Whether you are visiting your local swimming pool, for a lesson or just a splash around, taking a dip in the sea whilst at the beach, or just dipping their toes into a paddling pool – swimming or water play has many benefits for children.

However, there are also some considerations to make around a child’s safety in relation to water.

Drowning

Children can drown in a really small amount of water, as little as 5cm, so it is vital that children are always supervised – even at bath times! The scary part, is that young children can drown silently – with no warning for us adults that something is wrong – as they do not have the reflex to move their heads sideways or push themselves up out of the water.

*Top tip - if you have a paddling pool in your garden, make sure you are emptying it after use, to reduce the risk of children climbing in whilst you’re not looking.

To find out more about drowning and how to prevent it, you can read this article from the Child accident prevent trust.

Can they be seen?

Although, young children should always be supervised by an adult whilst in water to minimise the risk of them drowning, it is also important to consider whether the child would be visible and easy to locate in the water, if for some reason they did become separated from the adult. Timing, in this situation would be crucial and could be the difference when it comes to saving a child’s life.

The colour of a child’s swimsuit could be a contributing factor, as to whether they are easily seen underwater, or not. A study by Alive Solutions, which you can read here, found that certain colours are more visible or less visible when underwater. The main suggestion from this article is to buy swimsuits that are bright and contrasting, with the top three colours being neon yellow, green and orange.

Protection from the sun

If you are out in the garden with the paddling pool, or at the beach and taking a dip in the sea, one thing to keep in mind is the sun!

The NHS website tells us, that ‘water washes sunscreen off, and the cooling effect of the water can make you think you're not getting burned. Water also reflects ultraviolet (UV) rays, increasing your exposure’. So, it is really important to regularly apply suncream, particularly when children are around and in water.  

You may also want to look out for swimwear or clothing that has the following features:

• Materials with UV protection
• Full length with long sleeves, to protect arms and legs from the sun
• Remember a hat with protection for the neck!

Temperature

When the sun is out, a great way to keep children cool is water play – however it’s important to keep in mind whether they are getting too hot, or too cold!

Sitting still in a paddling pool may lead to a young child getting chilly, look out for them shivering, remove them from the water and wrap them in a towel to get warm. On the other hand, water in direct sunshine can get really hot – so its important to ensure that paddling pools are kept in the shade!