Our Foundation program introduces babies and infants to the water in a fun, safe and supportive atmosphere.
Designed for children from three months to three years old, these lessons are a great way to bond with your little one while learning vital water safety skills.
Our specially-trained infant teachers understand how babies develop and what their capabilities in the water are. They'll be in the water with you and your baby to provide support and guidance every step of the way.
You're more than welcome to bring a partner, friend or family member to watch as your baby discovers the water.
Foundation swimming lesson levels
We offer four levels tailored to babies of different ages and abilities: Baby Play, Parent and Child, Transition Deep and Transition Shallow. Parents join their baby in the pool for all these levels
Begin your swimming journey with a free introductory lesson!
We’re ready to help your bub take on their swimming adventure! Enquire today to try a lesson, meet our friendly team and discover how we make learning to swim fun and engaging.
How we teach
We want every child to become the best swimmer they can be.
Our teaching style focuses on ensuring children feel safe and supported in the water. All of our teachers follow the same lesson plan to ensure consistency.
We also teach in small class sizes, creating a nurturing environment where every child receives the close attention and guidance they need to develop their skills.
To support your child during lessons, our teachers may use ‘hands-on corrections’. This is where they use their hands to guide your child into the correct swimming position and keep them safe.
Our aim is to help your child grow more confident and capable in the water, one lesson at a time.
Survival swimming skills
We incorporate survival swimming skills into every lesson at Kingswim – from our Foundation programs right up to our Graduate and Squad programs.
Each week, your child has the opportunity to learn and practise essential swimming skills that will help them become stronger and safer in the water.
We also have dedicated survival weeks, where children learn specific lifesaving skills appropriate to their age and ability level. This includes safe entries and exits, rescue techniques, survival strokes and more.
By focusing on survival swimming skills, our lessons help kids grow into confident swimmers who know how to be safer in and around water.
Baby and infant swimming lesson locations
Our Foundation program is available at all Kingswim centres across Australia, including in Melbourne, Canberra and Sydney.
Common questions
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When can my baby start swimming?
We teach tiny tots through to big kids, with programs available to babies from 12 weeks of age. Research has shown that babies who learn how to swim at a young age reach many developmental milestones earlier. It’s a wonderful experience that really can start early!
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Is the pool warm enough for babies?
It sure is! Our pools are toasty and warm with a constant temperature of 32-33 degrees to keep babies and children comfortable.
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Are your facilities family friendly?
Swimming is what we do. As a dedicated swim school made for families, our centres have:
- family friendly change rooms;
- dedicated baby and infant change areas;
- plenty of space for prams;
- spares of all the important things in case you forget something.
It's the little things that make all the difference at Kingswim.
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How to prepare my baby for swimming?
Before you take your baby to swimming lessons, it’s important to help them form positive associations with water. Here are five ways to do this:
- Help your baby feel comfortable in water – During bath time, try gently pouring a small amount of water onto your baby’s head to get them used to the feeling of having water on them. You could also try taking them in the shower with you.
- Make bath time fun – Introduce toys to the bath tub to encourage your child to splash and play. You can even play music and sing songs with them. This will help your baby associate water with happy emotions.
- Remember to always actively supervise your baby while they’re in the bath.
- Talk to your baby about the pool – Encourage them to feel excited about swimming by talking about how fun it is and the all the things they’ll be doing in the pool. If they can see that you’re excited, then they will be too!
- Show them pictures of babies swimming – This is a great way to introduce your baby to the idea of swimming lessons. You can even read children’s books about swimming lessons to them.
We've also put together some toddler swimming skills guides that you can use at home to prepare your toddler for learning to swim:
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What should we bring to baby and infant swimming lessons?
Packing your baby's swimming bag can be tough the first time! Here's everything you need to remember to bring to baby swimming lessons.
- All the usual baby bag things – nappies, wipes, nappy sacks, change of clothes etc.
- Swim nappy (regular nappies fill up with water and make it very hard to move around)
- Bathers for you both
- A rash vest or t-shirt for you (this gives your baby something to grip to and support their weight, helping them learn from a young age how to pull themselves to safety)
- A towel for you both to dry off afterwards
- If you come wearing your bathers under your clothes, don't forget a change of underwear!
- Feel free to bring a capsule or pram – it’s much easier once you’ve changed bub to have them safely tucked in so that you can get dry and dressed too. We have large pool decks and spaces so your pram won’t be a hassle to move around.
Don’t ever worry if you forget something, we’ve got spares on hand of baby essentials, because we’ve all been there before!
Read What do babies wear swimming? for more tips on what to bring.
For more information about class policies, our centres, how to start lessons and what to expect, please visit our FAQs page.