History of Teaching Swimming

Blue Wave Swim Insight: This guide was originally published in 2015. It was fully revised and updated in May 2026 to include the latest sports science research and current UK learn to swim and safety standards.

Swimming is a fun sport and a life skill, and it is no wonder that it’s high on most children’s activity lists in Wimbledon. Hard to believe, but teaching children to swim dates back to early biblical times. Learning to swim was part of the ancient school programmes in the Greek and Roman empires.

Roman soldiers had to be able to swim and pass a swimming test to prove their technical readiness for the field. It is a tradition of excellence we still respect today.

Although teaching swimming and swim lessons are NOT new, there is still a bit of mystery over the best age to start swimming lessons for children. Some parents start taking kids to swim lessons when they are under 3 years old, while some may wait until they start school.

In fact, as a swimming teacher and also as a parent, I get this question time and again. If you do an online search for “what is the best age to start swimming lessons” or “when should I start taking my child to swim lessons,” you will see how many different opinions are circulating out there in 2026.

I have to say that this is not an easy question to answer, neither as an experienced swimming teacher nor as a sport scientist. The reality is that there are no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answers, and there is no single formula that could be used for all children. However, there are a number of factors that parents must consider before signing their children up for a swimming programme; I’m highlighting them through this expert guide.

Early Swimmers Have the Advantage

It’s common knowledge that Michael Phelps (the most successful swimmer of all time) didn’t start learning to swim until he was 7 years old. As a parent, you may hear this and think, “What’s the point of starting swimming lessons before my child is at school?” or “Why should I even bother doing toddler swimming classes with my child?”

The truth is, if you cannot start your child early, there is a big risk of them never learning to swim properly. Research has shown that if children don’t know how to swim by the age of 9, there is a significant risk they never will. Therefore, parents need to be wary about delaying lessons.

Kids who learn to be comfortable in water at a young age have a tremendous advantage in having water confidence when they eventually start learning to swim independently. At our boutique Wimbledon school, we see this progress every day.

‘The Sooner, the Better’ Rule?

These days, you can start off your children’s swimming journey as soon as they are born. At Blue Wave Swim School, we take children before their 1st birthday. Parents need to understand that babies and toddlers don’t yet have the physical development or psychological maturity necessary to follow technical instructions; hence, the objectives of swimming classes for them are to instil a love of the water and build water confidence.

Fear is listed as the top reason for not learning to swim for both adults and children.

Removing fear of water at a very young age is a massive advantage. To help your child be at ease with swimming, the sooner you start taking them, the better and easier their learn-to-swim journey will be. If toddler swimming lessons are structured correctly, they can boost water confidence immensely and lay foundations for the formal part of learning strokes.

It must be pointed out that ALL babies and toddlers still need formal lessons as they get older to learn technical strokes, no matter how confident they are in the water. Nevertheless, a child who is water-confident is able to progress much more quickly through the formal stage.

Studies have shown that children who start swimming lessons from two to three years of age learn basic swimming skills much more quickly than children who begin learning to swim at the age of four (1).

What is Swimming Readiness?

Physical activities, like swimming, involve repetitive movements. Children need to gain the ability to move their limbs and body and practise the same patterns over and over. Therefore, having sufficient muscular strength and coordination—and being psychologically mature enough to stay motivated during a 30-minute lesson—is vital for learning competitive strokes.

Children start having the physical and mental readiness necessary for learning to swim with proper strokes between the ages of 5 and 6 years old.

In a study done in Australia on a large group of children aged between two and eight, researchers found that children who are five to six years old have the best level of readiness for learning the front crawl with unilateral breathing.

The American Academy of Pediatrics also states that although swimming lessons can start from the age of one, children are generally not ready for technical stroke development until they are 4 years old.

A vast majority of children may need several years of learning or consolidation of basic aquatic movement skills before they can swim all four competitive strokes with good technique. Our 2026 Wimbledon sessions are designed exactly for this journey.

So, let’s go back to our initial question!

If someone asks me, “What’s the best age to begin swimming lessons for a child?” my answer will be: “The sooner, the better—but it also depends on what you are looking to achieve.” Deciding what your expectations are before signing up is very important. But the “sooner, the better” rule, which applies to many life skills, is definitely applicable to swimming.

Removing fear of the water is the fundamental stage of learning to swim, and it is much easier to conquer this stage in the early years.

Enjoyed this blog? Read our related 2026 guides:

• When it is O.K. to stop swimming lessons
• How long it takes to learn to swim

Sources & References:
(1) Blanksby, B. A., et al. (1995). ‘Children’s Readiness for Learning Front Crawl Swimming.’ Australian Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport.
(2) American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Swimming Programs for Infants and Toddlers: Guidelines for Safety and Technique Development.