Many parents enroll their children in swimming or water safety classes to reduce the risk of drowning. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) estimates as many as 10 million infants and preschoolers participate in some kind of aquatic instruction program. The Academy discourages formal swimming lessons for children under four because young children are developmentally not ready to participate in such programs. In addition, parents may be lulled into a false sense of security and may be less likely to closely supervise their small children around water. However, aquatic programs, such as the Red Cross Infant and Preschool Aquatic Program, help children become comfortable in and around the water. The classes also provide a basis for learning to swim at an older age and promote safety education for parents.

Infant and toddler aquatic programs should be designed to provide fun and bonding between children and parents. As children get older, they can be taught to stay away from the water until they are given parental or adult permission to swim. Children can learn to swim only while wearing a bathing suit (reducing the temptation to simply remove clothing and jump in a pool). Small children can also be taught some basic safety skills, such as how to safely enter a pool, going to a wall and holding on, and rolling on their backs to rest and catch a breath. Even once children know how to swim, safety skills are invaluable in case they are accidentally knocked into the water or get a cramp while swimming.