Starting swimming lessons as a baby comes with many benefits including improved physical, emotional, social and cognitive development. It also sets a positive foundation towards a lifetime of participation and enjoyment in a variety of water sports and time spent on, in and under the water. On the whole, children who start swimming lessons early are far more relaxed and happy in the water, and in a country as water-loving as New Zealand, this is vital.

AUCKLAND: AUT Millennium Swim School offers young families a complete learn-to-swim pathway. From baby lessons through to elite training, we help students of all ages and abilities learn to swim in a safe, progressive and enjoyable environment. Our caring teachers are dedicated to helping swimmers build confidence, improve aquatic skills and water safety.

Parents often withdraw their kids from swimming classes in winter as a ‘precautionary measure’ each year as the temperature drops. When they return to swimming later in the year, not only have they missed out on the many benefits of swimming, they find that their kids still caught all the colds that went around. Check out these tips and keep your kids swimming throughout winter.

CHRISTCHURCH: Bumble Bees Swim School in Beckenham, Christchurch specialises in swimming lessons for babies, toddlers and preschoolers right through to school aged swimmers. We offer a comprehensive, planned and progressive swim programme, operating one swim class at a time with a maximum of 5 children in the pool to ensure they get ample teacher attention.

AUCKLAND, HAMILTON, HAVELOCK NORTH & PALMERSTON NORTH: At Hilton Brown Swimming our aim is simple – to provide a fun, safe and caring environment for children to learn to swim. Working with proven teaching methods that have been continuously fine-tuned since the school started in 1973, our highly-trained instructors aim to ensure a successful and enjoyable learning experience for everyone.

Learning to swim is such an important life skill for children to learn from a young age and having swimming lessons even before they start school is a great place to start. Here are some expert tips to help you navigate the process, from choosing a swim school and booking lessons to what you can expect from lessons, moving through progressions and everything in between.

SILVERDALE, AUCKLAND: Kids will enjoy our baby, toddler and preschool swimming lessons at the award winning Northern Arena Swim School in Silverdale, on Auckland's North Shore. Learning how to swim and survive is a key life skill in which everyone should invest for themselves, their children and their grandchildren. Northern Arena prides themselves on teaching every child the strength, ability, confidence and technique so that not only can they save themselves but potentially save the person they are swimming with.

There are many physical benefits of teaching babies to swim, as well as helping them to overcome their initial fear of water. Swimming helps babies physical progress later in life, along with providing them with some essential social skills.

Learning how to kick in water correctly will help your kids to swim more efficiently in the future and will help to lay the foundation for other swimming strokes too. Kicking is a gross motor skill and a critical swimming skill, but it can be hard work at first and will require some concentration to get it right and for your kids to stay afloat.

There are many benefits of introducing your child to swimming whilst they're still a baby, including improved physical development as well as social development – not to mention fun! However, the benefit that is overlooked most often is that of cognition or mental benefits which are incredibly important for the development of children as a whole.

Swimming lessons can help babies develop an emotional bond through interaction with other children in their class and positive encouragement from their parents. Early swimming also fosters a growing sense of self-esteem, confidence, independence and as a child’s ability to freely move through the water increases - so does their sense of wellbeing.

A weekly swimming lesson is often a child’s first social experience out of the home that involves their peers. They learn to relate and interact with each other and look forward to seeing their classmates each week, and even watch them for cues when it comes to taking risks and learning something new. The best way for babies to learn is by example, and as they are with children their own age, a lot of fun goes along with it.

We are a culture that thrives on being able to spend time at play on our beaches and waterways, but we still need help when it comes to staying safe. Entering the water safely at an early age is a great way to begin, and the benefits of 'baby-friendly' swimming classes are unique, uplifting and contribute to the positive development of the whole child.

So what’s all the fuss about swimming nappies? Are they really necessary? We take a look at why specially designed swimming nappies are needed, what features to look for and other options.

We often take hundreds of photos during our baby’s first year, but don’t stop there! Remember to capture those equally precious moments as your baby turns into a toddler. Toddlers have lots of milestones too that you'll want to record and look back on when they're older.

For both parents and children, the transition to primary school is an enormous milestone. Find out what you can do to help support your child when their first day finally arrives and during those first few weeks.

Just because it’s cold and wet outside, doesn’t mean kids can’t have fun during winter. Here are 15 fun winter activities that will keep your toddler and preschooler entertained during the colder months.

Planning a family holiday? Check out these tips on how to survive the trip with young kids in tow and ensure you all have a great time whilst you're away.

Going to the beach this summer? A YMCA Auckland Lifeguard shares 7 lifesaving tips that could make the difference to your family’s lives this season.

Kids love trampolines! Not only are they fun, but when used regularly, studies have shown that jumping on trampolines offers many physical, health and educational benefits for kids too. Check out some of the benefits trampolines can offer.

Reusable nappies have come a long way since the days of pieces of cloth and safety pins! There are now plenty of reusable or cloth nappies to choose from and they are easier to use than you may think. Reusable nappies may not be everyone’s first choice, but here are some reasons why reusable nappies may be suitable for you and your baby or toddler.

The are many advantages when it comes to home-based childcare and it is now the fastest growing type of early childhood education in New Zealand. Time and time again research shows that group size and child to adult ratios are key factors in quality outcomes for children. Find out if home-based childcare is suitable for your little one.

Your kids have all the toys in the world, but still they cry, “But I’m bored ....”. Here are some great ideas which will have you fully armed for next time they think they have nothing else to do!

At some point most babies get a touch of nappy rash, a red blotchy and sometimes spotty and sore, area in their nappy area. Sometimes the whole area is affected and at others times it may only appear in one area. We take a look at some of the causes of nappy rash and some tips on how to deal with it.