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By Chris DeJong, Founder & President, Big Blue Swim School
Parents ask me this question all the time: when is the right time to start swim lessons? My answer is always the same. Much earlier than you think.
I say that not because I’m the Founder and President of Big Blue, I say it because I genuinely believe it and because I have seen it play out thousands of times over the course of my career. The children who start early are more comfortable in the water, safer around it, and just more confident. The data shows this, and I’ve witnessed it firsthand.
Here, we welcome swimmers starting at three months old. That number surprises some people. But there is a lot of thought and experience behind it.
Swimming Is a Life-Critical Skill. Treat It That Way.
I grew up in a small town near Lake Michigan. Water was everywhere. My dad worked at a marina, so we spent summers on the lake. Swimming was just part of life, and my mom made sure I knew how to do it safely.
Not every family grows up near the water, but every family is eventually near water. Backyard pools. Community pools. Beach vacations. A friend’s house. Water is part of childhood in America, and a child who has not learned to swim is a child at risk.
Drowning remains one of the leading causes of accidental death in children under 14. According to the National Institutes of Health, formal swim lessons can reduce the risk of drowning by 88 percent. That statistic drives everything we do. Swim lessons are not just an extracurricular activity like soccer or piano. They are a lifesaving skill, and the best time to learn a lifesaving skill is before you ever need it.
Why Three Months?
Babies and young toddlers have not yet developed the anxieties and hesitations that older children may bring to the pool. They are curious, and they adapt quickly. When you introduce water in a warm, safe, positive environment at that age, the water simply becomes a normal part of their world. That comfort, built early, is something that stays with them.
Compare that to a child who has their first real experience with a pool at age six or seven, maybe after a scare or a lack of experience. It is not impossible, and we work with children like that every day. Starting early simply removes that barrier.
What the Early Lessons Look Like
For our youngest swimmers, we offer parent and child classes. A parent gets in the water with their baby or toddler. The instructor guides both through simple, age-appropriate activities focused entirely on comfort, breath control, and basic water safety skills like the back float.
These early lessons are not about stroke technique. They are about your child’s relationship with the water. Your child learns that the water is a safe place, that you are there with them, and that they are capable of something new. These are powerful lessons for a very young child, and they lay the foundation for everything that comes after.
There is also an important secondary benefit. These classes give parents tools they can use outside the pool at bath time, during a beach trip, at the community pool.
The Window Is Real. Don’t Miss It.
Child development research is clear: The early years are when the brain is most receptive to new skills and new experiences. Learning to swim during this window is not just easier. It is more effective. The skills go deeper, the comfort is more natural, and the confidence that builds from early success in the water is more durable.
I think about the families I worked with in those early days. These parents were looking for something that would give their kids a real edge and a real foundation. The ones who started their children youngest consistently saw the most natural, lasting progress.
What If My Children Are Older?
That’s okay, too. I always say that the best time to start swim lessons is today. The sooner they start becoming comfortable with the water, the better.
Don’t Wait for the Right Moment. This Is It.
Swimming gave me strength, discipline, and a sense of community. It gave me the confidence to start a business from nothing and build it into something I am truly proud of. Most importantly, it kept me safe. That is what I want for every child who walks through our doors, no matter what age they start.
Click here to find the Big Blue near you and sign up today. We can’t wait to welcome your family.