Swim Fins & Why We Love Them (Baby Shark Do Do Do Do Do)
We love using swim fins in our toddler and preschool swim classes. These swim aids allow our little swimmers to experience great freedom of movement in the water; Providing safety without restricting the child’s ability to use their full range of motion. They also remove the need to be held by a parent, or hold […]
What if my child cries during class?
Our reassurance and advice to parents on how to confidently soothe an upset baby in swimming classes If you have a baby or toddler who cries in class, or is anxious and distressed at entering the pool, or even if you are thinking about attending your first class and wondering what to do if your […]
Sensory Home Play Ideas To Aid Swimming
Sensory Home play activities that can aid water confidence and enhance your little one’s bath time experience Water confidence is essential for infants to learn to swim. As Merbabies swim teachers we are always thinking up fun filled games and activities that offer a positive means to achieve an action that otherwise may cause potential […]
What is Sensory Play and why does it matter in early years learning?
We see the word sensory appearing all the time with regards to children’s activities and development, but what is it? And why does it matter? ‘Sensory play’ is basically activities that stimulate and engage your little one’s senses; sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. From birth babies use all these senses to learn about the […]
What are sensorimotor skills, how do they develop and why do they matter?
Why early years swimming lessons are so beneficial to the development of sensorimotor skills We receive sensory messages through our sensory systems; Vision, hearing, sense of taste and smell, touch, vestibular (balance/equilibrium) and proprioception (movement of muscles) From the information we receive through these senses our clever brains process this ‘sensory input’ and produces a […]
From Mum on Poolside to Merbabies Swim Teacher
Teacher Lesley Knox’s Journey Our Merbabies experience started when my partner wanted to take our son swimming as young as we could and he found Merbabies. We started taking Luke along aged 11 weeks old (Now 13 months) and he loved it from day one. I loved the classed so much and could see the […]
Top Tips For Taking Your Baby Swimming On Your Own
What do you do in the pool with a new baby anyway? After teaching swim classes this weekend, I got home, and the first thing my own two kids asked for was to go swimming. Now, people always say to me oh your own kids must be great swimmers, well the truth is that when I’m in […]
Eye to Eye and Skin to Skin
Why Teaching our Kids with Love Matters We have all read and experienced the benefits of skin to skin contact with our children. In a busy world where we run from one place to the next and pack babies in and out of prams, car seats and bouncers, juggling life, work and family, and are constantly […]
Anna’s Story of Getting Started with Merbabies
Swapping the office & corporate life for a swimming pool & 3 large bags of toys! Everyone knows running your own business is hard work, building your own start-up is even harder right? Add being a parent to two very small people, a husband who also runs his own business and entering a brand new […]