My kids don’t mind where we go for a swim as long as they can splash and jump in, but some pools are definitely better than others. So I thought I’d share our favourite “fun swimming” pools that my kids enjoy.
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swimming
Swimming with young kids: all about the organisation
We’ve been going to Turtle Tots swimming lessons for a while now, and getting everything ready the night before makes a huge difference to my stress levels!
Swimming With Young Kids: Progress in the Pool
A little update on how the kids are both doing in the pool since they have both been at their swimming lessons for a while now. Both of them are loving swimming!
Turtle Tots Toddler Swimmers: A Breakthrough in the Pool
The little man and I just finished our first toddler class with Turtle Tots. When we started this latest block of classes we were having a bit of a blip. But with lots of patience from our lovely swim teacher we had a mini-breakthrough and he is back to enjoying his time in the pool again.
We are Turtle Tots Ambassadors!
It is official! I can finally tell everyone that we are Turtle Tots Ambassadors! I have been dying to tell you all for weeks but I had to wait (along with 5 other bloggers from around the country) until the official announcement was made at the beginning of May.
Gourock Outdoor Pool
We had some beautiful weather last month and tried to make the most of it. One of the little day trips we went on was to check out Gourock Outdoor Pool. Great for a lovely sunny day!
Hamilton Water Palace
We checked out Hamilton Water Palace recently. It has an excellent splash pool for the toddlers and some slides for the bigger kids. Great fun!
Turtle Tots Toddler Swimming
It was certificate day at our lovely Turtle Tots swimming lessons yesterday. We’re big level 4 badgers now!
I’m going to do a wee updated review soon about what we’ve learned & what all the littles can do at this stage. But they are all coming along so well – it’s amazing to see how at home they are in the water!
Swimming at the Gorbals Pool
We hadn’t been swimming in ages and we’d heard that the Gorbals pool is good for kids, so we gave it a go.
The Pool
There are two swimming pools. The main pool is for ‘proper swimming’. It has lanes on one side and a larger unlaned area that’s good for having a wee swim with kids; for example if you’re practising your baby swimming. 🙂 It’s still pretty warm – certainly not cold like Tollcross pool.
The second pool is a zero-entry pool (sloped entrance like a beach). It’s nice and warm, and is shallow enough at the top to let tiny littles sit and get used to the water, or run and leap around in! As it gets deeper it turns into a little lazy river with rapids that go around a little area that appeared to be a jacuzzi that wasn’t on, (which meant it was a great bit for jumping in!) There were a bunch of floats and pool noodles/woggles you could use to go round the rapids.
There’s also a flume, but we didn’t go on it. It was closed when we were there, but I made the assumption it was for quite a bit bigger kids anyway.
The Change Rooms
It’s a Glasgow Life pool. They’re pretty standard, generally. They are basic and not the loveliest in the world, but not the worst I’ve seen either.
There were quite a few family change rooms (which are a really good size). The family change room we were in had a seat attached to the wall that you can strap your little tearaway into if need be. The straps were broken though, so it didn’t work.
It’s 20p for lockers, and apparently they’re really fun to climb in.
The Cost
It’s £3.20 for adults if you’re a non-member (free for members) and free for kids under 5. With a YoungScot Kidz Card it’s free until they’re about 19.
The Verdict
It’s a nice, warm pool so it’s great for teeny tinies. We still have a warma on, but the little lady lasted ages in there. With the rapids etc. there’s enough there to entertain the younger and older kids. Excellent.
The Gorbals pool is located in Gorbals Glasgow Club, Ballater St, Glasgow, G5 0YP.
Turtle Tots Baby Swimming
It was certificate day at our Turtle Tots swimming class today. That’s us completed the level 2 toddler course, and we’ve been going to Turtle Tots for over a year, so I figured it was probably about time I did a review.
The Class
It was almost 16 months ago we started going, but I remember our first Turtle Tots class like it was yesterday. The Little Lady was about 12 weeks old and I wasn’t allowed to go in the pool yet (section took a while longer than it should’ve to heal) so her daddy took her instead whilst I sat and watched. There was lots of singing, with Hickory Dickory Dock where the baby goes up the clock being a definite favourite.
She was slightly nonplussed with being in the pool, but our teacher, Kim, was great. I enjoyed watching it, and my husband enjoyed the one-to-one time with her in the class, even if the Little Lady wasn’t overly enthused herself!
Her first submersion, about 4 classes in, was quite traumatic (for me) but again, she wasn’t that bothered. By the end of the term (and into the second term) I think she was the only kid who still cried after been dunked, but she was still happy to be in the pool.
As the classes and levels progressed you do a lot more with the babies, and use lots more equipment. Her favourite was always chasing the squirty fish around the pool, and in the earlier classes chewing on the foam mirror! She also always loved the singing.
In our most recent block she was jumping into the pool, holding onto the edge and monkey-monkeying (shuffling along the pool using her hands), kicking her legs, and we were doing submersions with her on my back holding on round my neck. She was also happy to be on her front in the water, kicking her legs with me just holding her hands.
The Venues
We’ve been to 4 of the venues over the past year and a bit. Some are better than others: some are in state of the art leisure centres and some are in schools – the facilities are obviously going to differ.
The Cost
It recently went up to £120 per term of 10 classes. That is pretty costly, but since the little lady and I (or the little lady and her daddy) have enjoyed the classes so much, and she has learned so much from them (and gotten lots of confidence in the water) I really think it’s been worthwhile.
The Verdict
It’s truly amazing seeing the progress of these tiny tots: jumping in, kicking their legs, using floats, holding onto the edge, going under water for a brief swim (and being happy about it) and really enjoying being in the pool! Not only has it given my Little Lady lots of confidence in the water, but it’s given me lots of confidence in taking her into the water too.
Her nursery recently took her swimming and they reported back that out of the 4 or 5 kids who were there that day, the Little Lady was the only one who was happy to jump in, who was kicking her legs and who was happy to be on her front in the water. Obviously I don’t know what she would’ve been like if she hadn’t gone to Turtle Tots classes, but I certainly wouldn’t have taken her swimming anywhere near as much.
As I said above, the classes are pretty costly – they’re the most expensive classes we’ve ever done, by quite a margin. But she and I, or she and her daddy have enjoyed them so much, and learned so much from them that I honestly think it’s been worthwhile.
Highly recommended.
The Details
Turtle Tots classes take place all over Glasgow and the surrounding areas. There’s bound to be a class near you. You can find more info on their facebook page & website.