To many families, the end of summer signals the end of swimming. But, even though the warm weather might be waning, it’s important to keep swim skills as sharp as ever. Water safety knows no season and here are some valid reasons for why children should just keep swimming – all year long!
Swimming has many benefits for children. This lifelong skill provides kids with an outlet for exercise and of course teaches the very important skill of water safety. However, beyond those obvious advantages, there are a number of developmental benefits that come with consistent, year-round swim instruction that help young children (who need lots of physical and mental stimulation!) reach developmental milestones much more quickly. Here are a few reasons to keep your little ones in the pool with us this fall.
1. Develop fine and gross motor skills. Swim lessons provide a technical, whole body form of exercise, so kids who regularly practice movements such as the simultaneous kicking of arms and legs, paddling, breath work, and strokes improve overall coordination (hand eye, grasping), concentration and focus, and balance.
2. Enhance intellectual and emotional development. In a multi-year study from The German Sports College Cologne, young children who swam year-round were more confident and independent than their non-swimming counterparts. They fared better socially and academically, displaying superior problem solving and communication skills.
3. Build brain power. Studies are showing that swimming is wonderful for kids' brain health. A four-year Early Years Swimming Research Project (with 45 swim schools in Australia, New Zealand and the United States) found that children younger than five who had swim lessons were more advanced in their cognitive and physical development. This is because the bilateral cross-patterning movement (where you use both sides of the body to carry out an action) performed in swimming develops more nerve fibers in the part of the brain that connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain which affects cognition, ease of learning, gross motor skills, and overall academic performance.
4. Help foster independence. Formal instruction teaches kids how to take turns, listen, share, and cooperate in a group setting. These activities promote comfort and confidence in the water and, in turn, builds self-esteem and the ability to try and adapt to new things!
5. Have fun! Swimming should be a fun activity for kids of all ages. The Goldfish Swim School curriculum ensures that kids have a positive experience in the pool. Even though we take swim lessons very seriously, we also mix in a healthy dose of fun to keep kids engaged in lessons. What could be better than that?
All of the wonderful benefits of swimming come with time and repetition. Consistent, year-round swim lessons are the best way to achieve that result. We hope to see your family at our pool this fall!
Join Goldfish Swim School Cleveland East for the Pep Rally at the Pool event on Friday, August 26, 2016 from 6:30-8 p.m. Spirited swimmers sporting school apparel with be admitted for free!
Join Goldfish Swim School Cleveland East for the Pep Rally at the Pool event on Friday, August 26, 2016 from 6:30-8 p.m. Spirited swimmers sporting school apparel with be admitted for free!
Sonali Morris is a mother of two and the owner of Goldfish Swim School Cleveland East Side and Goldfish Swim School Fairview Park. Goldfish Swim School provides swim instruction to children ages 4 months to 12 years in a unique setting with highly-trained instructors, small class sizes (max 4:1 student-teacher ratio), shiver-free 90-degree pools, and a state-of-the-art water purification system.
