Practice Water Safety This Summer

In May we celebrate National Water Safety Month but why not recognize and celebrate water safety skills all year long!

"National Water Safety Month is a powerful way to send a crucial message at the start of the busy summer swim season," said Connie Harvey, Director of the Aquatics Centennial Initiative for the American Red Cross. "There are layers of protection involved in water safety. Ensuring everyone in the family learns how to swim and that parents and caregivers have the knowledge and skills to handle emergencies around the water, including how to perform CPR, is a good place to start. National Water Safety Month helps us communicate these messages."

SwimLabs and SafeSplash Swim Schools want to make sure you are ready for a busy and fun summer full of water activities. Whether at the pool, lake, or beach be sure to follow these tips and make it a fun time rather than stressful and scary time.

Remember to follow these important water safety tips!

1.) Teach children water safety and swimming skills as early as possible. The risk of drowning is decreased by as much as 88% when children ages 1–4 take swimming lessons.

2.) Children should always be supervised around water. Make sure there is a responsible, designated person to watch the water when children are swimming.

3.) Always swim with a buddy. Even when a lifeguard is present, use the buddy system and never swim alone.

4.) Enter the water feet first. Serious injuries can occur from diving head first into unknown water and hitting the bottom.

5.) Stay away from pool drains. Limbs, hair, or clothing can become entangled if a drain is faulty.

6.) Follow safety rules: no running, pushing, dunking, or breath-holding contests.

7.) Know your limits. Cold water, currents, and other dangerous conditions can challenge even the strongest swimmers.

8.) Teach children not to drink the pool water. This is to prevent them from getting sick, choking, or inhaling water.

9.) Don’t use flotation devices as a substitute for supervision. Using air-filled swimming aids can give parents and children a false sense of security.

SWIMMING IS A LIFE SKILL! SwimLabs Highlands Ranch and SafeSplash Swim Schools in Castle Rock and Parker/Lone Tree invite all Macaroni Kid Readers to give them a try — for FREE! 

Get started now, so your entire family will be ready to enjoy swimming, not only this summer but for a lifetime to come. Sign up for your free class today or call (303) 799-1885!