Swim training a toddler

[Northend77]

My 2 and a half year old twins are now very confident in the pool and are getting better at kicking their legs to move through the water. They currently wear armbands and I was wondering if I should start to move them onto something else to help progress their swimming. Would a mini kickboard be the best option?

Noodles/woggles are better than armbands and harder for a toddler to let go of than a kick board which make the safer.
If they don't use them already, get them some decent goggles so they can swim with their face in the water which will help their body position.

How do you have the noodles? I remember we knotted them in a loop when I did their infant aquatics when they were tiny but we just held them in the loop.

As you have two young DC I'd say keep them with the armbands for a while longer. Let them enjoy the pool and have fun. Encourage them to each forward with their arms while kicking g their legs.
In about a year's time, in the shallower part of the pool, let them have a go at doggy paddle. Swimming should be fun.

www.splashabout.com/swimming/kids-swimming-aids/

We used arm bands and occasionally a noodle then for brief periods would take them off and let them have a go by themselves - all DC were swimming doggy paddle independently by 3.5.
They also learned in a pool where they couldn't put their feet down so even now they are great little distance swimmers.

I noticed some pictures on the back of the main door at nursery this morning which shows some of the swimming lessons the kids take part in. It seems they use noodles just in a U shape under the ribs and some had a small kickboard too so I think I might try this and do what Avebury suggests - just doing it for brief periods during their swimming time