Swimming aids for toddlers

[ealingkid]

Hi. I am wondering what to buy my 18 month year old to help him in the swimming pool.

I see plenty of kids with arm bands but am dubious about these as have been advised that they don't help them learn to swim at all.

Am tempted to get a jacket instead, which would leave the arms free, but am surprised to see they they start at about £20.

Also wondering what, if any, floats would be a good idea.

Any advice please?

[christywhisty]

I would go for the disc arm bands, thats what my children used in their lessons. As they get better you take them off. Start off with 3 or 2 then down to 1.
arm discs

[UniS]

my boy is using a back float ( swimming backpack he calls it) from zoggs, comes with 4 floats and a belt, he uses 3 at teh mo. Our swimming pool has them to borrow, so I havnt bought one yet.
he didn;t like arm bands. I didn;t like a float suit.

[bogie]

cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&item=310061583432

Ds has one of these and he loves it

[Fizzylemonade]

Agree with christywhisty, our discs are called Delphins (just multi-coloured)

In Yorkshire where I live this is what they learn to swim with when they are older, and in Lancashire too where some of my family live.

they have video on website of babies as young as 12 months using them. Amazing.

this

[Fizzylemonade]

oh forgot to say that swimming instructors have advised us to avoid any swim jackets as they put them at the wrong angle in the water for when they learn to swim later on.

Hence why we have bought the delphins for ds1 who is now aged 5.

Ds2 is just 2 and can "swim" with a boyancy jacket (he is a daredevil) but we will swap him to delphins before he learns to master the strokes to make him a proper swimmer.