Infant Swimming Lessons

At Saf-T-Swim, we believe in teaching fundamental survival swimming skills early to keep babies and toddlers safe in and around water. While some parents may be hesitant to enroll their children before they’re able to walk, early swimming lessons for infants and toddlers provide many benefits. 

According to the CPSC, NDPA, & CDC, fatal drowning is the number one cause of accidental death in kids under the age of 5. It’s also the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death (behind motor vehicle accidents) for kids between the ages of 1 and 14. Toddler survival swimming lessons can lower the risk of accidental childhood drowning by 88%. Early survival swimming lessons for babies also provide your child with a positive experience in the water, right from the beginning, which sets the stage for confidence and comfort in the water when it’s time to start more challenging water safety skills.

Children who get their feet wet early on tend to have less fear and fewer insecurities around water. Infant and toddler swimming lessons can also improve motor development, accelerate cognitive development, strengthen social confidence, and deepen the parent-infant bond.

When should my toddler or baby start swimming lessons?

It’s almost never too early to begin your experience with infant aquatics. At Saf-T-Swim, we offer swimming lessons for babies as young as four months old. As a proud member of the United States Swim School Association, we design our baby aquatics classes around a child-centered learning environment. 

Each class is taught at the child’s own pace, focusing on the five essential swimming skills every child should learn: buoyancy, breath control, arm/leg motion, body positioning, and survival float basics. Our infant swim lessons are designed to provide fundamental, life-saving skills while taking into account each kiddo’s physical, emotional, cognitive, and psychological development.

The first and most crucial thing we teach is our emergency pop-in method. Once this skill is mastered, your young swimmer will know how to hold their breath and then turn and kick back to the wall. Our certified instructors will also help your baby learn to float on their back as soon as possible. This skill is critical in situations where every second counts.

Whenever your child is ready, they can participate in our swimming lessons for infants or toddlers, which provide supportive swimming instruction while parents watch from our viewing area. With personalized, one-on-one instruction in soothing, warm-water pools, our infant and toddler swimming lessons are a gentle, nurturing way for your child to learn how to love and respect the water.

Find A Location

Lessons for Infants & Toddlers

ParentTot

A unique bonding experience for you and your baby ages 4 months-3 years. In this small group class, students learn correct swimming movements through a method we call “patterning”. Muscle strength and coordination are developed. This class is a great stepping stone to our private lesson (1-on-1) program or group lessons. Parents (or guardians): bring your swimsuit - a parent/guardian must get in the water!

Tot

Our Tot (1-on-1) lessons start as early as 4 months of age. Private infant lessons are designed to build comfort in the water and start the fundamentals of water safety by developing muscle strength and coordination.

Private Lessons (Children)

Our individual (1-on-1) lessons are for all ages and designed to meet swimmers at their current swim ability and comfort level. Our experienced instructors tailor their lessons for each student's unique needs in a safe, supportive environment. All swimmers are taught water safety skills, foundation skills for stroke development leading into learning the proper technique for all four swim strokes.

What are Infant Swimming Resource (ISR) lessons?

We are sometimes asked what ISR lessons are and if we teach infant self-rescue. While water safety skills are our first priority for all swimmers, our curriculum and teaching approach differs from the ISR philosophy. We believe swimmers need to develop swim skills that not only allow them to float, but also move themselves to safety as confident, efficient swimmers. Having a correct, efficient swim stroke enables swimmers to move themselves out of potentially dangerous situations. 

The ISR philosophy promotes “self-rescue” swimming skills with various methods of instruction based on the child’s age. For example, survival swimming for babies might include learning how to roll onto their backs to rest through repeated exposure of being forced underwater. While we can all agree that learning to float is an important water safety skill, we differ in our approach to teaching, and experts have yet to prove that the ISR method is a more effective teaching approach. 

Our philosophy in teaching water safety skills includes an environment where all swimmers learn to love and respect the water while learning fundamental swim skills. At Saf-T-Swim, we believe that you can’t effectively teach traumatized kiddos who fear water. That's why our swimming lesson program starts as early as 5 months of age with a focus on a positive in-water experience and starting foundational water safety skills. When thinking about ISR and other toddler survival swimming programs, we urge you to do extensive research to determine if they are the right fit for your family. While our approach to teaching lifesaving swim skills differs, we can all agree that learning to swim is the most impactful way to reduce the risk of childhood drowning.

 

Our Water Safety Curriculum

When it comes to choosing swimming lessons for your kiddos, we know you have plenty of options. We also know exactly what young swimmers and their families need to have the best experience possible. Our warm water pools and individualized attention make Saf-T-Swim stand out, but it’s our proven curriculum that ensures your child learns new skills while having a blast. 

As a proud member of the United States Swim School Association, our baby swim lessons are based on a child centered learning environment. Our classes are taught at the child’s own pace, with emotional, physical, cognitive, and psychological development considered. Saf-T-Swim teachers will hold, nurture, and love the babies, all done while building a trusting relationship. Our lessons are designed to take advantage of a baby’s natural born water instincts. Keep in mind that an infant or baby’s first 9 months are spent in a liquid environment when in the womb.

