Swimming with a 3 year old

[Kitkatcrunchie]

Hi all,
6 months in with our 3 year old daughter and wanting some practical advice. We've started going swimming, she is good with the whole idea but in the pool pretty much spends all of the time just walking round the pool. Even though we've been only a few times there has already been progress from her just mostly sitting beside the pool when we first went. She lets me hold her a little and she kicks her feet and we take a toy to play with.
Any other ideas for helping her do more than walk around, have others had this, will this just be something she slowly develops with at her pace.
Just looking for some ideas and advice on taking a toddler swimming when she's not had much experience going. Especially as I don't feel she is ready for lessons yet.
Thanks muchly

Could you find somewhere with a special kids bit that she might be more excited to go in? Like a smaller pool with a slide or I've seen some with big pirate ships etc.

Sounds like you re doing well.
A swimming pool can be quite different from a sensory point of view, strange smells, echoes etc.
Just take it gently, praise for whenever she gets wet etc.
No point in lessons unless she is happy to get in the pool.
Go at quieter times maybe?

Can you take her to a pool that has a large paddling pool? My eldest was 3 before he went to a swimming pool. It took a huge effort to get him to swim and I spent a fortune on private lessons - but he got there in the end. One good thing we did was to go where there was a children’s pool so he could splash around, totally in control, then we started sitting in it and then he would crawl around on his knees..

Thanks for your responses.
She is excited to go and enjoys it. She'd happily walk round the whole time I think. Might be nice finding a pool with other things but don't want to change things too much too quick.
@UnderTheNameOfSanders thank you, hard when not done this before to know for sure.
It's not a Busy pool, there was only 1 other small group there. Its not the going that's the problem, its more ideas of how to help her when there. It is a toddler pool so not deep or too big.
@Hels20 thanks, I'll build on getting her splashing around some more and take it at her pace.

Our local pool has a beach style entry, wave machine and separate area with a toddler slide where the waves don't go along with sides at just the right height for a toddler to jump off. Oldest loves it, youngest found it overwhelming.

My DS was the same as your DD at age three. The walking around the pool used to drive me nuts. It sounds like you're doing all the right things though. Just to offer you some reassurance DS had the best part of two years (age 4-6) where he didn't even go near a pool. He's now (age 6) enrolled in a swim school that takes place in a small private pool. He LOVES it, hasn't walked round the pool once, and is progressing very nicely. If I were you I'd just focus on keeping it enjoyable and try not to worry about all the walking around she needs to do.

My son did a bit of walking around, as a toddler, when we went back to the pool after a break with lockdown. It didn't last long but he had been used to the water prior to that. I've always kept him close to me (partly because the pool is too deep for him to touch the bottom) but also as it's been great for bonding. Are you a confident swimmer? I swim on my back with my son laying on my tummy so he can get the feel of moving through the water. I also do a bit of wooshing him around and playing grand old Duke of York so I can lift him up and down in the water. He used to like clinging to the edge and working his way along the side of the pool whilst in the water. We also worked on him being able to climb out himself.
He then started using a noodle wrapped round him. Once he got the hang of it, he loved the feeling of independence it gave, although he was never more than an arm's length from me! He now has a float vest and likes to follow a toy and race me in the water.
I keep toying with the idea of lessons but I think he'd struggle with being in a larger, noisier pool than the one we go to and he'd probably get freaked out by any swimming teachers raising their voice!
I've learnt that he will do anything when he's ready and it can take months to get to that point but it's worth putting in the effort to help him get there.
If the pool environment is quite relaxed, I think it's a lovely way to help build the relationship with your daughter - lots of opportunities for close contact, eye contact and showing your love when you help them get warm and dressed and give them a snack after. My son still has a beaker of warm milk when we get out of the pool!

Hey, I'm a swim teacher for kids 2yrs +

It's all about distraction and confidence. Most my lessons are games.

Get them to show you how they think a different animal would swim. Frogs (jump), elephant (big trunk splashing the water), crocodile (snap with hands) then move to fish/shark who don't have feet so they can't walk... they can tell you certain animals too.

get them to hold your hands and pull them so they feel the water against them.

The floor is lava is also a good game so they lift their feet up and float for few seconds.

Swimming lessons start from babies at most leisure centres and although u may think why do they do certain things it's really beneficial to children. Hope that helps x

Brilliant.
Thanks everyone. Lots of great ideas that I can start using and try out with her. Thanks also for the reassurances with starting in with a 3 year old. looking forward to trying these out.