Category: Water Safety

One of our favorite parts about summer is the 4th of July! Typically, this includes a long weekend, spending time with friends and family, and (hopefully) some quality water time at a backyard pool, splash pad, or lake. We put together a set of fun games to make the most ...

Who would think that choosing a swimsuit could affect water safety? But it really can! The visibility provided by a swimsuit can aid water watchers in spotting a swimmer in distress, a point proven by Natalie Livingston, co-founder of Alive Solutions, an aquatic safety consultancy serving pools and aquatic centers, ...

Water safety is a team activity. Teaching children to swim confidently and learn basic self-rescue is part of the equation. But even among strong swimmers, the critical role in water safety is on dry land: the Water Watcher. The vast majority of drownings happen when no one was watching the ...

Every kid should be able to help themselves if they unexpectedly fall into the water, and it is every parent’s job to help their child be as prepared as possible. Foss Swim School offers this six-step guide as a basis for effective life-saving actions in an emergency. We encourage you ...

Dr. Rupal Upadhyay, MD, has cared for a lot of children in her 15 years as a pediatrician in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. And while parents have lots of things to remember and lots of choices to make, which change as children age, one topic she wants them to ...

May is our favorite month at Foss Swim School. It’s the month when everyone starts getting ready for summer and when the daydreams about time at the pool, beach, or waterpark start. We also love May because it is Water Safety Month, a time when we share our passion for ...

As we celebrate Water Safety Month and get ready for a summer of water-based fun with our families, we wanted to share some books that parents might want to read with their little ones. Depending on each child’s age and comfort with water, you might be looking for something a ...

There’s no splashing. No cries for help. It is fast. And it is silent. Phones, books, and even conversations can distract you. That’s why there’s no substitute for visual supervision and proper water safety. [...]Read More...

Summer is almost here! Are your kids ready for the water? It’s a scenario that parents don’t even want to contemplate—a child unexpectedly falling into water over their head. Yet it happens, despite setting clear rules for kids, the kids themselves having no intention of going in the water, and ...

By Jon Foss, co-founder and lead instructor, Foss Swim School If you are old enough to have kids, there’s a chance you were taught to tread water as a water safety skill. Parents who send their kids to Foss Swim School sometimes look at our curriculum and ask why treading ...

One of the surest ways to improve water safety is to have a responsible adult who is focused on watching kids who are at play in or near a pool, lake or other water. In almost all cases when families and friends go swimming, there is an adult present. But ...

Summer is almost here! Are your kids ready for the water? Check out our available classes here. It’s a scenario that parents don’t even want to contemplate—a child unexpectedly falling into water over their head. Yet it happens, despite setting clear rules for kids, the kids themselves having no intention ...

Gretchen is a FOSS alumna and former U.S. record holder in the breaststroke. She shares her thoughts on swimming, parenting and life with our readers. Full disclosure: Up until two years ago, there would have been no way that I would have sent my kids on a play date that ...

Teaching kids to swim is common sense Swimming is a fun, healthy activity that can also offer a line of defense against drowning (although no amount of lessons can replace supervision). But did you know that some of the things you do in the name of protecting your child may ...

With Spring around the corner, many of you will go on vacations in or around water. And whether your little one is a brand-new swimmer or is more advanced, it’s important that they—and you—know how to stay safe. [...]Read More...