tube around the waste. I heard that it was the best kind because some of the jacket types ride up on them and can be uncomfortable. We will be using the same this summer with our second. You can try the arm floats but they still have to work a bit to stay up with those.

I think at whatever age you put the time in to teach them! My daughter is just 3 and she is almost swimming. She just started real lessons a month ago ( we did do mommy and me when she was younger, and she is in the water at least 3 or 4 days a week even in winter). I think certain swim classes teach babies to swim but that looks a little harsh to me.

for most places.. independent swim lessons start at age 3 and potty trained. So that is when my kids started.. we have been in swim class for 2 seasons..(7 or 8 months each year-- we live in MIchigan and I do not sign them up for classes in Nov Dec Jan and Feb) and they can swim.. a little bit. They are going into level 3 (red cross levels) I think this summer they will make real progress and be good swimmers by fall.

They had to take level 2 five times to pass..

There are parent and tot clases.. but kids dont learn much there.. real classes start at 3...

I agree with the other parents, they will learn when you are ready to teach them. I do think the sooner you teach them the better. It is always worrisome to have little ones near water and you have to watch them like a hawk, but knowing they have some swimming skills helps ease some of the worry..a little!
We did well with a little swim trainer we ordered
http://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId...
I liked that the top and bottom pieces snapped together so it won't float up into their faces, and it gave my sons a little more freedom in the pool and to learn to start moving their arms.
I love knowing that summer is coming..it is helping me survive these cold, gray days of winter!!
Good luck!