Being in warm water is great fun and babies love it. For many of our parents, their babies' first lessons remain one of their most precious memories - a unique experience where confidence grows as happiness is shared. However, there are also many long-term benefits to be gained from taking your newborn swimming.

The first year of a baby's life is crucial in terms of their development - being the time when their brain grows more rapidly than at any other. Regular exercise plays a vital role in this, with every movement they make helping to strengthen their brain for new learning.

Uniquely, swimming provides the perfect exercise, as water allows a baby's muscles to move freely without constraints of gravity. This is one of the reasons why our core Water Babies programme is designed specifically for babies from birth to 24-months - and why, in most cases, your baby needs to be less than one year when commencing.