Swim aid makes a splash

Inflatable armbands have been the mainstay of children’s swimming lessons for more than half a century but one Yorkshire mum has come up with an innovative new way of inspiring toddlers to have more confidence in the water. The basic armband design that was squeezed onto the arms of most of today’s parents in readiness for their first dip at the local baths was invented back in 1956. Since then there has been little innovation in swimming aids and most children still learn to swim using a version of this 1950s classic.

“Teaching their child to swim is a high priority for most parents because it’s a skill that can save lives and is so important for leisure and fitness,” says Donna Heaton, a mother-of-four from Harrogate who has come up with an alternative to the traditional blow-up armband.

Donna’s inspiration came during a family holiday to America in 2008 when she was struggling with a pair of cheap inflatable armbands for her three-year-old daughter Millie. “They were difficult to put on, particularly if she was already wet, and they scratched her and others close to her as she splashed around,” recalls Donna.

She started to think about alternatives that would be easier to put on and more comfortable to wear, but rather than concentrating on the product, Donna developed a concept that would engage children and their parents and improve water confidence before they embarked on formal swimming lessons.

Her idea involved writing a story about twin baby monkeys who sit in a tree watching their friends play in the water but can’t join them because they don’t know how to swim.“The story describes how the monkeys’ mum invents a fun product using layers of banana skins to encourage them to get in the water and develop their swimming confidence in a safe and environmentally-friendly way,” explains Donna. The story was the starting point for a journey that has taken Donna from the drawing board to the production line and ultimately resulted in the development of MonkeySwimmers, a swim system that combines education with a buoyancy aid designed to encourage the development of correct swimming techniques. “I’ve worked with children all my life and have no business experience but I was determined to create a concept that helped parents prepare their child for real swimming lessons.

“By writing a storybook to accompany the swimming aids I hope it will encourage water confidence and educate children about the environment.”

The book was created along with a progress chart to encourage children to have the confidence to remove layers from the armband.

“The challenge was to invent something that would add value to the market and appeal to parents even though it would cost twice as much as most plastic armbands,” recalls Donna.

MonkeySwimmers have multiple layers that can be removed as the child progresses.

Donna has now extended the storybook concept to a new product, Froggles, anti-fog goggles that come with a story about Lenny, a young tree frog who struggles to see underwater.

FLOATING THE IDEA OF MONKEY SWIMMERS

MONKEY Swimmers were entered in to the Baby Product Association’s awards last year and beat competition from 64 entrants to become one of two finalists.

Marketing her swim system as the world’s slimmest adjustable armband, Donna and her family exhibited at the National Baby Show at Olympia in October.

Since then, she has had orders from John Lewis and Amazon and interest from Toys R Us.

MonkeySwimmers are suitable for ages one to six and cost £19.99 including the armbands, storybook and progress chart from www.monkeys-inc.com.