Getting Ready for National Learn to Swim Day

The third Saturday of May is recognized as National Learn to Swim Day, a holiday first celebrated in 2012 in order to bring awareness to the importance of getting kids comfortable with swimming as early as possible. At Atlanta Swim Academy, we take pride in using tried and true methods for helping kids get accustomed to the water and learning proper water safety! 

Starting Early Helps with Learning

This is true in many ways. Firstly, impressing vital safety information on young children helps that information to carry on well into adulthood. Secondly, starting early helps kids to get a head start on learning more advanced swimming techniques that will help them for the rest of their life. Finally, starting early means that kids have the luxury of learning at their own pace; not every kid learns in the same way, so giving them time to develop confidence without pressure is essential to keeping those lessons ingrained. 

Swimming Helps with Mental Health

Swimming is a great tool to help a child build confidence as they master swimming skills. Learning to swim is an inherently social activity, with a group of students learning essential skills together, as a team. Learning in a supportive, healthy environment is great for a child's emotional health, and helps kids to develop healthy emotional responses. 

Swimming Could Help with Cognitive Development

It's no secret that swimming builds confidence – developing a skill feels good, and that feeling is multiplied for children learning about something for the very first time. But that confidence, in addition to developing awareness and quick-thinking skills, can help children in the classroom as well. One study showed that young children taking student lessons were up to eleven months ahead in their studies, as well as having significantly higher visual-motor skills. 

How ASA Can Help

Here at Atlanta Swim Academy, we specialize in tailored classes that are centered around specific milestones for your child. All classes have a 4:1 child-to-teacher ratio and are taught by Lifeguard Certified instructors. Classes start for students as old as 3-5 months who are just getting used to water acclimation, to 12 years old where students learn skills such as locating emergency equipment for helping in an emergency and racing techniques for swim teams. To learn more, check out our Swim Levels page!