Swim Lessons: Right Age to Start?

Starting to think about enrolling your child in swim lessons for the summer? Swim lessons - whether they're through a school, church or independent program - are valuable and help keep children safe in and around water.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) used to recommend that children begin swim lessons at the age of 4 - the age at which they're considered to be developmentally ready to learn to swim. But now more children are starting lessons as young as 1 to 2 years old, and that's OK says the AAP.

"While the AAP still recommends that all children who are 4 years old and older begin to take swimming lessons, pediatricians are no longer against swimming lessons for younger toddlers and preschoolers between the ages of 1 to 4 years old," Susan Helms, director of Injury Prevention and Safe Kids Mid-South, said.

Safe Kids reminds parents swim lessons don't make kids "drown proof." Parents should still keep a constant watch over little ones when they're in and around water. Swim lessons do not necessarily reduce the child's risk of drowning.

Le Bonheur and Safe Kids helped launch Make a Splash Mid-South, a community-wide, volunteer initiative created to give more children the opportunity to learn to swim. Make a Splash has partnered with area aquatic centers to offer free and low cost swim lessons to at-risk children ages 6 to 12 years old.