At Cindy’s, we love playing games in the pool! During our baby swimming lessons we find it’s a fantastic way to build baby’s water confidence, teach important early swimming skills and, most importantly, have fun!
Why play swimming games with your baby?
When babies enjoy games in the pool, they quickly learn to associate swimming with play, laughter and positive experiences. Songs, splashes and simple exercises can make the water feel like a safe and exciting place, while also laying the foundations for future swimming techniques.
Don’t be a bored parent in the pool! Games make swimming fun for you too!
In this article, we share five favourite baby swimming games. Why not try them in the pool with your baby too? It’s a great way to enjoy swimming together. You’ll both have lots of fun and boost your baby’s confidence in the pool at the same time.
5 Favourite Baby Swimming Games
1. Row, Row, Row Your Boat
This classic nursery rhyme becomes even more exciting in the water.
Sit your baby at the pool’s edge or on a large float (like in the video). Sing along while gently rocking them. At the end of the song, babies can “fall” forward into the water with your support.
You can start by blowing bubbles on the surface to keep it playful, and as they grow in confidence, you can transition towards a gentle sitting dive.
👉 Why it helps: It introduces babies to the idea of going under the water in a safe and fun way.
2. Catching Toys on a Noodle
Give your baby a woggle (also called a pool noodle) to hold with both hands, palms facing upward underneath the noodle.
Place some floating toys around the pool and encourage them to kick towards the toys.
Once they reach one, they should grab it with just one hand and place it on the poolside, all while holding onto the noodle with the other hand.
👉 Why it helps: This develops reaching, hand-eye coordination, balance, and the important skill of holding onto a float while moving in the water. Babies and toddlers love grabbing the toys (and quite often chewing them as well!)
3. Humpty Dumpty
Sing the Humpty Dumpty rhyme while your baby sits on the poolside wall. At the end of the song, they “fall” into the water, this time practising a flat submersion.
Over time, this helps them learn how to push forward into the water with their arms in a streamline position. Teaching this correctly right from the start has a big impact on learning this swimming stroke.
As children get older this “fall” smoothly turns into a sitting dive.
👉 Why it helps: this play encourages correct body position for early swimming strokes and boosts water confidence. It also gives a wonderful achievement and the opportunity for lots of praise!
4. Whooshing on a Noodle
This one is always a hit! Sit your baby on a noodle and gently whoosh them around the pool. For little ones, it’s a calming way to get used to the noodle, and for older babies, it becomes a hilarious, giggly game as they whizz around.
👉 Why it helps: It helps reluctant babies grow comfortable with a noodle and builds positive associations with swimming.
5. The Wheels on the Bus
Turn this versatile and much loved nursery rhyme into a water adventure. As you sing, you can change some of the lyrics and add simple water play actions.
The wheels on the bus go round and round… and this is the way we:
- Kick our legs – kick legs in the water
- Splash, splash, splash – splash in the water
- Zoom, zoom, zoom – zoom forward on board or float in the water
- Wash our face – gently splash water over your baby’s face.
👉 Why it helps: Combines singing, play, and gentle water exercises that make babies feel relaxed and confident. This also helps littles ones learn to listen and follow instructions, which is a fun introduction to important swimming exercises (not to mention later adventures in nursery and school!)
The developmental benefits of baby swimming games
These simple baby swimming pool games aren’t just fun, they play an important role in your baby’s developmental journey, as they help improve all sorts of associated skills, like language and physical development. Singing familiar songs and rhymes, playing with toys, learning to reach, balance, kick and splash, and how it feels to go under the water, all help your baby develop physically, improving co-ordination and motor skills, as well as language and counting skills. All this is going on! Isn’t it amazing!
Add these games to your next swimming session, and you’ll both look forward to every splash together!
Feel out of your depth? Join one of our baby swimming sessions
It’s often easier to play lots of games with your baby and have plenty of fun together when you’re led by an instructor. We have a wealth of other games and exercises for parents and babies to enjoy together, and don’t forget grandparents, aunties and uncles or other carers are welcome too! You’ll discover all the fun at our parent and baby swimming sessions. Learn more about our baby swimming lessons here, find out when to take your baby swimming here, or go ahead and book your place today!
