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National Swim Lesson Registry

Swim lessons save lives!

As we know, barriers fail. When they do, the child needs to:

  • Know how to save himself and buy himself time to be saved.
  • Year round lessons are encouraged to help make the performance of water safety skills automatic in case of an emergency situation.

Here are the essentials a child needs to learn in swim lessons:

  • Invitation into the water – a child should learn to wait for a supervising adult’s invitation to enter the water.
  • Blow bubbles – if a child falls in, he needs to blow bubbles to be able to stay calm and make proper safety decisions.
  • Shallow water self-rescue – a child needs to know how to push themselves up if they are lying face down in shallow water, a bucket, toilet, or bathtub.
  • Fall in and return to the wall – the edge of the pool will always be there, but an adult will not. The child must learn to get herself back to the wall for safety rather than depending on an adult to lift them from the water.
  • Float on their backs – a child should learn to float on his back to rest, breathe, calm down, and call for help. The ability to rest while floating in the water is essential for any level of swimmer.
  • Climb out – toddlers younger than two years are capable of climbing out of a pool. A child must learn how to climb out correctly and practice, practice, practice!!!