Water Wise

Water is an essential part of New Zealand’s identity and many Kiwi kids grow up spending their holidays at the beach, fishing off the rocks, learning how to drive a boat or swimming in a pool. With summer just around the corner, it’s a good time to think about water safety and make sure that the kids can swim.

Tragically, every year drowning claims the lives of far too many New Zealanders of all ages, so before the water sport season begins in earnest, check that your family are safe around water. Drowning is often silent and incredibly fast. Ensure there is a designated adult keeping an eye on each child around all water sources.

Children under five should always be within arm’s reach of a responsible adult around water. Older children should also be supervised, and taught basic water safety techniques.

There are many excellent swimming and water safety programmes to complement those offered in schools. If you are an adult who is not a confident swimmer, there are plenty of learn to swim classes for adults too, so that you can make the most of pools, lakes, rivers and the ocean during the warmer months.

Swimming lessons reduce the odds of young-age drowning by encouraging children to be confident in the water and teaching them skills around water safety. It encourages physical, social and personal growth, as well as sensory exploration and improved muscle strength. Water also acts as tactile nerve stimulation, which promotes the development of neural pathways in the brain, leading to increased cognitive function, no matter what your age.

According to Safekids Aotearoa, drowning is one of the major causes of injury-related death to children in New Zealand, accounting for 16.5% of all fatal unintentional injuries to 0-14 year olds.

Ensure the water is a positive experience for your family this summer, by checking fencing, encouraging water confidence and swimming skills and always, always supervising children.