The number of swim lessons a child needs depends on a few factors, including their comfort level in and around water, how consistently they attend classes and practice, what the ultimate goal of teaching them to swim is and, of course, their age. Among these, though, age is a leading factor. Which is exactly why we’ve broken down our answer to this question by age bracket.
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How Many Swim Lessons Do Children 1-3 Need?
For children aged 1 to 3 years old, the primary goal is to develop comfort and familiarly with the water. Once that’s accomplished, children in the later years of this age group can begin to learn and perform basic swimming skills and safety habits.
While it only takes 5 to 10 consistent sessions to develop a sense of comfort in the pool, it can take between 20 and 30 sessions to learn and perform the basic swimming and safety skills that are required to move onto the next level of a swimming program. This age group begins with confidence-building and learning to recognize the instructor and then moves into skills such as floating, gliding, and kicking.
Parents and Tots swim lessons cover all of the pool comfort, safety and swim skills that this age group is capable of learning. They’re designed for babies as young as 6 months and toddlers as old as 3 years. In these classes, caregiver’s are always present in the pool along with the child, providing a sense of safety and giving their motivation.
How Many Swim Lessons Do Children 3-5 Need?
Between the ages of 3 and 4, children develop both the cognitive and motor skills they need to learn proper swimming skills. At this age, they’re also ready to be guided by an instructor, in a group of their peers, without the assistance of their caregiver.
This age group of children can begin to learn water survival skills such as floating and basic movement in water. They can begin to use a kickboard independently and some will even be able to swim to an end point for a short distance. By the age of 5, children are capable of swimming freestyle.
It takes about 12 to 20 lessons of 30 to 45 minutes each for young children to learn the swimming skills they’ll require as a foundation for basic swimming strokes such as front and back crawls.
How Many Swim Lessons Do Children 5-10 Need?
By the ages of 5 and 6, most children are ready to advance their swimming skills beyond what’s considered basic. They can begin to perform various styles and strokes, even working up to independent swimming at larger distances.
Children with less experience in the water can master the front crawl and reach distances between 20- and 40-feet, while children who are more advanced can begin to practice a swim medley where they transition between the backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle.
At these ages, it’s recommended that children participate in weekly, 30- to 45-minute classes over an 8- or 10-week period. It only takes as many as 10 sessions to master each of the five levels in the Fun Kids program and build the foundational skills required to move on to the next.
How Many Swim Lessons Do Children 10-13 Need?
As children get older, lessons become more intensive and the skills learned become more advanced. This is because children in this age group are better able to understand and follow instruction. They also have the physical stamina to become competent swimmers.
Children and adolescents between the ages of 10 and 13 will learn to swim underwater and they’re capable of mastering the four main strokes: freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and butterfly. Most children and adolescents in this age group can swim these for distances longer than 100 yards at a time.
In the 10 to 13 age group, kids can swim in adult pools without supervision, which means they spend more time practicing and less time receiving instructions. For this reason, but also depending on the level at which they enter the program, between 8 and 20 swim lessons is recommended for the 10 to 13 year old age bracket.
Swimming and Water Safety Lessons for Kids of All Ages
If your intention is to help your child learn basic swimming and water safety skills, the most important factor to consider when determining how many lessons they need is their age. Each age group requires a different number of lessons to master the foundational skills they need to move on to the next level, but things like consistency and practice will also come into play.
At Aquastream, we offer swimming and water safety lessons for kids of all ages. Contact us to find out what Aquastream program will be appropriate your child’s skill level and goals in this winter session.
