Splish Splash! Toddler Water Safety for Summer

This post was sponsored by SwimWays as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Whether it’s a kiddie pool in the backyard, a local community pool or on the beaches of Lake Michigan, I want Bryce to feel comfortable around water, learn how to swim, and hopefully develop a love of water. It’s an essential skill in my opinion, and one that will keep him safe too. We intend to spend a lot of time at the local pools, the beach and neighbor’s pools this summer just like we did last year…ahh summer!

Last year around this time, we enrolled Bryce in his first swimming lessons. While he was young to learn the mechanics of swimming, it was helpful for the comfortability in the water. We loved using the SwimWays Baby Spring Float to acclimate him to the water and he really loved it and so did I. It was nice to let him float in it more independently versus being held, and the canopy shade was wonderful protecting him from the sun. Read more about it on this blog post.

This year, we just started another round of swimming lessons now that he is bigger and can master kicking and pulling himself out of the water a bit better. (It’s funny- he loves to flip on his belly and kick his feet in the bathtub and say “I’m swimming!”, even putting the side of his head in the water. But when we were in the pool for our first lesson? Nonstop screaming…makes total sense :-)

We are continuing his swim progression with a SwimWays products that help aid him to get more comfortable and confident in the water. They can be found in-store and online at Toys R Us:

Swim Step Two Swim Vest: This helps Bryce to learn to balance and paddle- such a foundational skill to start swimming. It has durable foam inserts for balance flotation, and a front zipper, which makes it easy to get on and off. And it even has UPF 50+ sun protection! (They also make a Step Two Swim Sweater– I remember using one when I was little, and the design has actually been around for 50 years!)
Swim Step Three Power Swimr: As Bryce “graduates” from the Step Two Vest, he will use this to feel a bit more confident in the water at his own pace. It has adjustable cords and a support strap to ensure a snug fit and has 9 removable floats that you can adjust based on swimming ability- like training wheels for the pool!

SwimWays is a brand we trust and use since they’re leading the way to promote water safety for families. In fact, they are the driving force behind the 6th annual National Learn to Swim Day that took place on May 20, 2017. SwimWays started National Learn to Swim Day in 2012 and is dedicated to educating parents and children about water safety and the importance and benefits of learning to swim.