If you’ve taken your kids to swim lessons in the winter, you have probably heard them complain once or twice about the cold.

Maybe it’s because they did not want to go home with frozen hair or perhaps they refused to get out of the warm pool once they were wet because the air was “too cold”. Whatever the reason, I have something I want to share with you!

Over the years I have seen some pretty great ideas from parents when it comes to keeping their kids warm after they hop out of the pool.

Here are the top 5 hacks I’ve seen that you might want to try to warm up your little swimmer:

1. Folding travel hairdryer:

If you are taking weekly lessons an inexpensive, compact hairdryer is a great investment and can easily be stowed away in your child’s swim bag. Just plug it in and take a few minutes to blow some of the dampness out of your child’s hair. The heated air also helps to warm them up (and maybe they’ll let you snuggle them a little, too while you’re drying their hair). It’s a great way to make your little one a little more comfortable before heading home.

2. PJs:

Add some really snuggly, polar fleece pyjamas to their swim bag for post swim! Instead of changing your kids into their street clothes, dry them off and put them in their pjs so they are comfy, cozy and toasty warm for the ride home. The bonus is that they are ready for bed before you even get them home.

[bctt tweet=”It takes just a little bit of creativity and a little organization to make winter swim lessons a great experience for everyone in your family.” username=”AquaLifeSA”]

3. Robe:

This is a great item to have when your child gets out of that pool – I’d venture, it even beats a great big towel! The thing with trying to warm up with a towel is that kids tend to wrap the towel around their shoulders but it doesn’t touch the rest of their body so it doesn’t really warm them as well as a bathrobe. For a maximum heat effect, have your child do a quick dry off with a small towel and then wrap them in a cozy warm robe. That way, if you need to talk to the instructor for a few moments, or you are talking to a fellow parent, your child is happy and warm while they wait.

4. Wetsuit:

A wetsuit will not keep your child dry but it will help them stay warm by trapping a thin layer of water between the suit and their skin. This layer of water is then warmed by their body heat and keeps their core warm while they are in the water for their swim lesson! For more information on kid’s wetsuits and why we love them, check out this blog.

5. Creature Comforts:

Bringing a thermos full of hot chocolate for post-swim is a great way to warm kids up quickly and it can double as a sweet treat for “après swim”. Another idea is a scented body wash that smells comforting. It might sound crazy but it works! I personally use a eucalyptus body wash (Dr. Bronner’s Eucalyptus pure-castile soap) all winter long to make my after-swim shower just a little more spa-like.

It just takes a little bit of creativity and a little organization to make winter swim lessons a great experience for everyone in your family. Make sure to get the professional approach of our trainers by taking our swimming lessons in Ottawa.

So now I want to hear from you – do you have any swim hacks that you use for your kids to get them through winter lessons smoothly?

If so, I would love for you to share them with us in the comments below!