Desperately searching for new activities for your toddler? What if I told you that I have a list of activities for your toddlers to do at home during bath time that actually promote water safety skills? These activities are both fun for the kids and give parents a peace of mind that you’re already teaching core water safety skills that could help save your child’s life one day! 

As a parent, I totally understand the fear parents have about their kid’s safety around the water. And it's a valid fear because drowning is the leading cause of death for children under the age of 4. As a swim instructor, I hear these fears ALL the time from other parents. While high quality swim lessons and adult supervision are the two best things you can do for your child’s water safety, I want to tell you that there are things you can do at home to start preparing your children for swim lessons at a very early age. Mastering these activities at home can actually help them learn to swim faster, giving you a peace of mind that your kids are safe in and around the water. 

In this blog post, we’ll explain the importance of teaching water safety skills to babies, toddlers, and preschoolers, even before they are enrolled in swim lessons, why those skills are critical to successful swim lessons, when to start water safety activities for toddlers, and give you practical guidance on how to get started on these activities with your toddlers at home today.

You can thank us now for a new activity in the house and thank us later when your child is ready for swim lessons!

What is the importance of starting water safety activities with babies and toddlers before swim lessons?

Teaching your child how to swim is one of the most important skills you can give them. But in order to teach a child how to swim, they have to be comfortable in the water. More specifically, they need to be comfortable with having water in their face - which can be a learned skill. Think about it - the first time your baby had a splash of water in their face, did they like it? Probably not! This is because you have to teach them how to be comfortable with water. 

Most people call this “water acclimation” and it’s an important first step in learning how to swim. Acclimating to the water gives children a sense of comfort in the water and relieves their fear of being in the water. 

Now I want you to imagine signing your child up for swim lessons, taking them to their first week of lessons, and watching an instructor spend 3-4 full lessons getting your child comfortable enough to put their face in the water. Annoying right? Especially when you could have done this at home ahead of time! Now imagine the alternative, you spend bath time at home getting your child used to the water and they spend their first 3-4 lessons actually learning how to float on their back, a life saving skill. 

Keep reading on when and how to start these activities.

Are my kids old enough to start water safety activities?

I don’t even need to know your child’s age to confidently tell you YES, your child is old enough for these activities. You can start some of these activities as early as your baby’s very first bath and continue these activities through their toddler years. 

If your child is old enough to take a bath, they are old enough to practice these activities. In fact, the AAP recommends parents enroll children in swim lessons by the age of 1. And many children have had success in learning how to float before the age of 1 through survival swim lessons. 

So don’t wait on these activities - start with the first activity below tonight at bath time and work your way up to the others.

What are some water safety activities for toddlers I can do today at home to prepare my child for swim lessons?

Okay, so how do I actually do this? Here are 5 water safety activities for toddlers that you can do in the bathtub at home. These are going to seem simple to us adults but these are brand new skills for your toddlers.

1. Gently Pour Water on Baby’s Head

It is perfectly natural to want to shield a baby’s face from water when bathing them in the bathtub. But did you know that this can actually cause your child to be afraid of having water in their face down the road? Fear of water in the face is the hardest obstacle for kids to overcome in swim lessons and can actually slow down progress in becoming water safe. 

You can start practicing this skill at home, at any age, to set up your child for success during swim lessons. Start with a gentle trickle over your child’s head and let the water run down your child’s face, building up to more and more water over time. 

If your toddler already has a fear or simply isn’t used to water in the face - this may take some time and encouragement. It’s okay if your child gets upset or frustrated the first few times, keep working at it every time you’re in the bath. Over time, your child will get used to the sensation and become comfortable with water in their face. In fact, this is now one of my toddler’s favorite bath time activities but it wasn’t always that way - he used to scream every time I poured water over his head as a baby! Now, he’s pouring a cup full of water over his face over and over again for fun.

2. Sing Wheels on the Bus - Water Edition!

Take your toddler’s favorite song with you to the bathtub! Change the song slightly to help acclimate your toddler to water in a playful way, preparing them for swim lessons. 

Start by finding something round that you don’t mind the kids playing with in the bathtub and give it to your child to use as a steering wheel, singing “Wheels on the Bus,” encouraging splashing, kicking, and water play during every refrain. For example, you can have your kids splash water on “round and round” or when the horn goes “beep, beep, beep.” 

