It’s springtime, the perfect season to spend family time in our Florida swimming pools. If you have young children, you’ve probably researched when your child is ready for a swim lesson. Infant swimming programs have become increasingly popular lately, and we’ve heard stories of children as young as 6 months being introduced to water. Let’s be clear that these young children are not swimming, but are being introduced and familiar with water. You can begin this introduction at any age.

So what are researchers saying? It varies for each child. There are two main milestones that will let you know that your child is ready to take on swim lessons. The age of your child as well as their individual experience. Children with pools in their backyard will most likely be ready to learn before those with less exposure to water.

If your child is around the age of 2 and 4, they are usually ready to begin the exploration of swimming. Depending on their progress in development, formal stroke and skill development begins around the age of 5. So when’s the best age to take swimming lessons?

Around 5.5 is the most common age for learning specific swimming skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics, or AAP, has suggested to wait until your child is around 4 years old for group swimming lessons. Having your child take formal swimming lessons as well as constant supervision and gates around their pool are more likely to be protected from drowning.

An overview: You can start your children young (age 1-3) to become familiar with the water and floating. At the age of 5, your child should take structured swim lessons. The recommended amount of lessons is 8 weeks every season to ensure your child is up-to-date on safety tips and their skills. So enjoy your days this spring and summer swimming in your Daytona Beach pool while keeping your children safe.