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Want a happy swimmer? What the best swim schools actually do

We’d all like our children to grow up to be happy swimmers who relish the chance for a dip in the pool. We know that swimming lessons have a great impact on a child’s enjoyment of the water. So what do the best swim schools actually do?

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The answer is simple…

Games, excitement and a chance to explore always gives your child a more pleasurable experience of swimming.

If your swim school gets it right, then your child’s enjoyment will last well into adult life.

Games have many social benefits too! For example:

• Learning new games aids cognitive and listening skills

• Games help shy children build intra-personal skills

• Interaction improves self-confidence

• Imaginative games allow children to express ideas, share with others.


A well-structured swim programme for everyone

In a well-structured swim programme, your child will be encouraged to develop their movement skills and build water confidence.

Their progress is regularly monitored and you will see the benefits of play-led learning in their increased confidence and willingness to try out new activities.

Other parents have seen how skills develop quickly with a games-based swimming lesson:

‘Rufus really enjoyed his swimming lesson, so thanks so much! I was amazed to see him having a go at everything, and he told me that his favourite thing about the lesson (other than playtime!) was when he put his face under the water….which I have never seen him do before so willingly!’ Caroline, Bath


Fun during lessons increases endorphins and helps children stay alert

Studies have shown that when children are actively engaged, they take in more of the lesson and can demonstrate what they have learnt for a long time afterwards.

Neurologist and educator Judy Willis explains that having fun triggers the release of endorphins which in turn make children more alert and receptive to the information that’s being offered.

‘The human brain and body responds positively to laughter with the release of endorphins, adrenaline and dopamine, and with increased breathing volume (more oxygen). When a lesson starts with humour, there is more alerting, and the subsequent information is attached to the positive emotional event as an event or flashbulb memory.’ (“Research-Based Strategies to Ignite Student Learning: Insights from a Neurologist and Classroom Teacher” (ASCD, 2006)


Exciting activities help those with nerves too!

Seeing other children enjoy themselves helps to relieve more anxious swimmers of their fears. By watching others enjoy themselves during a swimming lesson, nervous swimmers begin to allay their fears. If a child can be distracted from their fear of the water for just a moment, they begin to relax. The release of tension helps buoyancy no end and their water confidence takes a real boost!

Goggles review: Aqua Sphere Vista Junior Goggles

This post is part of our Goggles Challenge where we tested a range of swimming goggles in order to find the best pair.
Tester: Jack, aged 8
Best feature: No misting or leakage
Worst feature: Uncomfortable
Result: 4/10
Price: £19.99

These goggles come in a variety of colours, including pink and glitter! The goggles are durable and have a broad seal and quick-release buttons on the side for easy adjustment. Jack didn’t see find any misting or leakage although he found the goggles very uncomfortable. Even his mum and dad tried them and found that the seal was so strong; they felt their eyes being sucked!

Buy these goggles

Other children’s swimming goggle reviews:

Cressi Cobra Kid Goggles Read review
Speedo Junior Vanquisher 2 Read review
Zoggs Predator Junior Read review
Zoggs Tri Vision Junior Goggles Read review
Zoggs Peppa Pig Adjustable Goggles Read review
Aqua Sphere Seal Kid 2 Goggles Read review

Goggles review: Aqua Sphere Seal Kid 2 Goggles

This post is part of our Goggles Challenge where we tested a range of swimming goggles in order to find the best pair.
Tester: Our swimmer, aged 6
Best feature: Wide frame, good visibility
Worst feature: Strap did slide at back
Result: 8/10
Price: £17.99
#goggleschallenge WINNER!! Best goggles for ages 3-8

The Aqua Sphere Seal Kid goggle is already well-liked because of the clear, mask-style design and durability. Aqua Sphere have made a few improvements to this new edition which includes a better seal, and stronger materials. The quick-release strap means you can adjust the goggles quickly with very little fuss and we didn’t find any condensation build up or leaks. These goggles were very comfortable and our swimmer wore them throughout the lesson.

Buy these goggles

Other children’s swimming goggle reviews:

Cressi Cobra Kid Goggles Read review
Speedo Junior Vanquisher 2 Read review
Zoggs Predator Junior Read review
Zoggs Tri Vision Junior Goggles Read review
Zoggs Peppa Pig Adjustable Goggles Read review
Aqua Sphere Vista Junior Goggles Read review

Goggles review: Zoggs Peppa Pig Adjustable Goggles

This post is part of our Goggles Challenge where we tested a range of swimming goggles in order to find the best pair.
Tester: Bronwen, aged 5
Best feature: Peppa Pig!
Worst feature: Visibility very poor
Result: 3/10
Price: £8.00

Peppa Pig, what could be better than that! Available in blue and pink and suited to children aged 1-6. These goggles were a delight for Bronwen because of Peppa but they were ever-so misty! From the moment we got into the pool, these goggles started to fog up. They are difficult to adjust on the head and there is no quick-release mechanism on the strap which is most useful for younger children. For comfort though, Bronwen was happy to wear them throughout the lesson and they didn’t leak.

