from birth to 3 years old
Our FunKey Splashers program is for the little ones, newborn to 3 years old. Parents love the structure and progression of our swim programs. Every activity has a purpose and a progression. For you and your newborn we offer a unique bonding experience, while we focus on a gentle (re)introduction to the water. Babies will acquire the skills needed to start their learn-to-swim adventure, as they gain confidence to manoeuvre through water independently for several metres in the correct body position. By the end of our 4th FunKey Splashers swim program level, your child will have completed a gentle and happy transition to participating in a lesson without their parent or carer in the water, ready to learn directly with our teaching team members.
SPLASHERS 1 (Up to 6 months)
SPLASHERS 1 is a positive, calm and gentle introduction to the water, or, ‘reintroduction’ to the water, after recently exiting the familiar watery environment of the womb. In these early stages of exposure to water and swimming lessons parents are guided and educated by our experienced teachers in the foundations of water familiarisation and awareness of the water environment.
We help you understand the benefits of water for baby’s physical, social, and emotional needs, advise how best to hold and move baby through the water for buoyancy instead of gravity, develop their gross motor skills with manipulated kicking, focus on cause & effect, learn submersion preparation through cueing, and how to grip & hold on for upper body strength and recovery out of the water.
SPLASHERS 2 (6 – 14 months)
In SPLASHERS 2 you’ll learn the role your child’s developmental stages and reflexes play in and out of the water. We explore the benefits of age appropriate reflexes and how to integrate them in the development of baby’s strength. We reinforce the importance of baby’s independence, with step by step less assistance, and more child led learnt responses as reflexes fade. We increase submersion through cueing, for a comfortable happy breath hold and underwater experience.
Baby will explore their independence in activities in and on safe surfaces – reaching and learning reciprocal integration for setting up their swim body position.
SPLASHERS 3 (15 – 23 months)
At SPLASHERS 3 we focus firstly on the social emotional needs of children, especially for fear prevention, with a no force – no trauma – only happy swim experience and child led approach. For beginners our first progression is comfort and confidence in the water environment. For our experienced FunKey swimmers we focus on increasing swim distance with good breath hold and correct positioning.
By the end of this level, your child will demonstrate a more coordinated and independent “swim” with kicks and paddles. For total comfort in the water environment we also provide an understanding of depth perception, with fun activities utilising the top and bottom of the pool.
SPLASHERS 4 (24 – 36 months)
SPLASHERS 4 is all about independence! Children will build trust, confidence and respect for their teacher through our increased child – teacher time, reducing child – parent time during class. Here we are preparing your child to transition from the SPLASHERS program with parent participation, to the STARTERS program in the learn to swim environment with their Teacher.
Our swim skills include child driven movement through the water, independently travelling between the side of the pool, ledge, island platform, Parent and Teacher, with exploration at the forefront of everything we do! We develop your child’s independent control of body positioning, extended kick and paddle swims with increased breath control, spatial awareness and buoyancy. To assist transition your child will learn and practice turn taking with their friends, plus working together in groups.