Published 04/12/2023

Pool toys are an important part of your baby’s swim kit. They help to encourage nervous babies into the water, help to keep babies engaged during lessons and can be used as rewards for older babies and toddlers to encourage them to swim away from their adult and retrieve their toy.

Dive Toys can help to encourage older children to get their head wet under water, entice nervous swimmers to jump in and show that water can be fun.

Inflatable toys are great fun away from swimming lessons and can teach children about balance and how to have fun in the water. Beach balls should only be used in water in which the child is within its depth and under adult supervision

With so many different toys on the market, here’s what we at Splash About recommend you look out for:

Brightly coloured – Bright coloured toys are easily spotted and engage young swimmers. The Puffer Fish Flip & Float Toys are colourful, cute and easy to hold. They bob along on top of the water so are great entertainment for young babies to watch. Our Neoprene Pufferfish Balls are also bright and cheerful and can be used as a comfort toy as well if required.

Lightweight – Toys should be small and lightweight so little hands can easily grab and throw them. The Splash Balls are made from neoprene so are soft and light for pool and bath play.

No squirt holes – Whilst squirting water from a pool toy may seem fun, the holes can allow water to lay stagnant within and may become mouldy. No squirt hole means the toy can be cleaned and stored completely dry without the worry of mould build up. The Pufferfish Pool and Bath Toys are cute little balls that have no holes for mould build up. Available to buy individually or in a pack of 3.

Teething friendly – it is a fact that babies and young children will put things in their mouth and this does not stop in the pool. Look for toys that are made with food grade paint and that can be chewed safely without the risk of small pieces coming away. The Splash Pals Baby Swim and Teether Toy is made for exactly this purpose. No holes and hand painted with food grade paint, your baby can chew on this safely for the whole swimming session.

Sensory Toys – Bright coloured, tactile, interesting shapes will hold a babies attention whilst in the pool and can be used during bathtime too. A baby swimming mirror is also a great choice to help children relax in the pool. Lay your baby back in the water, holding the mirror above them so they can see their own reflection, whilst feeling the water around them.

Some children remain nervous even after the baby swimming stage and pool toys can serve an important purpose for them too. Being frightened of the water can adversely affect the lives of children and adults and using pool and dive toys to distract from their nerves is a vital way to encourage this life skill.

Dive toys can be used to encourage older children to put their head under the water and improve their diving skills. By turning diving into a game, children will learn these vital skills through play. The cute Pufferfish Dive Sticks come in a pack of three. Throw them down to the bottom of the pool and time children as they race to collect them.

Splash Dive Streamers are designed to look like seaweed when they sink to the bottom, the streamers floating up as a visual guide for children to grab at, whilst the Floaty Fun Squid Dive toys wiggle as they sink, providing a fun distraction from the fear of diving underwater.