This is the most common and important question we get from parents. To answer it honestly, we've broken down the realistic goals and timelines based on a child's developmental stage.

For a 2-Year-Old:
At this age, the focus is not on "swimming" in the traditional sense. The goals are crucial survival skills, water familiarisation, and sensory development. We are building a positive, foundational relationship with the water.

For a 3-Year-Old:
Here, we build on the foundation with a major focus on water confidence. A 3-year-old's learning process is about exploration—connecting their brain to new movements and feelings. While they won't pick up formal strokes as quickly as a 5-year-old, starting at this age gives them a massive advantage in comfort and coordination for later stages.

For a 4 to 6-Year-Old:
This is the age group where parents see the most tangible and rapid results. Their motor skills and ability to process instructions are more developed. Typically, within 6-12 consistent lessons, you can expect your child to be confident around the pool and able to perform basic swimming techniques independently.

Thank you for asking this important question. For a child with a genuine water phobia, we approach their journey in two distinct and crucial parts.

Part 1 is about healing their relationship with water. Before we can focus on swimming skills, our entire focus is on overcoming their fear. This involves our specialized [Overcome Water Phobia program], which is a gentle, trust-based process of building comfort and safety. This phase typically takes about 2-3 months of consistent, patient lessons.

Only after they feel truly safe, confident, and happy in the water do we begin Part 2: learning the actual swim strokes. Once the fear is gone, the progress in this second phase is often much faster.

We strongly encourage you to read more about our specific approach on our dedicated Overcome Water Phobia page, or to have a private chat with us.

Our stroke sequence is deliberate and based on our "Foundation-First" and "Long-Term Athlete Development" philosophies. We have a clear, proven pathway that builds skills logically and effectively, ensuring no bad habits are formed.

1. The Foundation Comes First: Before we teach any full stroke, we ensure every child masters the non-negotiables: a powerful, effective kick, a streamlined body position, and confident, rhythmic breathing. This is the engine and chassis of a great swimmer.

2. Core Strokes (Freestyle & Backstroke): We then introduce Freestyle and Backstroke. These are "long-axis" strokes, meaning the body rotates along the spine. Mastering these first builds a fantastic feel for the water, core stability, and bilateral coordination.

3. Advanced Strokes (Breaststroke & Butterfly): Only when a swimmer has demonstrated strong technique in the core strokes and has the required physical strength do we introduce the more complex Breaststroke and Butterfly. Our patient progression ensures these challenging strokes are learned correctly and safely, protecting a child's developing body.

This methodical sequence guarantees a strong, versatile, and lasting technical foundation.

Yes, we are familiar with the SwimSafer program and we fully support its goal of keeping children safe by introducing survival skills. Our curriculum more than covers all the necessary requirements for each stage.

However, our core philosophy is based on Long-Term Athlete Development. This means our primary focus is always on building a solid and technically correct swimming foundation, not on simply "teaching to the test." We will not rush a child to perform a specific skill just to pass an assessment before they are truly competent.

The result of our approach is a child who is not only able to pass their SwimSafer test, but can do so with genuine confidence and excellent technique. Please feel free to chat with us to find out more about how we tailor our lessons.

That's an excellent question, and we have a very clear, expert-led answer based on our Long-Term Athlete Development philosophy.

At Dreamers, we will always teach Freestyle (front crawl) first.

The reason is simple and it's rooted in building a strong, healthy athlete for life. The flutter kick used in Freestyle is a hip-dominant movement. It's a natural motion that builds power from the body's core and large muscle groups—the "engine" of a swimmer. This is incredibly beneficial for overall athletic development.

In contrast, the Breaststroke kick is a highly technical, knee-dominant movement. It is an unnatural motion that can put significant strain on a child's developing knee joints. In fact, many competitive breaststroke swimmers experience knee injuries later in their careers due to the nature of the stroke.

Our commitment is to your child's long-term health. By focusing on hip-driven movements like the flutter kick (and even the dolphin kick) first, we build a powerful and safe foundation before ever introducing the complexities of the breaststroke kick.

That's a question we're very passionate about. In a world of team sports and high-impact activities, swimming stands out as an ideal tool for building a strong athletic foundation for several key reasons.

Firstly, swimming is a rare "early specialization" sport. Because it has very little impact on developing joints and a much lower injury rate than most land-based sports, children can start young and build a base safely.

Secondly, it offers incredible holistic fitness. It develops robust cardiovascular health and promotes symmetrical, full-body muscle development unlike almost any other activity. It is a fantastic foundation that creates a versatile and resilient athlete, ready to excel in any sport they may choose later in life.