Buy these goggles

Other children’s swimming goggle reviews:

Cressi Cobra Kid Goggles Read review
Speedo Junior Vanquisher 2 Read review
Zoggs Predator Junior Read review
Zoggs Tri Vision Junior Goggles Read review
Aqua Sphere Seal Kid 2 Goggles Read review
Aqua Sphere Vista Junior Goggles Read review

Goggles review: Zoggs Tri Vision Junior Goggles

This post is part of our Goggles Challenge where we tested a range of swimming goggles in order to find the best pair.
Tester: Thomas, aged 8
Best feature: Adjustable strap
Worst feature: Uncomfortable
Result: 4/10
Price: £14.00

Thomas’s goggles have a wide rim for better vision and a broad seal around the edge so it seems more like a scuba mask! The broad seal is to prevent leakage and provide a more comfortable fit. Recommended for ages 6+ they have UV protection for swimming outdoors on holiday. We didn’t see any misting but they were too uncomfortable to wear for the whole lesson. So much so, we reverted to Thomas’s old pair of goggles instead!

Buy these goggles

Other children’s swimming goggle reviews:

Cressi Cobra Kid Goggles Read review
Speedo Junior Vanquisher 2 Read review
Zoggs Predator Junior Read review
Zoggs Peppa Pig Adjustable Goggles Read review
Aqua Sphere Seal Kid 2 Goggles Read review
Aqua Sphere Vista Junior Goggles Read review

Goggles review: Zoggs Predator Junior

This post is part of our Goggles Challenge where we tested a range of swimming goggles in order to find the best pair.
Tester: Faith, aged 7
Best feature: Comfortable to wear
Worst feature: Adjusting the strap
Result: 8/10
Price: £13.00
#goggleschallenge WINNER!! Best goggles for ages 6+

These are officially recognised goggles from the International Federation of Swimming and come in such great colours. We found the vision was good as they had a reasonably sized frame and no leakage! During the lessons, we didn’t discover any condensation on the lenses and Faith wore them throughout. A comfortable pair with very little fiddling of straps required!

Buy these goggles

Other children’s swimming goggle reviews:

Cressi Cobra Kid Goggles Read review
Speedo Junior Vanquisher 2 Read review
Zoggs Tri Vision Junior Goggles Read review
Zoggs Peppa Pig Adjustable Goggles Read review
Aqua Sphere Seal Kid 2 Goggles Read review
Aqua Sphere Vista Junior Goggles Read review

Goggles review: Speedo Junior Vanquisher 2

This post is part of our Goggles Challenge where we tested a range of swimming goggles in order to find the best pair.
Tester: Daniel, aged 7
Best feature: Mirrored lenses and comfort
Worst feature: Fiddly strap
Result: 6/10
Price: £11.00

For the speedy racer! These goggles are designed to make a statement and our pair came with mirrored lenses! Good for reducing glare on holiday and suitable for children 6+. Once Daniel and mum got them adjusted to the right size, Daniel found them very comfortable. There was a significant amount of fiddling to get it right and they even came with additional nose adjustment pieces. As they are mirrored, it would have been nice to have a case to protect these goggles but on the whole a good comfortable pair.

Buy these goggles

Other children’s swimming goggle reviews:

Cressi Cobra Kid Goggles Read review
Zoggs Predator Junior Read review
Zoggs Tri Vision Junior Goggles Read review
Zoggs Peppa Pig Adjustable Goggles Read review
Aqua Sphere Seal Kid 2 Goggles Read review
Aqua Sphere Vista Junior Goggles Read review

Goggles review: Cressi Cobra Kid Goggles

This post is part of our Goggles Challenge where we tested a range of swimming goggles in order to find the best pair.
Tester: Joy, aged 4
Best feature: Wide frame
Worst feature: Visibility
Result: 6/10
Price: £15.90

With a wide frame and a multitude of colours available, these goggles faired well during our challenge. Joy had a lot of fun going under water and the clarity of the goggles was really good. We didn’t notice them steaming up once and Mum said, “her brother now wants a pair so they must be great”.

Buy these goggles

Other children’s swimming goggle reviews:

Speedo Junior Vanquisher 2 Read review
Zoggs Predator Junior Read review
Zoggs Tri Vision Junior Goggles Read review
Zoggs Peppa Pig Adjustable Goggles Read review
Aqua Sphere Seal Kid 2 Goggles Read review
Aqua Sphere Vista Junior Goggles Read review

#goggleschallenge: Meet the contenders for Top Goggles!

