Posted August 21, 2023
HAVING A PARTY WHERE KIDS AND GROWNUPS MINGLE AND HAVE FUN TALKING AND SWIMMING IS ENJOYABLE! BUT DON’T LET IT TURN INTO A TRAGEDY THAT IS EASILY PREVENTABLE.
WHEN A GROUP OF FRIENDS GET TOGETHER, MANY TIMES PARENTS WILL THINK, “OH, WITH SO MANY PEOPLE AROUND, WE ALL ARE WATCHING THE KIDS!”
BUT SOON A DISASTER CAN HAPPEN…TRUTHFULLY, EVERYONE THINKS THEY ARE WATCHING THE POOL BUT IN REALITY, NOBODY IS WATCHING THE POOL! DON’T LET HEARTBREAK HAPPEN TO YOU!
Designate a water watcher. When friends get together and there is a group involved and children are swimming, tragedies can occur because parents assume someone else is watching the children in the water. Be sure to designate one person, as an appointed Water Watcher, whose sole role is to supervise and watch, diligently, the children in the pool until another person takes over. This does not take the place of individual parents watching their own children! You can never have too many eyes watching. A Water Watcher Card or Tag can even be…
Read full article
Posted June 29, 2023
Ready to go to the beach, boating, or tubing this summer? It’s best to pre-plan before you get there! You know how fast your little ones can be. While you think you are watching them, are you really? Maybe you are getting everything out of the car for the upcoming picnic, and your child starts to wander. When it comes to Infants and toddlers, remember it only takes seconds for accidents to happen, and drowning can occur in as little as 20 seconds. Putting a life vest on your children immediately after exiting the car, can easily be the difference between life and death.
To Wear or Not to Wear? Swimming in open water is way different than in the pool!
One of the best boating safety tips for children and adults in open water is to wear a life jacket at all times. This includes all larger bodies of water such as lakes, oceans, rivers, or springs- regardless of whether you are actively swimming or not. Life vests should be fitted correctly and worn at all times while on a boat (in motion, docked, or anchored), and all other water…
Read full article
Posted March 08, 2023
As pool season in Jacksonville quickly approaches, now is a great time to refresh on pool safety-for yourself and for your swimmers. One of the most important steps to prepare for safety this pool season begins with you! It is crucial to remember: even with the best setup, the best resources, and having strong swimmers in your home, water emergencies and drowning can happen to anyone. Ignorance is NOT bliss, and knowledge IS power! Furthermore, drowning is the number one leading cause of preventable death in children. Our mission is to partner with you and your family to give you practical skills and resources to empower you and your family for a fun (and safe) pool season. We don’t ever want your children to be a statistic! The first thing a prepared adult does is acknowledge the simple truth: you can never be prepared enough. If you believe “this will never happen to me” you might be less vigilant in overseeing your swimmers. This could make you less likely to act, prepare, or pay attention in or around the pool.
1- “It can always happen to me”<…
Read full article
Posted September 15, 2022
Sign up for our Underwater Photo Session on Sunday, September 25th 5-7:30pm for a memorable holiday card that is sure to shine!
Each participant is guaranteed a minimum of 3 professional shot and retouch photos.
Participants are encouraged to bring costumes and props to the shoot.
Open to all ages and parents are encouraged to participate.
Act Fast Registration Closes on 9/20!
SIGN UP TODAY HERE
Read full article
Posted August 02, 2022
When we think of going back to school, we think of all the things we need to get ready.
Buy school supplies
Buy new clothes
Call for Doctor appointments
Sign up for the PTA
Sign up for fall sports
Sign up for Swimming….Sign up for Swimming?
Yes, that is correct. Your calendar should include SWIMMING. Why you ask? Swimming is a summer sport. Oh, no, not anymore! If you want your child to do well in school, Swimming is a must!
A 2012 study out of Griffith University in Australia found that kids who took year-round swimming lessons were approximately 20 months ahead in major milestones, compared with their peers within the same age group and socioeconomic status, who did not take swimming lessons.
Research published in April 2020 has found that Swimming does a bit more than other sports, that kids could participate in such as soccer, football, or even dance. Kids that keep continuing to…
Read full article
Posted May 06, 2022
At Swimming Safari, we often get asked how we are different from programs that are skill-based. We usually explain that our program is a learn through play approach but what does that mean?
