MISS

Magazine

  • Written by Anne Brown


Though the start of the cold weather might deter most children from a dip in the pool, leading swim school Kingswim is highlighting the importance of keeping up with swimming lessons, even during the winter months. 

Kingswim area manager, Anne Brown, says that after potentially missing out on summer lessons due to low availability, long wait lists and swimming lesson density caps, the cooler months provide a great opportunity for parents to take advantage of a range of indoor activities and quieter enrolment periods.  

“While swimming lessons should be a priority all year round, families who are yet to re-enrol or enrol for the first time, should use this opportunity to get a head start on preparing for the long summer season. Last summer, some wait lists were as long as two months prior to Christmas,” she says.  

Though it is easy to sign up for swimming lessons, Anne explains that the hardest part of winter swimming is really the journey from the car to the pool.   

“Quite often kids don’t want to play outdoor sports in the cooler months, however swimming is the perfect way for children to keep fit while still remaining warm,” she says. 

“With Kingswim’s purpose-built centres and heated pools always sitting between 32 and 34 degrees Celsius, it’s easy to dip your toes into swimming lessons.”  

To get your children ready and excited, Anne provides some helpful tips for before and after swimming lessons to make the journey as easy and stress-free as possible. 

Get ready for your lesson at home and prepare a swim bag ahead of time  

Organising a fun ‘to-do’ checklist beforehand will help your child get excited for their lesson! Help them into their swimming gear at home, and when preparing their swim bag, don’t forget key essentials like a spare change of clothes, a towel, and extra layers — just in case!

Save time and take a shower at Kingswim  

If your child is enrolled in evening classes, why not shower and change your child into their pjs straight afterwards? It will help to save a bit of time, and they will be comfortable and warm during the car drive home.

Prepare some snacks  

For any kids that might get a little bit peckish after lessons, bring along some pre-prepared snacks, like cut up veggies and fruit. This will keep them satisfied on the way back home, but only if they’re not all gone by the time you arrive at the pools!  

Though parents might expect reluctance from their children to get into the water during winter, it’s vital that they remain in swimming lessons all year round. Once they’re in the warm centre, having fun and learning important water safety skills, they’ll be thanking you in the long run.  

Kingswim has taught more than 18 million swim lessons to Aussie kids over the last 30 years, and offers programs for babies from 12 weeks of age, right through to graduate level swimmers. With over 20 centres across the country, find more information on Kingswim’s programs and winter swimming lessons at www.kingswim.com.au.