CompleteOverviewofSwimmingandHealthforChildren:HowtoKeepYourChildHealthyInandAroundthePool[2026]

Every swimming lesson day follows the same ritual: the swim bag, the swim cap, and the little battle at the shower. Swimming is one of the healthiest activities for children, but many parents also have concerns at the pool: ear pain after the lesson, dry skin, warts that just won't go away, or stomach flu spreading among the group. Most of these complaints are preventable. This overview shows what swimming does for your child's health, what to watch out for, and which rules make the biggest difference at home, in the pool, and in open water.

Why Swimming Is So Healthy for Children

Swimming Counts Towards the Physical Activity Guideline

The World Health Organization advises children and youth aged 5 to 17 to engage in at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Swimming is one of the easiest ways to meet this: it trains the whole body, does not strain the joints, and children often don't even notice how hard they are working. The WHO physical activity guideline applies worldwide, including for families who have recently moved to another country.

Heart, Lungs, and Fitness

Water provides resistance, so swimming trains almost every muscle group simultaneously. The heart becomes stronger, lung capacity increases, and fitness improves faster than with many other sports. For children with asthma, swimming is also one of the most recommended sports: the warm, humid air above the water is gentle on the airways. How to approach this safely is explained in our article about swimming with asthma.

Motor Development and Self-Confidence

Children learning to swim develop not only muscles but also coordination, balance, and body awareness. Every new skill, from floating to diving, provides a tangible success that a child can be proud of for weeks. That self-confidence carries over to school and the rest of life. The overview of swimming lessons and child development goes deeper into this.

Water Safety Is Also Health

The healthiest swimmer is the one who does not drown. Worldwide, about 300,000 people drown annually, reports the WHO in its global drowning report, and children under five make up nearly a quarter of that group. In the Netherlands, 113 residents drowned in 2024, according to the CBS. Additionally, there are about 200 hospital admissions annually after drowning incidents, and toddlers aged 1 and 2 are particularly at risk, even in and around their own homes, warns VeiligheidNL. A bucket of water, a pond, or an open garden door can already be dangerous for a toddler. Swimming lessons are therefore not just a sport but one of the best protections you can give a child. According to the Mulier Institute, in 2024 four out of ten children aged 6 to 12 had all three diplomas A, B, and C, but some children still have no diploma at all. The full approach is detailed in the water safety overview for parents.

The Downside: What to Watch Out For

Swimmer's Ear, the Most Common Swimming Complaint

The most common complaint after swimming is swimmer's ear: an inflammation of the ear canal caused by water that remains trapped for a long time. Children are especially prone because their ear canals are narrower. You can recognize it by itching, pain, and a feeling of a blocked ear. Fortunately, it is easy to prevent: dry ears well after swimming, tilt the head so water drains out, and use ear drops if needed. The CDC explains how to prevent swimmer's ear, and our article on swimmer's ear translates this to swimming lesson practice.

Chlorine, Dry Skin, and Eczema

Chlorine kills bacteria but also removes oils from the skin. Children with sensitive skin or eczema may experience itching and dryness. The solution is simple: shower before and after swimming, pat the skin dry instead of rubbing, and then apply a neutral cream. Showering before swimming helps doubly because clean skin absorbs less chlorine and the pool water stays better longer. Also, bring your own towel and do not hang it next to someone else's to avoid cross-contamination.

Water Warts and Foot Warts: Contagious but Harmless

Water warts are small bumps common in young children and spread through skin contact and shared items. They are contagious but harmless and usually disappear on their own, writes Thuisarts. Cover open warts with a waterproof plaster before swimming and ensure children do not share towels or bath toys, advises the CDC. The same applies to foot warts: wear pool slippers in the changing room and shower, and dry well between the toes.

Stomach Flu and Diarrhea: Stay Out of the Water

The main cause of pool outbreaks is diarrhea, states the CDC. A child with stomach complaints should not be in the water, not even for wading. Some parasites, like cryptosporidium, survive normal chlorine levels and remain contagious for weeks. The worldwide rule of thumb is to wait two weeks after diarrhea has completely stopped. This also applies to siblings, as a child who recently had stomach flu remains contagious for days, even without symptoms.

Chlorine Smell and Airways

The sharp smell above an indoor pool is not chlorine itself but chloramines: a reaction of chlorine with sweat and urine. These fumes can irritate the airways. A 2006 study suggested a possible link between intensive pool visits at a young age and airway complaints in children predisposed to allergies. The research by Bernard and colleagues explains this connection. For most children, swimming is no problem, but with asthma or allergies, choose a well-ventilated or low-chlorine pool.

Hygiene: The Rules That Make the Biggest Difference

Showering Before Swimming

One minute of showering without soap removes most dirt, sweat, and skin oils. It may sound like a formality, but it is one of the most effective ways to keep pool water clean. Chlorine has limited capacity: everything it uses to break down dirt cannot be used to kill bacteria. The CDC lists that one minute of showering as the first step for healthy swimming.

Toilet Visits and Diaper Checks

Go to the toilet before the lesson and check swim diapers for toddlers. An accident in the water is not only embarrassing but also the fastest way to make a whole group sick. Many pools require toddlers to wear special swim diapers. They don’t block everything but most, and combined with a toilet visit just before the lesson, it helps a lot.

