When you take your toddlers swimming....

[Poppychick]

What do you actually do in the pool to help them gain confidence and enjoy the event?!!

We took our two (1 and 3) the other week and I was pretty bored - I think they were too! They are not that confident in the water and go in with their rings / arm bands on.

What fun stuff can I do? Please help, want to make it fun and am taking them both tomorrow.

We take a blow up Nemo and their action man shark which they try to swim after (also 1 and 3). Are yours boys? Mine are and being in the water is just an opportunity for a different type of fighting so its entertaining but not the way I imagined!

Can you find a mum and toddler swim session, all our local pools do them and the pool has tons of floating toys and nursery rhyme type music on.

Thanks FJ - one of each! I am stuck with times I can go as I work every day except Wed. Might be worth looking around for a pool that does though.

Maybe I need some more floaties (pardon the expression

We do chases, rides (them holding on to our backs), splashing each other, dunking daddy, pretending to be sharks and fishes, jumping in ( but oyu have to do a little dance before you jump), putting you feet up on the wall and leaning back so you can dangle your hair in the water.

Just stupid stuff really, probably only the chasing involves any actual swimming. We only go for a laugh tbh. I figured they'd get it when ready and dd has. At around 2ish she suddenly just started swimming properly. She's better at races and chases now

Pick the right pool. A rectangular training pool with no 'features' is quite frankly dull for all concerned. We take dd to a pool with a very shallow toddler bit with a small (maybe 3 ft) slide in it, and the bigger pool there is a wave pool. We don't go in in the waves, but it means that the edge is gently sloping, and dd can walk in by herself and decide how far to go. Sometimes she will practice lots of jumping in from the edge, other times she will just pootle about and 'swim' a bit.

A small ball or rubber duck works well for them to swim after - it should be small enough for them to hold in one hand so that they don't capsize when holding it.

Also try

• singing ring a ring of roses, but instead of 'all fall down' sing 'all jump up' and lift them out of the water

• put them on the side and sing Humpty Dumpty and get them to jump into your arms at 'all fall down', preferably making them splash you so that it's fun!

• do 'motorboats' with them by holding them in front of you and whoosh them from side to side. This is great for keeping them moving which will keep them warm

I'll try and think of other things we do

I find that both of them in armbands but only ONE ring for them to 'share' keeps them occupied in fighting and chasing each other for the full session

Can'tsleep has hit the nail IMO. I wave whilst my DP bobs my DS around 'Waterworld' in Edinburgh. Water flies from every direction and there are big and little slides and a wave pool. Both seem to have a great time and I get to marvel at the blindingly white skin of the dads in the pool (they don't use 'summer skin then!).
I took DS to a bog standard, rectangular pool and ended up with aching arms and hypothermia.
There are some great 'teach your kids to swim' videos on You tube if you want to go down that route.

Thanks all. DS is in supergrump mode so not mega optimistic but have blown up beach ball in prepartion and like the idea of the Ring o roses and Humpty games.

The others will come in handy when they're a bit more confident.

Cheers!!!