Geraldton swim school says treats help kids Jump in

A steamy cup of Milo and a fluffy robe could be key in the fight against child drowning deaths, with a local swimming school advocating for keeping children’s swimming skills up year-round.

Geraldton children have been encouraged to keep swimming during the winter months, with Jump! Swim School Geraldton offering some fun tips to help them want to get in the pool in the cooler weather.

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According to the latest Royal Life Saving National Drowning Report, 19 per cent of drowning deaths occurred in the winter months, with as many drowning deaths in July as there were in February last year. Jump! Swim Schools CEO Mark Collins said swimming through winter was important to prepare children for the summer months of beach and pool visits.

“If children take the winter months off, by the time they go on September school holidays they’ve lost most of their skills, which puts them at serious risk,” he said.

If children take the winter months off, by the time they go on September school holidays they’ve lost most of their skills, which puts them at serious risk.

He said there were a few simple steps parents and caregivers could take to prepare and incentivise children for the pool, making winter swimming a little easier.

Finding an indoor pool that’s heated or getting little kids into wetsuits can help them maintain their body temperature, as well as having a bathrobe ready for them to step into straight after their lesson to get them into the pool or the car.

A warm drink like Milo in a thermos could also be a nice treat at the end of a lesson to warm up tired little swimmers before they hop into a warm shower and dry clothes.

Local kids like Ivory, 3, and Maverick McCrory, 1, are still jumping into the pool despite the cold, a sign the message of maintaining swim skills is being embraced.