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If you are going on holiday and hoping your child will learn to swim then I really cannot recommend the Sun Protection Floatsuits by Splash About highly enough.
My daughter started our family holiday in Lanzarote without being able to swim (although she had been having lessons) and finished swimming a width! She was happy, confident and loving the new found freedom!
Day One went like this:
8.30am. The sun is just about up and the twins (aged just 3) are in the pool. My eldest is not far behind, she’s just getting into her costume.
I am still eating breakfast but due to these brilliant float suits Splash About UK sent us to review, all three can be in the pool safely, and I can be watching from the sun lounger; ready to dive in if needs be! I dip my toe in and tell myself I’ll get in soon, the pool is heated after all. But then I don’t, because once they are wearing them, they don’t need me, they are jumping in and out, practicing swimming, properly as they don’t have arm bands on, and playing with lilos. They are really really happy. They are buoyant and they are safe!
I absolutely love the fact that my children can now play safely in the water, even though they are not all old enough to swim on their own. Having had three children very closely together; my eldest was just 13 months when the twins were born, taking them swimming has been always been impossible and simply too dangerous as we had more children than parents. We have used armbands in the past and the problem with armbands is that they are easy to take off! The float suits are not easy to take off. In fact this is perhaps their only downside, they are difficult to take off, even for adults! We wondered when we were away if the floats could be in the top half, and they could have separate bottoms? This would assist with children who are potty trained too, as you would only have to take the bottoms down.
By 9.30, the twins are out of the pool, but Lily is still in, lilo racing with Daddy. I’ve taken some of the floats out of Lily’s costume as I’m desperately hoping we can teach her to swim by the end of the week! This is actually the genius of these suits as you can adjust them. By the end of the day Lily was working much harder to stay afloat. Maybe, just maybe she will be swimming by the end of the week. The suits even offer full SPF50+ sun protection so you only have to put sun cream on exposed skin. The age 4 suit for Lily is just like a swimming costume (easier to get on and off) and really very pretty.
There is a game of space rockets, a game where the shark eats the banana (?!?) they have raced each other, jumped in and out of the pool and had to get undressed to go inside for a wee countless times. It is however absolutely brilliant fun.
Day 2
Reducing the amount of floats in Lily’s suit. On day two we took out a full row. There are two rows of floats that make up the large float part you can see on the suits. By taking out the floats (without Lily seeing) she remained trusting of the suit, and there wasn’t the fear of ‘let’s take your armbands off’. It could all be done gradually. Once we had taken some of the floats out, we needed to stay close to Lily in case she wasn’t safe, but she worked harder and harder to stay afloat, all the time increasing her strength and position in the water.
Day 4
On day 4 we got braver. Lily noticed that we had been taking floats out of her suit (by this time the suit was half the size) and we suggested she try without any in. When we had previously suggested swimming without armbands there had been mass panic; this time she said yes let’s try. In reality we only had to take out about 5 floats.
This video shows how she got on! Yes I know that her swimming position isn’t perfect, and we have a long way to go, but she actually gets across on her own. She swims a width! Excuse my screeching voice!
I am incredibly impressed with these suits, and will definitely be buying another one next year when it is the twins turn to learn to swim. At £25.99 they are pricier than a swim suit and armbands, but for I honestly believe it was worth it. I am obviously hoping by next year, Lily won’t need one of these suits at all, as she will be a swimmer, but for this year it was just about perfect!
NB: I was sent three of these suits to review, but have not been paid otherwise for this review. This is my honest opinion.
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Looks like you are having a fabulous time! Am very jealous!!
Sounds lovely!! I can confirm expat life does involve lots of time for kids swimming 🙂
Fingers crossed you can get your little lady swimming by the end of the week, that would be fab!!
The float suits look brilliant, great for giving them a bit of freedom as you say. Happy holidays! X
This looks like a brilliant morning in the sunshine. I love going on holiday where there’s a pool, my kids are usually in it before they’ve even had breakfast. It’s great that they’re all getting better at swimming, those suits look great! Thanks for linking up with Country Kids.
you’ve got to love some winter sun, thanks for commenting.
Wow swimming in the pool under the son! We have been cold the whole day covered in fog and this is a nice read! Just to remind me to look forward to the next seasons! #countrykids
yes Nov is a lovely time to come away, we will hopefully do it again
Those swim suits are ingenious! I’m going to have to look into getting one for my daughter for next summer.
By the way I love your photos!
thanks re the photos Vickie, you should look into them, they are brilliant!!
Amazing action shots.
Those swimsuits look like such a clever idea, so much less restrictive than arm bands. I always hated them when I was a kid. Look forward to reading your proper review of them.
Enjoy the rest of your holiday!! 🙂
Jenna at Tinyfootsteps xx
thanks Jenna they are great!
Those float suits sound amazing, what a brilliant idea. Looks like you had a lot of fun in the pool 🙂
yes i can definitely recommend them, my youngest has done a width now without armbands
love your pics so much it looks like you guys had so much fun we had tons of rain this week boo!!
thank you very much, we are here til thursday, so lovely
My kiddies love swimming but the youngest hates armbands so this would be really useful. Looking forward to the full review.
they have been absolutely brilliant
Not jealous at all… Looks like you’re having a fab time! #countrykids
What a fantastic swim suit idea, I will look out for your review as this might be what my son needs #CountryKids
What fab photos! I would love to live somewhere where we could enjoy the sun every single day, although somehow I think I would miss the autumn/ winter months! Must be mad haha!
I love the idea of the float suits, such a weight off knowing they are safe in the water! x
Ah you look like you are having an amazing time, the swim suits look fantastic xx
Love it – I wish we could get away for some sun – it feels like forever!
cute photos – definitely looks like fun in the sun! x
These pictures are making me feel very jealous. You all look and sounds like you’re having a great time. The suits sound great, I wish we had them over the summer for the girls. Actually I might get one for Poppy!
Thanks for linking up #SundayStars xx
they look fab I’m trying to get my girls more confident in the water these loo great they tend to sink with armbands! look forward to seeing your full review! hope your having a nice holiday! x
Looks like you had a wonderful time. We’ve just taken my little girl for her first ‘swim’: she’s 3 months so just holding her in the baby pool. My husband can’t wait to do more swimming with her as she gets older! I think it’s his lifelong dad dream … 🙂
It’s was my husbands Dad dream too!
Ooops forgot #sundaystars
These look superb!! We do need something like this as last time we went to the pool Lottie went under water and it was scary. Hope I win! Jess xx
Looks like so much fun!! i am actually just about to get one of Splash About’s BabySnug wetsuits for our little one’s first trip to the pool and will remember these for the future! Oh, and I hope those pesky sharks left some bananas for the rest of you!! x
Brilliant photography here… that private pools helps! Lol. So jealous… And a fantastic competition! xx
yes it definitely did, it was amazing
looks like a brilliant idea!