We teach children the five essential swimming skills every child should know and learn. The essentials are buoyancy, arm/leg motion, breath control, body positioning, and one of the most important, flotation! All skills are taught alongside learning to love but respect the water. The first and most crucial thing we teach is our pop-in method. Which focuses immediately on an infant or toddler learning how to, if they fell in, to hold their breath. Then turn and kick face down back to and reach for the wall. Saf-T-Swim will work on introducing your baby to getting his/her ears wet, and to float on his/her back as soon as possible. Swimming teachers strive to teach children at their own pace, with the goal of them turning onto their backs and floating on their own. All of this is to either save them in an emergency. Also, to buy valuable seconds or minutes until help arrives, should an incident occur.

For more tips on water safety or reducing the risk of childhood drowning. Please visit our drowning prevention division End Drowning Now and follow us on Facebook.

Start with Saf-T-Swim during your child’s early years, and watch your little swimmer grow into a strong and confident lifelong lover of water.

Find a Class

THE SAF-T-SWIM DIFFERENCE

Swim Lessons

fun warm-water environment that emphasizes water safety

Saving Lives

across Long Island since 1984

Proven Curriculum

developed by swimming and water safety experts

TESTIMONIALS

Equasia Y.

“Our swim teacher is awesome with my son who is in his terrible two's.”

Jenn D.

“After trying 4 different swimming classes for my daughter- at 4 years old we finally found a wonderful place. Saf-T-Swim is wonderful, and quite frankly, a relief.”

Kate T.

“My daughter started at 6 months and she loves her lessons! The instructors are the best! ”
Need help choosing a class?
1 (866) 723-3794

OTHER PROGRAMS

  • Children’s Swim Lessons
  • Adult Swim Lessons
  • Special Needs Swim Lessons
  • Swim Team Prep
  • Swim Camps & Clinics
  • Swim Party
  • Family Open Swim
  • Lifeguard Training
Children’s Swim Lessons

Children’s Swim Lessons

We offer progressive swim lessons for children of all ages and skill levels. Learning to swim is not only a crucial life skill, but it also builds confidence and independence. Swimming is also a great way to get exercise, participate socially with other children, and enjoy special moments in the water. Whether you want your child to develop life-saving water safety skills, learn fundamental strokes, or participate in elite competitions, our swim classes provide personalized instruction tailored to each student's unique needs.

Adult Swim Lessons

Adult Swim Lessons

We offer group and private adult swim lessons in a comfortable, stress-free, warm-water setting. No matter your age, it’s never too late to learn how to swim or to overcome a lifelong fear of the water. Whether you want to learn basic swimming fundamentals, gain endurance, or refine existing skills, our passionate instructors will help you learn the skills you need to be safe and enjoy special moments in and around the water.

Special Needs Swim Lessons

Special Needs Swim Lessons

Swimming is an important life skill with tremendous therapeutic benefits for kids with special needs. Swimming lessons can soothe sensory overload, relieve physical discomfort, and help kids learn life-saving water safety. In addition to teaching water safety skills, swimming lessons can also improve balance, coordination, strength, and range of motion. Our skilled, compassionate Saf-T-Swim instructors have extensive experience teaching kids with a variety of unique needs. 

Swim Team Prep

Swim Team Prep

Our swim team training program is perfect for young swimmers who want to put their swimming skills to use and continue to refine their swim technique. Our experienced instructors teach kids to strive for their personal best in a team environment while improving strength, speed, and endurance. We teach proven swimming techniques that include all the fundamental strokes swimmers need to compete. Practices are designed to be challenging, instructional and fun.

Swim Camps & Clinics

Swim Camps & Clinics

Our SwimJams swim camps are a great way to get a child in the water multiple times in a week. Your child will swim four times in one week, for an individual lesson, really reinforcing their swimming skills in a shorter amount of time. This is a perfect opportunity for kids to learn who are involved in other sports or activities and can't commit to lessons for longer periods of time. Our Swim Clinics are a great way for your advanced swimmer to perfect their techniques or work on advanced strokes. The Swim Clinics are offered for an hour to boost endurance as well!

Swim Party

Swim Party

Celebrate special occasions with a pool party any time of the year at Saf-T-Swim. Perfect for team parties, birthdays, fundraising events, or any other special gathering, our swim parties provide a fun, hassle-free way to celebrate with up to 24 guests! Plus, your party will never be rained out!

Family Open Swim

Family Open Swim

Our Open Family Swim is a great opportunity to get in the water with your entire family. The more often children are in the water practicing their skills, the stronger swimmers they will become. Let your kid show off for you and see up close everything they have learned! Our heated pools allow you to enjoy the fun all year long!

Lifeguard Training

Lifeguard Training

Become a certified lifeguard through StarGuard. Our course consists of 20 hours of in person learning and 10 hours of online classes. You will become certified in CPR, lifeguarding, AED, choking, and first aid for the professional rescuer.

NEARBY SWIM SCHOOLS