Learning to Swim

Swim lessons are recommended starting at around age five. By then, children are developmentally ready to properly coordinate the swimming movements of their arms and legs. However, even before that, you can help your child get used to being in the water without fear. This is also considered beneficial by the DLRG.

First, your child should get over their fear of the water.

The best way to do this

• is by happily splashing each other in the water
• blowing bubbles into the water with their mouth
• briefly holding their head underwater
• and daring to open their eyes underwater.

Then you can slowly introduce your child to swimming.

Swimming aids such as water wings, life jackets, and swim rings are helpful for getting used to the water at first. For learning to swim properly, swim noodles or kickboards are better suited. They can be rented at almost all swimming pools for a small deposit. But be careful—none of these aids guarantee safety.

You should therefore never leave your child unattended in the water, not even in shallow water, until they can swim safely!

It’s not always easy for parents to accurately assess their children’s swimming abilities. The swimming badges serve as a rough guide.

As a general rule, a child can swim if they

• can swim in the water for at least fifteen minutes without taking a break or holding onto the edge,
• can dive safely and retrieve an object from a depth of two meters,  
• jumps into the water from a height of one meter off the edge and continues swimming with ease.

These are the skills a child possesses upon earning the “Bronze Badge.” The DLRG warns that with the “Seepferdchen” as their first swimming badge, children are merely “accustomed to the water” but cannot yet swim safely. At this skill level, children must still be supervised while swimming.

Many public swimming pools offer courses for various swimming certifications or to help children get comfortable in the water. These courses are usually led by certified instructors from the DLRG or the North Rhine-Westphalia Swimming Association.

During the school year, the courses are held weekly. In many cities, intensive courses are also offered during school breaks.

The cost of swimming lessons for children—including basic training and advanced courses—ranges from 50.00 euros to 70.00 euros at the DLRG. Please inquire about the exact price at each location.

However, learning to swim should not be a matter of money. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia supports swimming instruction through the state program “NRW kann schwimmen” (NRW Can Swim). The vacation swimming courses take place during the Easter, summer, and fall breaks and are aimed at students in grades 1–6. The courses typically run for 10 days. A co-payment of 10 euros may be charged. Check with your local DLRG office or your child’s school to see if such a program is available in your area.

Parents who receive the citizen’s income, a child supplement, or housing assistance may be eligible to have the costs of the courses reimbursed through the Education and Participation Package. Detailed information on how to apply can be found on the Familienportal.NRW website.