As part of our partnership with Bath Mums, we are holding the ultimate #goggleschallenge to road-test children’s swimming goggles. Over the next four weeks, the following eight pairs of goggles will be worn by our swimming students to determine the pros and cons of each so that we can crown the WINNER!

Cressi Cobra Kid Googles

These goggles come in a range of colours; we chose the blue ones for our challenge. They have an ultra-clear screen for fuller vision. With an easy-adjust strap, there’s very little fuss to tighten these goggles!

They are suitable for children aged 7 – 13 years and have shatterproof lenses with anti-scratch, anti-fog and anti-UV treatment so great for swimming outdoors during the holidays.

Buy these goggles

Speedo Junior Vanquisher 2

These goggles are aimed at competition and racing swimming, so let’s see how well they fair in our swimming lessons. They have a hypo-allergenic silicone seal, are anti-fog and suited towards children aged 6 – 14 years. The mirror lenses are particularly exciting and have UV protection. They are available in a range of colours.

Buy these goggles

Zoggs Predator Junior

One of the top selling points of these goggles is that they are FINA (International Federation of Swimming) approved. The curved lenses give a 180 degree peripheral vision and come with UV protection and anti-fog. The colours are adventurous – we’ve gone for the blue and pink ones. Yes, that’s right – pink and blue on the same pair.

Buy these goggles

Speedo Sea Squad Masks

These are our second pair of Speedo goggles to make the challenge. Rather than the more traditionally shaped goggles, these are more like a scuba diving mask, with a large window-style lens. The 180 degree vision is perfect for nervous children who are tentative about putting their faces in the water. These are infant goggles suitable for ages 2 – 6 years. They are sit softly on the face and have a wide, foam strap for added comfort.

Buy these goggles

Zoggs Tri Vision Junior Goggles

Another pair of Zoggs goggles – this time with larger lenses in a mask style. They are suitable for children aged 6 – 14 and have a soft seal to prevent leaks and a wide range of vision due to the large lenses. The lenses have both UVA and UVB protection and anti-fog for clear swimming. The lenses are colour tinted to help reduce light glare. Our pair comes with a clear strap with a quick lock and release system and funky green and blue lenses.

Buy these goggles

Zoggs Peppa Pig Adjustable Goggles

Who doesn’t like Peppa Pig? These goggles are aimed at children aged between 1 – 6 years. With anti-fog lenses for clear vision in the pool, Pepper also comes with 100% Sun Protection from UVA and UVB rays. They have a soft seal around the eyes to make sure no water comes in and gives a light touch to make the goggles comfortable.

Buy these goggles

Aqua Sphere Seal Kid 2 Goggles

These are an updated version of the original Seal Kid goggles and come in a range of bright colours. The design has been reimagined to include a more effective seal, widened lenses for full vision and increased durability. The strap is easily adjustable, just press and release. They are suitable for children between 3 and 8 years old and latex free.

Buy these goggles

Aqua Sphere Vista Junior Goggles

Another pair of goggles from Aqua Sphere and you can get these ones with added glitter! They are designed for children aged 6 – 14. The streamlined design helps to prevent drag, making this design great for water sports. These are latex-free, anti-fog and with 180 degree vision they make for a clear swim.

Buy these goggles

Do your children own any of the above goggles? What do they think of them? Let us know on Facebook or Twitter

Are you ready for the #goggleschallenge?

In a partnership with Bath Mums, Swimcentral are running a “Goggles Challenge” this month, where the children in our swim school will put goggles to the ultimate test.

The Goggles

On Saturday, six of the children in our swimming lesson were given pairs of Aquasphere, Zoggs and Speedo goggles which have been designed for children between 4 and 8 years old.

They were given out at random to keep until the challenge is over (unless of course they are awful!!)

The Challenges

So what are the challenges taking place over the next four weeks?

The Big Chase
How misty do your goggles get after exercise?

Comfy Goggles
Can you wear the goggles for the whole lesson?

Underwater adventures
Jumping and diving to collect treasure from the bottom of the pool (the leaking test).

The ‘Epic’ factor!
A score for overall greatness

How does it work?

The children will be asked to score their goggles and then there will be a final vote to decide the winner!

Parents have a chance to join in as well and have their say on what they think of the goggles.

Everyone will have their photo taken whilst wearing the goggles and they will be posted online on Bath Mums website and here on our own blog.

A big thank you to everyone who has signed up to this challenge!

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with all the latest Goggles Challenge news.