Developed with science, taught with passion

Ready to start swimming?

What we'll teach you

We'll teach you to teach your baby to swim. From lesson one, we'll get your little one used to the sensation of the water, developing their natural instincts and transforming these into core aquatic skills.

By the end of our programme, your little one will be swimming freely using different strokes and be able to keep themselves safe in and around the water.

We work closely with Swim England, and we've woven their learn to swim framework through our programme. So you'll be simply amazed at the progress they've made. 

And not only will they be able to swim independently and have learnt a skill for life - they will have grown in confidence too.

How our lessons work

Our lessons are intimate, with a maximum of 10 little ones, a carer per child and one of our teachers in the pool at any one time.

They're 30 minutes long and take place each week, so it's a wonderful way to bond with your baby away from the craziness of life. 

Skills are taught through song, play and repetition, so there's never a dull moment when you're in the pool. 

Our teachers will tailor each lesson to your little one's ability, so it's only when they're ready that we're ready.

Getting Ready for your lesson

There’s many things to think about when it comes to attending your first baby swimming lesson! Ensuring you have everything you need in plenty of time will help to alleviate any last minute panicking. We’ve highlighted some key top tips below, but you can also read our blog on more advice on getting prepared for the pool.

Happy Nappy™

No other nappy will do. The Happy Nappy is tested and approved, the only one that can guarantee against leakages. You don't want to be the party pooper of your lesson (literally!). When you buy your Happy Nappy from us, we'll check the fit in your first lesson. Just keep the tags on. That way we can swap it if the size isn't perfect. We have two options of Happy Nappy™ for you to choose from:

    • Happy Nappy™ DUO - The Happy Nappy DUO, the most advanced reusable swim nappy in the world. This all in one double nappy system incorporates the popular Happy Nappy, with a new built in active silver inner layer, which is scientifically proven to kill pathogens that cause tummy bugs like Cryptosporidium or E.coli. Approved by Water Babies as Double Layer Nappy System, this is the only swim nappy you'll need for your little one's swimming lessons, but if you'd like to make changing and cleaning easier, it can be worn with biodegradable nappy liners underneath.
    • Happy Nappy™ –  a reusable swim nappy, made from super soft neoprene and designed to offer the best protection against solid leaks in the pool. That's why it's the only swim nappy approved by Water Babies to wear during your little one's swimming lessons. You’ll need to wear either a reusable or paper swim nappy underneath your Happy Nappy™.

Essential Lesson Accessories

  • Towel – one for your little one and one for you.
  • Changing mat – our Bubba changing mat is perfect and means you can change your little one easily, wherever you are.
  • Warm hat – little heads get cold easily after swimming.
  • Swimwear for you – could be a little embarrassing otherwise! Many customers arrive to our lessons ‘beach ready’ so all they need to do is change their little ones when they get to their lessons.
  • Snacks and a drink for on the way home – swimming is great for building an appetite.

What makes our underwater photography the best?

There's nothing quite like seeing your baby swimming underwater. And we know time with them is precious, so having a snapshot of a skill that you and your little one have learnt together is something you'll want to keep for a lifetime. 

Our underwater photography captures that special moment where your little one shows off everything they've learnt so far in their lessons.

Our photographers and equipment are world-class, so you can feel confident that you'll be taking home a beautifully crisp, high-resolution shot of your baby, striking their best pose. And we take up to 9 images of your baby on our photo shoots and you’ll receive all images!

So take home a unique keepsake. It's a chance to share your little one's progress with your friends and family too. 

A Digital Experience

You can now immerse yourself in your swimming experience with ‘My Water Babies.’ You’ll be able to keep up to date on your swimming journey with us on ‘My Water Babies’ – a personalised portal where you’ll see the progress your little one is learning in lessons, what Water Babies Treasures you’ll be collecting in your swimming adventure, and key information such as holiday dates.

Your Journey through Oceans of Imagination

As you progress through our magical Oceans of Imagination world with The Swimvincibles, you’ll visit mystical islands to collect Water Babies Treasures and swimming awards.

You’ll celebrate everything you’ve learnt and worked towards in lessons during ‘badge weeks,’ where you’ll visit Cloudfish Cove, Floating Forest, Lighthouse Lagoon to collect your badge, and celebrate your achievements with class mates, as you’ve all worked so hard on learning new swimming skills! Watch below to travel through your experience with us. 

Programme FAQs

  • Our Water Babies world, Oceans of Imagination, is an immersive swimming experience where little ones learn a skill for life. You’ll be guided by our team of Swimvincibles, on your own, individual swimming adventure, tailored to your needs. Every water baby will join one of our swimming superheroes, The Swimvincibles, in their Team. They’ll work towards progressing key swimming skills and collecting Water Babies Treasures along the way, with their Swimvincible Team member leading the way. This includes everything from badges and stickers to certificates, highlighting your little one’s achievements as they travel through our programme.

  • The Swimvincibles are a team of swimming superstars, who head up our swim Teams at Water Babies. They’ll inspire and guide your little one through their swimming journey with us. Starting with Pearl for our new baby classes through to Saffi, Echo, Sculli, and finally Finn, as you head for independent swimming!

  • A Team represents where your little one is in their swimming journey with Water Babies, with our littlest water babies starting with Team Pearl, and our big water babies swimming in Team Finn.

