What do I get? Beginner swimmer 6yo. Float vest? Arm bands?

[justmewithmylifetoday]

Taking 6yo swimming. Only been in water once when a toddler. Recommendations for the best aid for her to use? Arm bands/float vest? Noodle?

I'd say arms bands or a ring. I found with float vests if the child loses footing in the water they can find it hard to right themselves again if you know what I mean.

Are you wanting them to learn to swim, or just have fun more safely?

If learning, then a noodle is good as it keeps them afloat but in a proper swim position, and you can use them differently as they get more confident. Same with a swim vest.

Arm bands are rubbish for learning to swim as they keep you too upright in the water. I suspect they’re good for confident splashing, but would a 6yo find them babyish?

Noddle and sign them up for swimming lessons.

DD had one of those shark fins that straps around the body when she was younger, it leaves their arms free and is meant to give a more natural floating position in the water. The swim school used those foam arm bands to start with though when I got her into swimming lessons but she didn't need them for long.

Sign them up for swimming lessons and follow the lead of whatever approach/aids the teacher takes in the lesson.

I think those swim vests are great, where you can gradually reduce the weights as they gain confidence. Those with a noodle are good for practicing swimming, and just the vest for playing. I got mine the vests from vinted for about £5.

Thank you all. I will be signing her up to swimming lessons, but want to take her with me a couple of times to get used to the water.

Those items are toys they are not for water safety, people including children need to swim without them

Our swimming pool has toddler session where they have the noodles and arm bands used in lessons available to the public it would be away to test a few options before shelling out on things that might not work for your child.

We have a vest and that's good in wadding levels and rock pooling things like that. My daughter doesn't have confidence that it will keep her a float. It does keep her in a good position when we go get her in water. In arm bands she always wants to be stood up rather than lying down which isn't the best position to get her to swim. With lessons she uses noodles and they keep her in the best position for swimming or floats but she just uses those to lie on.

The hardest skill to learn we finding is being comfortable having ears in the water and getting her head in the water. Also not holding her nose when going in the water and breathing out instead

Our swimming instructors say that a lot of the flotation devices are counter productive to learning to swim. They do use noodles in the beginner classes though, so presumably they are ok.

@WandaWonder what items are toys?

I feel my daughter will benefit from something to help her stay afloat whilst she gets used to the water.

Get a noodle. Go somewhere where she can stand up to begin with. She’s quite old to just be starting so she should be tall enough to stand easily in the learner pool. Just let her play and encourage her to jump in and put her head under water and float on her back. Get her water confident. Then get her some lessons asap.

Floatation devices are toys, they should say on the warning item on the products themselves

I refused to send my child to any swim school that uses them, noodles are not as bad though

I’ve never seen a swim school that uses flotation devices and my children have attended 3 different ones. My nephews 2 others.

Have a look at swim fins. These position kids correctly in the water to learn to swim…..

Noodle gives confidence but is also useful for learning and can be set aside easily too. You can get inflatable ones for travel too.

I'd take her to a pool where she can reach the bottom and use a noodle for confidence

Swim fins that go on their back….not flippers

these

https://www.swimandplay.co.uk/swimfin-1024-p.asp

I'm a swimming teacher floatation devices prevent a child from getting their own buoyancy in the water. I'd say get a woggle.

This 💯

Have never used arm bands with any of my kids and actually rarely do see kids in arm bands these days. Not sure why!

My kids never used any flotation device. They learned to swim in swimming lessons.

I have three children close in age. so if we’re going swimming they’re wearing floatation devices (as well as never being out of my sight). There’s no way I would take them all without something. Sure I’ll then take them one on one if I can to learn/ they go to swimming lessons, but when we’re all swimming for fun they are wearing one of these https://www.splashabout.com/learn-to-swim/kids-float-jackets.html

At 6 I'd just go with a pool.noodle under the armpits to help them float, they will be tall enough to stand up in the little pool by that age.
You'll be next to them all the time when they are in the water so can help them onto their feet again quickly if need be