Why Winter Is a Great Time to Get Your Kids Into the Pool

The American Red Cross estimates that over 90% of families with children spend at least some time in the water during the summer months, so it makes sense that summer is the prime season for children’s swim lessons. But don’t be so quick to pull your kids out of the water just because the temperature has fallen outside.
 
According to Lisa Kramer, senior program director for the West County Family YMCA, there are plenty of reasons to continue swim lessons throughout the year. "Many people think of swim lessons as a summer activity," says Kramer, "but taking lessons year round will help to ensure your child's skills continue to progress and he/she is ready to jump right in when summer arrives."
 
Kyle Fetick, Aquatics Director at the St. Louis Jewish Community Center, agrees.
 
"I like to use the analogy of learning an instrument," says Fetick. "You wouldn't expect to take piano for a few months out of the year and expect to be a proficient pianist. Swimming is very much the same. While it may be a typical summer activity, the more you learn in the winter and spring, the more prepared you are to be a confident and safe swimmer during the summer."
 
Why Keep Swimming?
 
According to a 2009 study from the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, formal swimming lessons can significantly reduce the risk of drowning, particularly in children between the ages of 1 and 4. And while summer classes will certainly help to build the strong swimming and water safety skills kids need, year-round lessons allow them to better retain those skills – and move on to mastering more advanced skills faster.
 
There are other good reasons to keep your little ones in the water during the winter months too. We tend to think of swimming as a summer activity, but an indoor pool is actually the perfect place to take the kids when it’s too cold to play outside. Swimming works most of the body’s major muscle groups and is less likely to result in injury than many other sports, making it an excellent form of exercise for growing children.
 
Bottom line: routine winter swim lessons can keep kids both safe and active. And they also give the entire family a reason to get out of the house – before cabin fever sets in.
 
Where Kids Can Swim in St. Louis This Winter and Spring
 
Outdoor pools in St. Louis won’t offer swim lessons for several more months, but there are plenty of indoor pools in our area where local kids can “just keep swimming.”
 

• Area branches of the YMCA of Greater St. Louis offer swimming lessons throughout the winter months, including parent/child classes for babies and group classes for ages 3 to adult. Membership is not required to take advantage of these classes, though members do receive a discounted rate. To find the class schedule at your local branch, visit www.ymcastlouis.org.
• Winter and spring swim sessions (and some winter swim teams) can also be found at private fitness clubs like the St. Louis Jewish Community Center. A limited number of youth swim lessons are even offered through St. Louis Community College.
• Many area community centers with indoor pools also offer lessons during the off-season. In St. Charles County, for example, both the St. Peters Rec-Plex and O’Fallon’s Renaud Spirit Center offer reasonably priced classes for kids.
• Little Fishes Swim School offers small group instruction for children ages 6 months to approximately 6 years in their heated, indoor salt-water pools. Classes are offered year-round at their facility in Brentwood, and a new location in Chesterfield will be ready to accept students this spring

There's still plenty of time to get our "little fishes" into classes well in advance of the summer swim season. Yes, it's an extra expense, but if we want our kids to feel safe and confident in the water, we need to start thinking about swimming lessons as a year-round endeavor, and not just a fun summer activity – at least while they're still learning the basics.
 
Besides, there's nothing like wrestling a tiny body into a bathing suit to remind us that summer really is on its way. With the snow days still piling up faster than the snow itself, that's a reminder a lot of St. Louis parents desperately need right now.
 
Just keep swimming. It's good advice for keeping our kids safe in the water. And – as this long, hard winter rages on – a good mantra for parents to remember ourselves.

[Editor's note: If you can't work winter or spring swim lessons into your family's schedule, many summer camps focus on teaching swim skills, such as Ackermann's Swim Program (now in its 65th year), YMCA Summer Camps, J Day Camps, and Rockwood Community Education Summer Programs. ]