Simply being in water is a unique experience for the developing brain and body. There is total freedom to move in many new ways than on dry land. Moving and swimming in water requires a set of complex skills. This is because it has to cross integrate all the senses, all at the same time.

Babies’ brains are born immature. In fact, with just 25% synaptic connections, compared to adults. Neuroscience in the early years guides us to understand how neurons fire and wire through experiences. The optimum environment is a sensory rich one, full of love and nurture.

Studies have found that swimming children do better than their non-swimming peers, in terms of academic success at school and better motor milestones.

“Children who swim demonstrate more advanced cognitive and physical abilities than other children, according to ground breaking research led by Griffith University”

Let’s reflect, our sense of vision and hearing are alerted to make sense of this new watery world. Water, a nearly gravity free medium provides our tactile sense with a whole-body proprioceptive feedback pressure that can feel calming, like a little water hug. We can practice gross motor skills by having fun splashing and kicking the water, as well as picking up toys using our fine motor skills. Our vestibular sense acts like our little GPS, working with all our senses, processed by our receptors in our inner ear. We start to understand our body position, how fast we can move in water and if we are the right way up, or upside down, as we swing, sway, twist and turn in the water. This is sensory co-ordination and integration in action.

Neuroscience Nurture

Nurturing experiences grow resilient brains. (The Nurture Revolution). Nurture has the amazing power to grow a baby’s brain by shaping connections through providing opportunities like skin to skin, responsive parenting and rich opportunities to build emotional responses. In the pool it is ok for babies to feel a little overwhelmed, their stress systems may be on overdrive, but we are always there to be able to calm and sooth them. They can rely on us, borrowing our nervous system to co-regulate themselves.

Strengthens Language and Memory

This should be no surprise as speech and language is learnt through copying and mimicking. The water provides the perfect place for face-to-face interactions. New words to be spoken, new ways to explore their mouths like bubbles, aiding oral control. And let’s not forget about singing too! Baby swim classes are full of songs and lullabies in the water like: My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean and Row, Row your Boat.

During the sensitive period between 7 months to 3 years (it’s what Montessori describe as within the first plane of development), the brain is primed to learn ‘spoken’ words. 

Singing in the pool when combined with moving - has a double bubble benefit. It’s what we call at Aqua Sensory our ‘Move & Groove’ activities. Our babies’ nervous systems will thank us for it, our parents will feel more connected, and it makes for happier times all round, including us as baby swim teachers too.

Baby Swimming makes you happy

In the pool when the Aquatic Classroom is set up to support as a nurturing experience, baby and parent often releases a cocktail of loving hormones and transmitters, such as oxytocin, dopamine and serotonin. Helping to soak the brain with a pleasurable experience and developing the resilient emotional brain circuitry. As well, as The Blue Mind Theory that provides us with neuroscience and evidence that being near or in water makes us happy. (The Guardian)

Above are just a few reasons why to start baby swimming, of course there are so many more benefits.... these are just for starters!

The Aqua Sensory Program is carefully crafted, we know how to boost brains and build better, strong swimmers during this explosive stage. We know just how much the early years matter, we create little swim steps to success. We love to create sensory discovery play into meaningful learnings in water.

Come and discover more with us:  Our child development program in Water.