Our kids love this one - and we do it regularly in the bathtub. It’s another great water safety activity for toddlers because it is a very fun and low pressure way to practice having water in their face. A big part of learning to swim starts with feeling at ease in the water. Being comfortable with the sensation of water in their face helps kids stay calm and confident during swim lessons, and it’s essential for mastering basic swimming skills, like breathing control and floating.

3. Float Like a Pancake

Floating is one of the first and the most important water safety skills for toddlers to learn. And believe it or not, floating can be taught at a very young age to infants and toddlers! Knowing how to float gives a child the ability to find air and wait for help if they fell in water, which could prevent a drowning accident. Start laying the groundwork at home by practicing the floating position. 

Before we get into how to do this at home, let me tell you a personal story. One of our children has a really hard time calming himself down in the pool and taking steady breaths while floating, mostly because he gets cold quickly, but also because he is very active and eager to move. We have worked long and hard on him learning to float and every time he is having a hard time floating in the pool, we always come back to this exact exercise in the pool to regulate breathing and practice floating. 

While this may seem like a super simple exercise, it can be a really hard skill for kids to learn in the water. We suggest starting this water safety activity on the dry floor and work up to practicing in the bathtub. To do this, have your child lay down on their back on a dry floor with their arms out. Have them practice laying very still in this position and sing “I’m a Little Pancake” to the tune of “I’m a Little Teapot” which goes like this: “I’m a little pancake on my back, I’m a little pancake nice and flat. I’m a little pancake on my back, flip me over and swim like that!”

Once your child can lay still and sing the whole song confidently, transition this activity to the bathtub. You can start doing this water safety activity with your toddler in the bathtub with low water ensuring their ears are underwater but that water is not touching their mouth or nose. You want to make sure they are keeping their chin up and head slightly back. Lay still and sing “I’m a Little Pancake” to get used to the water sensation. Once they are comfortable laying still in water singing the song, gradually work your way up to more water in the tub until they are able to float.

Practicing the floating position in a comfortable, familiar environment helps kids feel safe and confident as they learn. Getting used to lying still on their back and staying calm builds the foundation for successfully learning to float in the pool.

4. Practice Holding Your Breath

When kids know they can hold their breath underwater, they’re less fearful of accidentally swallowing water. Feeling secure in their ability to hold their breath can make all the difference in helping them respond safely and effectively in the water.

While in the bathtub, put a small amount of water and have your child pretend to be Superman or Supergirl by laying flat on their stomach with their arms in front of them. Tell them to hold their breath by making a bubble in their mouth and hold the bubble inside. Once they master holding a bubble in their mouth, have them put their whole face in water, holding their breath for 2 seconds and come up and say “Supergirl!” or “Superman!” Once your child can comfortably hold their breath for 2 seconds, work your way up to 5 or even 6 seconds.

Knowing how to hold your breath will help your kids stay calm in the water and focus on essential safety skills, like rolling onto their back to float or reaching for the wall during swim lessons. And learning it at home with a parent in the bathtub is a much lower pressure way to learn an important skill.

5. Kick Those Legs

Learning the basics of kicking is a fun and essential first step in water safety, but some types of kicks are more effective than others in the water. For kids, the flutter kick is the most effective, helping them move forward smoothly. 

Start on a soft surface like a bed or carpet, where your toddler can lay comfortably on their stomach. Encourage them to lift their legs slightly off the ground and kick their legs up and down behind them. This is their chance to “kick like a fish” as they move their legs. Make sure they keep their legs mostly straight with just a slight bend at the knees. If they’re struggling to keep their legs straight, suggest they point their toes and “march like a soldier.”

Practicing these kicks outside the pool is a fun and engaging activity they’ll enjoy!

Water Safety Activities for Toddlers Can Start Today at Home

There are many ways you can introduce water safety activities for toddlers at home! As you practice these exercises, please remember that adult supervision is always required when a child is in or around the water - including the bathtub! And we encourage you to enroll your child in high quality swim lessons as soon as possible. 

But you don't have to wait until swim lessons to start teaching critical water safety skills to your toddler. Practicing these water safety activities with your toddler is a great way to start laying the foundation for core water safety skills and a perfect time to remind your kids about water safety rules. If you haven't already taught them the 2 critical water safety rules, you can read about that in a blog post here. 

While water safety is very important, you want to keep the mood of these activities playful and fun. While they may seem silly, you are laying the foundation for learning critical water safety skills in the future.

For step by step instructions on all of these water safety activities for toddlers, download our free guide here. And get started on these activities tonight at bath time!