Our mission at Swimming Safari is to provide every student with the skills needed to become Safe, Happy, and Confident, in the water. While we put emphasis on water safety, we put equal emphasis on the happiness of the child. Studies have shown that when children are having fun that they are more engaged and better retain the information being taught. When a person is having a happy or fun experience, it increases their levels of dopamine, endorphins, and oxygen – all things that promote learning! By using different games, singing songs and providing activity based learning, children are learning important swimming and safety skills but enjoying themselves while doing so.
Survival swim courses that use a skill based approach are much more forceful techniques to teach children survival skills in the water. The instructor physically manipulates the child in the same repetitive motions in order to simulate what to do if they fall into water without a parent or guardian present. This…
Read full article
Posted March 22, 2022
Swimmers learn many skills at Swimming Safari Swim School, and all of them are important, though roll to float may be one of the most important skills!
Mastering the skill of going from a swim to rolling onto your back is vital for all swimmers to know. Harnessing the capability to roll onto your back to take a breath when tired can save your life!
A great example of when to use a roll to float is while at the beach. Here in Florida, we are surrounded by water. If a current pulls you out away from the shore, you will be forced to swim for long lengths of time to make it back to the shore. Being able to roll over onto your back and take a breath, or rest, will allow you to save more of your energy and make it back safely.
This goes for infants to adults! It takes longer for an infant to learn to roll, but with positive encouragement, like smiles and hugs, an infant or toddler can soon learn this important life saving skill.We, here at Swimming Safari, want our families involved in this process…
Read full article
Posted January 21, 2022
Florida reports a record rise in child drownings for 2021.
In 2021, there were 98 deaths, up from 69 in 2020.
Florida hit a record in 2021, but it was not one that was wanted. The death rate for drownings had been going down consistently since 2009, until this year, where the deaths from drownings rose from 69 in 2020 to 98 in 2021. This is the most child drownings since 2009.
According to this report from The Florida Department of Children and Families. Florida “loses more children under the age of 5 to drowning than any other state in the nation.”
“Florida is hard hit says,” Joani Maskell, owner of Swimming Safari Swim School here in Jacksonville, “Because of all the water we have here. If you think about it, Florida is not only surrounded by water, but we have rivers, lakes, retention ponds, and because of our weather, so many families have pools in their backyard or the community they live in have pools.”
The city of Jacksonville is actively seeking solutions to retention ponds accessibility after three young children died in retention ponds in Jacksonville in a three-month span earlier this year. But there are…
Read full article
Posted October 29, 2021
Halloween is approaching and Swimming Safari is ready for one of our favorite yearly traditions: swimming with pumpkins in the pool! The kids’ faces light up when they get to swim class and see REAL pumpkins in the pool!
Although this may seem like a silly concept, swimming with pumpkins in the pool has a variety of benefits. Having pumpkins in the pool demonstrates to swimmers that even things that may seem heavy can float!
Our instructors have come up with endless games over the years with the pumpkins! Placing pumpkins on their students’ kickboards and kicking across the pool with a pumpkin buddy, throwing the pumpkins and seeing them float up to the top of the water, and more!
Swimming with the pumpkins in the pool is also a wonderful sensory experience and activity for children of all ages and abilities. It’s even educational! Pumpkins in the pool are a great way to teach and learn about buoyancy!
After their lesson with pumpkins in the pool, our swimmers ask mom and dad when they can come back to swim with the pumpkins again! We wish Halloween and…
Read full article
Posted September 08, 2021
Florida passing the Bill “Every Child A Swimmer” law, is welcome news for all children, families, and swim lesson providers across the state. Anything that brings awareness to the problem is appreciated! We all want to bring an end to childhood drowning. The bill stresses the importance of children learning to swim. Many studies have shown swim lessons reduce childhood drowning by 88%. Florida, leads the country in unintentional drownings for children ages 0-4 and this year, is on pace to hit a 10-year high in child drownings for 2021. Florida has already recorded 70 child drownings this year, as of Aug. 30, surpassing totals for all of 2020 (69) and 2019 (65), according to Florida Department of Children and Families (DCF) data. Of those 70 drownings, 63% involved children aged three and under. The data also reveals that Duval County is the 4th in line of all of Florida counties, followed behind Osceola, Broward & Polk County.
While “Every Child A Swimmer” doesn’t require or mandate swim lessons, it creates awareness among parents of their responsibility to teach their kids how to swim.
In simple language, the parents of each child entering kindergarten will be asked IF they have given their child swim…
Read full article
Older Posts