Global franchise Water Babies, who are leaders in providing swimming lessons for infants, recently launched their latest offering called ‘Oceans of Imagination’.
‘Oceans of Imagination’ has been described by the company as taking ‘purposeful play to the next level,’ as they continue their mission to teach youngsters the vital skills of learning to swim. Water Babies, which was founded more than 20 years ago, is a baby, toddler and early years’ swimming school, that takes children on a journey to learn the skills of life.
As for ‘Oceans of Imagination,’ this immersive experience has been introduced to further develop a child’s swimming abilities. A press release from the franchise reads: ‘Using tried and tested techniques, children will unlock new challenges as their aquatic skills develop, and they accomplish water safety milestones. Fun and swimming progress will go hand-in-hand through purposeful play.’
Hannah Smith, director of aquatics at Water Babies, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing our lessons to life through ‘Oceans of Imagination’. Every part of our curriculum is centralised around child development and supporting every little one as they grow throughout their early years.
“Families will be able to fully immerse themselves into their swimming journey, and we will explain to children and carers why we teach the skills we do in our classes. This is an extremely exciting evolution of the Water Babies’ programme and we can’t wait to bring our customers on this journey. They will ignite their imaginations as they learn.
“We teach little ones the lifesaving skill of learning how to swim, from new-born to five years old. Over the past two decades, we have taught more than half a million children to swim. Water Babies has evolved the traditional concept of swimming lessons into something that feels fresh, rewarding and super-exciting.
“And when children take part in our ‘Oceans of Imagination’ programme, they will work towards achieving key milestones to collect stickers, certificates and badges which recognise their skills’ progression.”
Water Babies was co-founded by Paul Thompson in 2002, and nowadays teaches more than 52,000 babies every week. Their network of family businesses can be found in the UK, Ireland, Canada, Netherlands, Germany and China.
And Paul Thompson added: “At Water Babies, we have a lot to be proud of. We use highly-trained teachers to implement our professionally developed swim programmes for babies and young children. When a child becomes part of the Water Babies’ family, the benefits are far reaching.
“We understand the pressures faced by parents, and that’s why our classes are both nurturing and supportive – both in and out of the pool. We aim to give little ones the best start in life and, together with parents or guardians, they become part of a rich and rewarding social scene.
“We’re passionate about holistic learning, and our ‘Oceans of Imagination’ is tailored to satisfy every stage of a child’s personal development. For babies, our classes provide a sensory playground which gives parents and their little ones much-needed bonding time. As children get older, the program will develop to become more engaging and deepening in relevance and meaning.
“Water Babies is aimed at families of all shapes and sizes. These are families who want to give their children the best start in life. We advocate holistic learning through creating water quests and adventures, and nurturing every little mind, body and soul through swimming.
“Our ‘Oceans of Imagination’ programme incorporates tried and tested techniques into a learning experience that unlocks new challenges as skills develop. The programme brings together swimming skills and life skills in a friendly, safe and non-judgemental environment.”
Water Babies consist of over 50 franchise outlets and more than 600 teachers. The company has enjoyed national consumer recognition and, in 2021, was named ‘Best Baby Class’ at the ‘Loved By Parents’ awards.
Water Babies also received the British Franchise Association (BFA) ‘Culture and Leadership Award’ in 2020 and won the BFA Business Resilience Silver Award 12 months’ later. In December 2022 they were ranked fifth in the Elite Franchise UK Top 100 list, and were the highest-positioned swimming school franchise for babies.
About ‘Oceans of Imagination’: Takes children into a fantastical world with five dynamic characters who are collectively known as ‘The Swimvincibles.’ These five characters will encourage a passion and awareness for the water. Four islands, each representing a core area of swimming, have been developed to help children achieve key skills and milestones.
The four islands are named: ‘Floating Forest’, ‘Cloudfish Cove’, ‘Lighthouse Lagoon’ and ‘Mystery Island’. Each week, Water Babies’ customers will explore a new island, taking part in quests to learn essential swimming safety and aquatic skills, along with their friends. The ‘Swimvincibles’ bring excitement to classes and provide characters for the children to look up to throughout their aquatic journey.
