When looking for fun activities for your children, consider enrolling them in an after-school center that offers swimming. Learning pool safety and how to move and hold their breath underwater helps young ones conquer fears and boost confidence. Beyond increasing your children’s self-esteem, swimming will also aid early childhood development in the following ways.  

How Swimming Supports Happy & Healthy Children

1. Enhance Gross Motor Skills

Strengthening gross motor skills is an important aspect of early childhood development. When youngsters can stand, balance, walk, and go up and down stairs on their own, it gives them a sense of independence. Swimming requires both upper- and lower-body muscles, including triceps, biceps, calves, and hamstrings.

2. Build Social Skills

Knowing how to communicate well with others is a skill your children will need in school and when they enter the workforce as adults. During swim class, they will interact with peers. They will learn how to be patient while the instructor helps other students, which helps build empathy. During drills, they will encourage their classmates to succeed, which teaches children cooperation and teamwork.  

3. Improve Mood 

Due to the buoyancy of the water, swimming is a low-impact activity. Floating will relieve pressure on joints to help your children relax. Moving around releases endorphins, the hormones that help combat stress. Minimizing fear, anxiety, and depression aids emotional growth. 

4. Support Cardiovascular Health

Swimming will help your children develop strong hearts and lungs. That’s because aerobic exercise improves blood flow and how the body uses oxygen. They will also build endurance to exercise more in and out of the pool, which can help curb obesity problems.

To further your son’s or daughter’s early childhood development, contact World of Knowledge Child Development Center in Lincoln, NE. The early learning center offers sports, including swimming, and educational activities to help children in Lancaster County strengthen their physical, cognitive, and emotional growth. To find out about the half-day preschool and after-school programs, call (402) 483-4769. Learn more about enrollment opportunities online. Read parent reviews on Facebook.