Giving the gift of water safety

As the holidays arrive, gift-giving goes into full  motion. My kids definitely enjoy creating a list of wishes and the joy of granting some of those wishes is very special! But we also know our households can only handle so much "stuff". So I love the idea of giving experiences for our kids rather than just gifts. Swimming lessons are such a high priority for our family and I think they make a fantastic Christmas gift!

We started swimming lessons with British Swim School almost two years ago. Our kids were 6, 4, 4 & 3. They all started as yellow cap and hey - when you have 4 kids close in age you can fill your own swim class! 😃

The first focus for lessons with British Swim School is water safety. Learning to float on your back and call for help and even lessons with clothing on to practice if a child were to fall into the water unexpectedly.

One of my kids has extreme fear of not being able to touch the bottom of the pool and also is extra sensitive to uncomfortable water temps. So the fact that BSS uses indoor heated pools has been a huge boost in alleviating that discomfort. The instructors have also been patient, kind and encouraging through their process of learning to overcome those fears.

It's been fun to see them progress from yellow to red to blue to green caps. Each level is celebrated! 

My kids love swimming, so lessons during the winter is perfect. They love getting to swim every week throughout the year and FUN is always incorporated into every lesson!

British Swim School offers lessons beginning at 3 months. Go here to check out the variety of programs they offer. They also offer lessons at 10 locations throughout the Pittsburgh region so you can find the one that is most convenient for your family. 

My kids are so confident and comfortable in the water now. It definitely makes water activities less stressful for this mama of 4! 

Need a gift idea for your kids that will be with them for the rest of their lives? Swimming lessons would make a fantastic and fun gift. Be sure to mention Pgh Momtourage when signing up to receive FREE registration! 

This post sponsored by British Swim School with whom we partner for swimming lessons. We only endorse companies that pass the test of our family! 

Splash Lagoon: Ticket Giveaway

We were thrilled to be invited back to one of our favorite family venues - Splash Lagoon. Splash Lagoon is a perfect year round family getaway that is located in Erie, PA, around 2 hours from Pittsburgh. It is certainly listed as one of America's Top Indoor Water Parks for a reason! Splash Lagoon allows guests to swirl down nine water slides, climb the Tree Tops Ropes Course, relax in the Lazy River, ride the waves in the largest wave pool in the Eastern United States, spin in the new Aqua Tumbler and play in the Treasure Island Arcade & Lazer Tag! As a person who HATES cold water, I love that the water temps are a balmy 84 degrees. 😃

This zero depth entry pool with small slides is perfect for babies and toddlers!

This is one of my kids favorites slides that they can do on their own!

The turquoise slide was probably their favorite of all. We could ride down together in a double tube and it was so much fun!  

Be sure to bring another adult with you so you can swap turns in the adult only hot tub. :) There are also some family hot tubs which have a little lower temps. 

My kids did this one over and over again! I'm not sure why they loved it so much, but it wore them out, so no complaints here. 😃 

If your kids are up for a little bigger adventure, this ride is a winner! 

Be sure to check their winter schedule before you plan your travel time. They are closed most Tuesdays and Wednesdays through the winter and daily hours may vary. 

Your kids might even have time to kick back and read the newspaper. 😉

The arcade games have a separate pricing scale. How fun is this giant Connect Four game?! (Laser Tag and the Ropes Course are also a separate admission fee.)

We stayed in the Residence Inn by Marriott, which is one of 3 hotels directly connected to Splash Lagoon. We couldn't have been happier with a wonderful 2 bedroom suite (a bit of a necessity with 4 kids!) that also boasted a complete kitchen and 2 full bathrooms with huge jacuzzi tubs. 

This sitting room with a fireplace was a perfect connecting space! The sofa is also a pull-out bed for additional sleeping options.

The hotel had a great complimentary hot breakfast with options for everyone! Eggs, sausage, waffles, cereal, yogurt, fruit, juice, coffee.....

Depending on the weather when you go, a stop at the beautiful Presque Isle State Park is an added bonus! 

GIVEAWAY: 

Splash Lagoon has been kind enough to giveaway a family 4 pack of tickets to their indoor waterpark! (Please note: this does not include hotel accommodations.) You can choose to book a hotel if you wish, or it is also an easy day trip from Pittsburgh. 

By entering the giveaway, you are opting into their email club. The email club is a fantastic resource to be notified of flash sales and the best deals for tickets! You can opt out at any time. 

Go here to enter: 

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I was kindly provided lodging and passes for my review by Splash Lagoon. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse venues that I do not love!