No Swallowing, No Peeing in the Pool

Children easily swallow a mouthful of pool water while playing. Teach your child to keep their mouth closed underwater and not to drink from the pool. Peeing in the water is not only gross but also triggers the reaction that causes the sharp chlorine smell. The red, burning eyes many children get after swimming are not caused by chlorine itself but by those same chloramines. Showering beforehand and not peeing in the pool also prevents those annoying eyes.

After Swimming: Shower, Dry Ears and Feet

After the lesson, a short routine awaits: shower to wash off chlorine and bacteria, pat ears dry, and dry well between the toes. The last step is often forgotten, while athlete’s foot and foot warts thrive there. Pool slippers in the changing room prevent most of the trouble.

Water Quality: Indoor Pool, Outdoor Pool, and Open Water

What Is in the Pool Water

A well-maintained pool is safe. Chlorine, bromine, or a saltwater system controls bacteria, and in the Netherlands, the GGD monitors official swimming water locations. Indoor pools have strict technical requirements: the filtration system runs continuously, water values are measured daily, and if there is a deviation, the pool closes immediately. A pool that is open meets the requirements. The color and smell of the water say a lot: clear water without a strong odor is usually well balanced.

Blue-Green Algae in Open Water

In lakes and ponds, blue-green algae can develop during warm weather. Blue-green algae can cause skin irritation and stomach and intestinal complaints, and young children are most at risk because they ingest water more easily, warns the RIVM. If the water looks like a floating layer of green paint or smells bad, do not swim.

Check the Official Swimming Water Monitoring

Official swimming water locations are checked weekly during the swimming season. You can find the current quality on zwemwater.nl. If there is a negative swimming advice, one rule applies: stay out, even if the water looks tempting.

When Your Child Should Not Swim

Fever and Contagious Diseases

A child with a fever should not be in the water. The body needs all energy to recover, and a child with an infection is contagious to the rest of the group. Also skip lessons with ear infections, eye infections, or open skin infections.

Open Wounds and Bandages

A scrape does not have to mean a swimming ban as long as it is covered waterproof. Larger or infected wounds do: they form an open gate for bacteria in the water. When in doubt, have the doctor check.

Cold Water and Young Children

Young children cool down quickly in water, much faster than adults, because their body surface area is large relative to their weight. Shivering, blue lips, or chattering teeth are signs that it’s enough, even if your child does not want to leave yet. In outdoor water, fifteen minutes is often enough for a toddler, even on a warm day. Keep toddlers and preschoolers short in open water and always have warm, dry clothes ready. Hypothermia is not always easy to recognize because a child first becomes quiet and calm. Knowing the signs helps you get your child out of the water in time.

How to Build Healthy Swimming Habits

Start Young, with Water Acclimation

The earlier a child becomes familiar with water, the more natural safe behavior becomes. Baby and toddler swimming do not teach swimming but water acclimation: getting used to water without fear and drama. A child learns to blow bubbles, open eyes underwater, and float on the back, forming the basis for everything that comes later. Children who already have this base start real swimming lessons much more relaxed. The overview of baby and toddler swimming tells you at what age you can start.

The A, B, and C Diploma as a Foundation

The Dutch diploma system is strict, and as a parent, you should be glad about that. The A diploma alone is insufficient for safe open water swimming; only after B and C is a child reasonably self-reliant. Why this is so is explained in the article is the A diploma enough?.

Track Progress, at Home and in Lessons

Healthy swimming is also motivated swimming. Children who see how far they have come keep going longer. With Swimmigo, parents and swim schools track progress per skill at every level. Parents immediately see which exercises their child masters, and instructors have group insight without administrative hassle. Swimmigo is available in five languages and used worldwide, so families in every country get the same insights. Discover it on the parents page or the instructors page.

Conclusion

Swimming is one of the healthiest and most valuable skills for children. The risks associated with the pool, from swimmer's ear to blue-green algae, can be well managed with a few fixed habits. Shower before and after lessons, dry ears and feet, do not swim with stomach complaints, and check water quality, that’s basically all. This way, swimming remains not only healthy but also fun and safe for life, in every pool and every country.

Sources

• WHO: Global status report on drowning prevention 2024, accessed August 2026
• WHO: Physical activity guidelines, accessed August 2026
• CDC: Global drowning prevention, accessed August 2026
• CBS: Higher risk of drowning among children not born in the Netherlands, July 2026
• Mulier Institute: More children obtain all three swimming diplomas, November 2025
• CDC: Preventing swimmer's ear, May 2025
• CDC: Preventing swimming-related illnesses, accessed August 2026
• Bernard et al.: Chlorinated pool attendance, atopy and the risk of asthma, 2006
• VeiligheidNL: Drowning, accessed August 2026
• RIVM: Blue-green algae in swimming water, accessed August 2026
• Zwemwater.nl: Health risks, accessed August 2026
• Thuisarts: My child has water warts, accessed August 2026
• CDC: Preventing molluscum contagiosum in pools, accessed August 2026