Water Safety Tips For Kids

This post on water safety tips for kids is sponsored by Gymboree.

Water Safety Tips for Kids

With summer in full force and more warm weather ahead of us the one thing on my mind has been water safety for my kids. My children have started to show a love of the water and after getting their snazzy swim suits at Gymboree they wanted to jump in and explore.

But I needed a little time to be prepared for our water adventures and set some ground rules from the get go. By learning a few water safety tips for kids I’ve felt a lot easier about being around the water this summer including when my fabulous friend Carrie of The Fearless Mama invited us over for a playdate that included an underwater camera photo shoot of my kids in their cute outfits.

2013-07-18_0057-1

Water Safety Tips For Kids

By setting a few ground rules with your kids before you get to the pool you can make sure everyone is on the same page and has a great time in the water! Here are a few tips I’ve picked up from the red cross while around the pool this summer.

1. Make sure there’s an adult around

No matter what the circumstance is – if you want to get your favorite toy, if you see a friend already in the water, etc – an adult needs to be present and with you when you enter the pool. That means going up to the adult and asking them to go to the pool with you. For children under 5, an adult should be in the pool or on the side of the pool with that child.

2. Safety first with life jackets

Have young children or inexperienced swimmers wear U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets around water, but do not rely on life jackets alone.

Our children have puddle jumpers for when they’re in the pool swimming around but since my son is learning how to swim on his own through swim lessons I let him crab crawl and practice swimming with me in the pool with him. Even with the life jackets on we try and use a 1:2 ratio of one adult to every two kids swimming.

When out on a boat with your child please make sure that they have a proper boating life vest as well. Most boating fatalities occur from drowning.

2013-07-18_0061-1

3. Create ground rules

Depending on where you are swimming and what the occasion is make sure that there is a designated area where the kids are allowed to swim. And make sure they know exactly where this is.

Set limits based on each person’s ability, do not let anyone play around drains and suction fittings. It’s also important not to allow swimmers to hyperventilate before swimming under water or have breath-holding contests.

4. Be aware of natural bodies of water

Even if you do not plan on getting in the water, be aware of the dangers surrounding natural bodies of water including ocean shoreline, rivers and lakes. Cold temperatures, currents and underwater hazards including animals, rocks, etc can make a fall into these bodies of water dangerous.

2013-07-18_0056-1

5. Teach your child to swim

Be proactive and enroll your child(ren) in swimming lessons. Whether they’re at the local rec center (like us!) or at a swim school around your neighborhood, there’s a place for everyone to learn how to swim.

If you, as an adult, do not feel confident in your swimming abilities feel free to take a lesson or two yourself. You might find that you are more confident in the water and then in turn make your child feel more confident as well.

2013-07-18_0059-1

Do your kids love the water? How do you keep them safe?

Pool Playdate with Snapple Half and HalfGymboree has an amazing selection of great quality kids clothing for any occasion.

Whether you’re updating your child’s wardrobe or finding the perfect outfit for an upcoming celebration, you can find exactly what you need at Gymboree. And the clothes are durable and wash well.

You can find adorable outfits like the ones my children are wearing in the pool on Gymboree’s website or in stores nationwide.

You can also find Gymboree on Facebook and follow them on twitter at @Gymboree.

 

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Gymboree as part of the Grow with Me & Gymboree Ambassador program. I was compensated for this post, however all experiences and opinions are 100% my own.

Pinterest Inspiration

Comments

  1. We are signing my daughter up for swim lessons soon and these are really good lessons to remember. Thank you for the reminders!

  2. and very very important : drowning doesn’t look like drowning!!

    These are great tips!

  3. What awesome tips and amazing pictures to go along with it! you rock, Danielle!

  4. I need to put my son in swim lessons. I love that there are many community ed. classes for swimming around, and I get to do it with him witch makes it great bonding time.

  5. Those pics are adorable! And I love your daughter’s swim suit – too cute!!!

  6. I can’t believe my girl is almost 6 and still can’t swim. I need her to be more confinement in the water. Loved reading your post. I never knew that Gymboree carried bathing suits, maybe I just never paid attention?

  7. Your kids look adorable in their new swim gear! Thanks so much for the great water safety tips.

  8. This makes me so nervous! Great tips…. I agree with all of them. ALWAYS have an adult around and vests!!

  9. We do LOVE the water. We’re in Florida and I agree water safety and teaching your children to swim is so important.

  10. Oh first off, those pictures are absolutely gorgeous!! I love the one of E and M smooching 🙂 How sweet! And thanks for the tips! I think you hit all of the ones that I’d say.. And Kerri above mentioned the ‘drowning does not look like drowning’ so that’s a vital tip for parents and caregivers to realize as well.. Great post, Danielle!

  11. I think the most important thing is to start as young as possible. Water should be like second nature to them. That is how I was raised and how I raised my kids. I never understood when people said they didn’t know how to swim. To me swimming was like walking. I never remembered I time when I couldn’t.

  12. What fabulous photos! They capture summer so well! And I love the purple swimsuit because it is modest and so adorable for a little girl!

  13. These are great tips. Our area is so difficult because we only have an outdoor pool for the entire community and it’s not very big. So it’s hard to get opportunities to go take my kids to practice. Plus swimming lessons fill up super fast. I have lived here three years and still haven’t been able to get my kids into the swimming lessons. They just don’t offer enough for the need. I can’t wait until we move and have more access to a pool and swimming lessons to get my kids more experience.

    I just got some puddle jumpers for my kids because we were spending time in the mountains at a small river that we love to play in. It helped calm my fears so I could let my kids play. But like you said, you can’t just rely on the life jackets. you have to keep a good ratio of adults watching the kids.

  14. I remember when I was little, my dad put me in a floaty and just pushed me out into the pool… I couldn’t get back to the side and threw a fit! LOL!! I hate water and never learned how to swim until I was 11 but even then I was terrified… And to this day, still am!

  15. Great tips to keep in mind this summer. I love the pictures as well.

  16. What adorable pictures! Your kids look like they are having a great time! I love that the pictures show below and above the water. And love their new Gymboree swim suits! They always fit Addie perfectly.

  17. An underwater photo shoot??? How awesome!!! And, they look cute as can be in their Gymboree suits. LOVE love love that sweet picture of them kissing. 🙂

  18. They look like their having a great time! Water play is fun!

  19. water scares me…but only because I have kids. I love going swimming, but my kids would just take off around the pool, and try and jump in the deep ends. We finally stopped going, until this year when we got the oldest 2 in swim lessons, and let our 3rd come and watch. Now they listen, and are really good and cautious around the water.
    Cute photo shoot!

  20. I really like the way your photos came out. I hope to get my almost 6-year old swimming this year. I want her to be more confidant in the water.

  21. Very useful tips! Parents should know swimming to be able to teach their children swimming too!Every parent should know swimming to be able to save their children’s lives in emergency
    situations! Children love to swim, and the play in the water is super fun!

Trackbacks

  1. […] water play even more fun! Just remember that any water play needs to be supervised. Check out these water safety tips for kids for ideas on what to keep an eye out […]

Leave a Reply to Lindsay @ Laughing Lindsay Cancel reply

*



© A Crafty Spoonful - All Rights Reserved
It is OK to use one of my photos provided a link back and/or proper credit is given. It is NOT ok to copy and paste a whole post including instructions. Please do not remove watermarks or alter images in any way. Please contact me with any questions at danielle@acraftyspoonful.com

.