Infant: 3-6 Months Parent & Child

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• Baby reflexes relate specifically to water and submersion, and begin to disappear around 6 months of age:
  • Breathing reflex – Initiates baby to take in a quick breath BEFORE submerging
  • Dive reflex – prevents baby breathing underwater
  • Gag reflex – Stops baby accidentally taking on more water
  • Swimming Reflex – Allows baby to develop strength in swimming muscles by mimicking a swimming motion
• Safe entry & how to hold your bub – Teaching parent/carer how to handle bub in water is just as crucial as getting bub acclimatised… babies are tricky to handle when wet!
• Ball/toy scramble – practise grasping for fine and gross motor development as well as hand-eye coordination, swimming reflex
• Greeting with the big ball – social skills; name recognition, hand-eye coordination/tracking with eyes, getting to know their teacher and others in the group
• Conditioning with cups – initiates little ones ‘Baby Reflexes’ specifically breathing/diving
• Toys on the mat – Tummy time (more difficult than on land, extra resistance helps strengthen core and neck especially), social experience (infant swimming classes may be one of the first social experiences outside of family or mothers’ group for parents and children)
• Promotion of kicking front and back - swimming reflex, spatial awareness (perceiving distance), coordination of various body parts at the same time
• Wheels on the bus – parent to rotate child in a vertical position so they are face-to-face for gestures such as wipers go swish (so they can view your face – submerging their ears only), babies blow bubbles (so children can begin to imitate action) 

Repetition of activities or sequences in activities allows children to develop an understanding of routine/expectations/builds trust/sequencing/predicting events/opportunities to master skills before building upon a foundation.

Using familiar songs/nursery rhymes helps adults support little ones in learning (make it easy for parents to replicate at home) and helps little ones who appreciate familiar sounds and routines.