No matter if you plan to spend your summer by the beach, lake or pool, here’s a quick guide to water safety for kids
As summer inches closer, you can almost hear your local watering hole calling your family’s name (on top of your little ones’ pleas for a refreshing dip!). While a day by the water calls for hours’ worth of games and play, it’s important to stress water safety to your children and everyone they’re with—adults included.
The unfortunate truth is drowning is the leading cause of death in children ages one to four, with an estimated 4,000 fatalities each year. That’s roughly 11 drownings per day. And drowning doesn’t always look like arms flailing and screams for help. Drowning can be fast, silent and can happen to anyone.
So, how do we stay safe? SwimWays and the USA Swimming Foundation are sharing their top tips for water safety for kids, plus recommendations for products that encourage safe swimming habits.
Tips to Keep Your Kids Safe While Swimming
1. Sign Your Children up for Swimming Lessons
During the pandemic, many kids missed out on the possibility of swimming lessons due to closures of community pools, seasonal camps and swimming centers. The good news is, it’s never too early or late to sign up your water baby. The AAP recommends all children learn to swim, with infants learning as early as age one, since it “may be the most important drowning prevention measure.” Find a local swim lesson program through the USA Swimming Foundation here.
2. Opt for Brightly-Colored Swimsuits
Bright, bold-colored swimwear can help you spot your swimmers from anywhere. A recent experiment from Alive Solutions revealed that light, bright and contrasting swimsuit colors passed the water visibility test, meaning you better see your kids no matter if you’re in a dark bottom-colored pool or lake. Alive Solutions also recommends the use of life jackets, reinforcing that visibility is always best on the surface of water.
3. Introduce Your Kids to a Swim Buddy
Whether your child is returning to camp, visiting family and friends, or going on a trip without you by their side, stress the importance of a swimming buddy. Their pal can help make sure they’re abiding by swimming rules, and in the event of an emergency, can call for help. Enforcing this buddy system is a secure way to ensure your child has a watchful eye on them at all times.
4. Learn CPR
Accidents happen and in case the unthinkable ever occurs, knowing CPR can help save a life. Look to the American Red Cross for nearby classes that’ll get you CPR certified ahead of summer.
5. Always Keep an Eye on Your Swimmers
No matter how competent your kids are with swimming, they should be monitored at all times and reminded to stay within a supervised area of the water. Be sure to connect with child-care providers that these measures are met when your child is swimming outside of your watchful eye.
4 Products That’ll Give Your Children Confidence in the Water
As your family implements these water safety rules, give your kids an added boost of comfort and confidence in the water with SwimWays’ safety-focused gear, floats and toys.
“SwimWays and the USA Swimming Foundation share a dedication to swim safety and learn-to-swim efforts,” said Elaine Calip, Senior Director of Development at the USA Swimming Foundation. “SwimWays’ high-quality, thoughtfully designed products were developed with expertise from professional swim instructors to help take children safely from supervised water introduction to swimming confidently.”
1. SwimWays Baby Spring Float
$28 BUY NOWMade for infants 9 to 24 months, SwimWays’ Baby Spring Float keeps your tiny tadpole balanced and stable, so they (and their parents!) are comfortable during their first introductions in the water. The detachable canopy offers 60 degrees of shade from the sun.
2. SwimWays Swim Trainer PFD Life Jacket
$25 BUY NOWWith the option to choose from popular characters like PAW Patrol’s Chase, Gabby’s Dollhouse or The Little Mermaid, these life jackets will make safety fun. They’re U.S. Coast Guard certified, designed with mobility and child safety in mind, featuring a safety vest and arm floatie duo, and a child-safe back buckle that only parents can reach.
3. SwimWays PFD Life Jacket
$28 BUY NOWToddlers ages two to four will feel secure in the water with this comfortable meets durable life vest jacket. As a U.S. Coast Guard certified flotation device, they feature two waist straps, a leg strap and a sturdy built-in foam so your little one can splash and float with ease.
4. PAW Patrol Floatin' Figures
$25 BUY NOWSay goodbye to fetching toys at the bottom of the pool with SwimWay’s floatin’ figures that are designed to stay afloat and upright! With PAW Patrol’s Chase and Marshall by your kids’ side, they’ll be entertained for hours, no matter if you’re at the beach, lake or pool.
Discover more SwimWays products that support water safety all year round, so you can have peace of mind whenever your children are swimming!