  • You’re a ‘Swimvincible in training’ from your very first lesson. There are five Swimvincible Teams in total, and you’ll progress through a team in a year.

  • A massive sense of pride and an amazing Swimvincible cloth badge as a forever keepsake of your swimming journey with us.

  • Mystery Island weeks are a chance to have extra fun and let imaginations run wild!  We have few sprinkled through the year as special events in class, with a chance to wear fancy dress and get involved in a themed lessons such as our bi-annual ‘Splashathon’ charity week.

  • Water Babies badges are awarded at special celebratory Island badge weeks planned into our swimming calendar usually at the end of your swimming term. There are four spread out evenly throughout each swimming year, which are collected on the way to achieving each Team Swimvincible badge.

  • You get five Water Babies badges per year! There are four Island badges (Cloudfish Cove, Lighthouse Lagoon, Floating Forest and a Mystery Island badge) spread out throughout a swimming year, which are collected on the way to achieving each Team Swimvincible badge.

  • Badges will be awarded towards the end of each term. They will appear in your ‘My Water Babies’ account and your teacher will let you know when an Island week is approaching.

  • Each Water Babies Island badge relates to the skills you’ll have been learning and working towards in your lessons. The badge week will highlight and celebrate your little ones efforts, progression, and development as a class.

  • You will receive a badge towards the end of each term. There are also stickers and certificates awarded along your journey, so lots to look forward and add to your Water Babies Treasures collection.

  • Yes! If you joined after a specific badge week but would like to collect the badge to complete your set, you can purchase any missing from your local office.

  • The specific Team Swimvincible badge is awarded at around week 40 of your swimming journey, as you complete the Team and are ready to move onto the next one.

  • There are 25 Water Babies badges to collect across our whole programme – 4 Island badges and a Swimvincible badge for each Team and 5 Teams in total to complete.

  • All our Water Babies offices do badges! If you haven’t received one please contact your local team who will be able to help.

  • Water Babies Badges are awarded as you go through the programme, but you can buy any from an earlier stage if you didn’t join us at the start of Team Pearl – just ask your local office.

  • Just contact your local office – any badges awarded before you joined us won’t be activated on your ‘My Water Babies’ account, but you can still buy them to complete the set!

  • Badge week is a chance to celebrate all your swimmer has been learning and working towards in the pool with your whole class. There are four Island badge weeks (Cloudfish Cove, Lighthouse Lagoon, Floating Forest and Mystery Island) spread out evenly throughout each swimming year, as a chance to reflect on progress and development for each island’s set of swimming skills. You’ll leave the class with a sense of pride and an amazing cloth badge to add to your collection of treasures!

  • No! The Water Babies Treasures awarded to you, as you make your way through the Teams with the Swimvincibles, are all part of the journey. You are able to purchase any which may have been awarded prior to you joining us.

  • Water Babies is the world’s leading baby and toddler swimming school, teaching over 40,000 little ones a week the lifesaving skill of learning to swim. Aimed at families of all shapes, sizes and blends who want to give the children in their lives the best start in life, Water Babies takes each child on a journey of aquatic discovery, adventure and purposeful play. We advocate holistic learning through creating water quests and adventures tailored to every stage, prioritising child personal development, and nurturing every little mind, body and soul through swimming. We’ll support you and your little one’s unique swimming journey, helping to build water confidence and safety in a creative and imaginative way.

  • We’ll find you a class in the Team which is most appropriate to your child’s age and experience. All our new babies will join Team Pearl. But if you’re joining us with a toddler or pre-schooler, you could join in Team Saffi, Team Echo, Team Sculli, or even Team Finn. It’s about getting you settled with similar age class mates and skills which will be at the right development stage for your little water baby.

  • Your local office can give you advice on the next steps in your swimming journey.

  • We understand every child develops and learns at their own pace. Water Babies teachers are trained to teach what’s in front of them, and will work with you and your little one to help achieve skills in their own time. Not achieving a particular skill won’t affect your child’s ability to be rewarded for their individual progress and be awarded with their badges.

  • Water is a leveller, a place where everyone can flourish and have fun in a non-competitive environment. Swimming has a whole range of benefits for babies and toddlers with disabilities and learning difficulties, and at Water Babies, we welcome all little ones to swim with us. Our teachers are trained to teach every baby and toddler as an individual, and at their own pace. When booking on to your lesson, just speak to your local office about any additional support which might be needed for your little one to help them in their swimming journey. Your teacher will then be on hand to help you and provide you with this support in lessons.

Definitely recommend this!

Definitely recommend these to any parent who has very young babies to start ASAP. The staff are very patient and helpful with information etc. But most of all, our baby girls' teacher, Davide, has the patience of a saint and really gets to know each baby and child.

Carol Murray

Excellent swimming lessons

Excellent swimming lessons for kids. Dillon has learned so much, loves the water and has so much confidence in the pool. It's a life skill and Water Babies classes are the best. Highly recommend Water Babies!

Caoimhe Connolly

A wonderful gift to our child

Better than I expected and such a great gift to give our son. I can't think of a better thing to spend our money on than to give him skills that will keep him safe and also provide a lifetime of fun and enjoyment. Great, great service!

Julie Tilghman

Ready to start swimming?