According to the Florida Department of Health, the nation’s leading cause of death in children from one to four years of age is drowning. The majority of those deaths occur in residential swimming pools. With more than 1.2 million backyard and public pools, Florida leads the nation in those drownings.

One of the best ways you can keep your children safe in and around water is by teaching them how to swim. Unfortunately, since there weren’t a lot of swimming lessons available this past year due to the pandemic, there is a pretty big backlog for swimming lessons right now. However, the good news is that there are lots of places near you that offer swimming lessons for children. Here is a list with just a few:

Swim Totts Infant Swimming at 1159 N Dixie Freeway in New Smyrna Beach

StarFish Swim Lessons by Katie in Port Orange – 386-868-9489

Port Orange YMCA at 4701 City Center Parkway – 386-760-9622

Infant Swimming Resource Swimming Lessons at 194 Mofid Lane in Port Orange – 386-788-3588 and also at 425 Buchanan Way in South Daytona – 386-767-7251

Aqua Journeys Swim School at 721 South Nova Road in Ormond Beach – 386-676-9555

Swim Life at 251 Gordon Street in Sanford – 407-878-4352

Other ways to keep kids safe around your swimming pool is by ensuring that fencing around your property is secure so that children cannot gain access when no one is watching; making certain that swimming pool drains – which can pull hair and clothing to trap children under water – are properly covered at all times; and, of course, keep out a keen eye because those little buggers need 24/7 supervision – just like big Grandma Gertie around bonbons!