Giveaway: Swimming lessons with British Swim School

If you follow our facebook page, you may have seen over the past few months as I've been sharing pictures from my kids recent swimming lessons. I was recently introduced to British Swim School and was intrigued to learn more about their programs. One of the first reasons BSS caught my attention was their immediate focus on water safety and survival.

British Swim School teaches water safety survival skills to children as young as three months old. The back float is considered the most important water survival skill, as it enables swimmers to rest, breathe and call for help, alleviating the “silent” danger of floating face down. Drowning is the leading cause of death in children under five. Go here for more safe swimming tips. 

My four kids started lessons in January. They were given a swim cap for their class level and they were ready to go! 

They began with learning how to float on their back. The first strategy of British Swim School is to teach kids if they were to fall into the water anywhere, that they would be able to roll to their back and float. This would also allow them to call for help. I love that first focus! Their instructor, Ryan Grindle, has been fantastic!

Another aspect that I (and my kids!) greatly appreciate about BSS is that all their lessons are done at indoor, heated pools. If your kids have ever taken outdoor lessons in Pittsburgh, you might have found that your kids end up freezing half the time which makes it difficult for them to concentrate. We did a short session of outdoor lessons last summer and I felt like my kids didn't learn very much simply because they were so distracted by the cold and didn't really want to be in the water. They have excelled much more quickly in the warm pools!

Although three out of four of our kids love the water, we have one that feels very uncomfortable in swimming situations. There were definitely quite a few tears in the first two sessions (as we've seen from a few other kids in the pool as well), but since lesson #3, he has grown more and more confident.  The instructors are great with helping kids get over that fear. Now he isn't even afraid to jump off the side of the pool to the instructor!

Speaking of jumping, I love that one of the first things they learned to do was jump in the water and hold their breath without plugging their nose! 

Once they can jump off the side into the pool, roll over and float on their backs, they are ready to graduate to the next swim cap color!

Now they are focusing more on swimming face down in the water as well as learning the back stroke. 

Swim groups are kept small, so there is a great teacher-to-student ratio!

And it's not all work and no play! At the end of each lesson, they get a short free play swim time. 

British Swim School is offering lessons all around the Pittsburgh region! Go here to locate your nearest location. 

I am also thrilled to give one of you a chance to experience British Swim School for free! They have generously offered a great giveaway! EIGHT free lessons as well as a basket full of swim goodies!

Prize package includes:

* Twice a week lesson for four consecutive weeks 

   No make-up's - New customers only! 

*  Basket includes:  Swim towel, Goggles, Swim Ring, Waterwatcher, Water toy, 

   Drawstring bag and beach ball.  Valued at $250.00!

Click "Enter the Giveaway" to be entered to win.

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--> But here is another cool freebie for everyone! If you sign up for lessons through BSS, mention "Momtourage" to get FREE registration. 

We're thrilled with their progress and my kids are safer swimmers through our lessons with British Swim School! We hope you will choose them as well! 

This post sponsored by British Swim School. We were given lessons in exchange for my review. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse venues that I don't love! 

Giveaway: We're swimming in Hanna Andersson

A few weeks ago, we headed to the East Coast during our kid's spring break. Although it certainly wasn't warm enough to swim, my kids were just as happy to play and run in the sand. We were generously given new swim wear by Hanna Andersson and it was the perfect opportunity to test them out!

We swim a lot in the summer and so I always look for swim gear that will hold up to a lot of wear. All of our Hanna Andersson products have held up well through many washings.  I'm also a big fan of rash guards for sun protection. We go through a lot of sunscreen with 4 kiddos, so rash guards help save in the sunscreen budget! 

As soon as I saw this suit, I knew it would be perfect for my Mya girl. She looks so radiant in yellow!

My girls do not like how one pieces pull and tug (I don't blame 'em!) and so they prefer something in two pieces. (Also makes for easier bathroom runs!)  But I also want my girls to have good coverage. Hanna Andersson has so many adorable options for two pieces, there is a ton of variety!

The second day they braved touching the chilly water!

We were staying with some friends who live on a fairly private beach. My kids had the best time running and playing in the sand with no hindrances! 

We didn't bring beach toys with us since we'd only be there a few days, but sticks, solo cups and plastic bowls are all kids need for their imaginations to be in full force!

For anyone looking for a protective swim cap, check out this cute option (there's a matching suit as well!)

For those of you in Pittsburgh, we are lucky enough to have our own newly opened Hanna Andersson store at the Ross Park Mall! Have you checked it out? We have loved the quality of our Hanna Andersson wear. Each piece is super soft and has comfy seams so that kids love to wear it!

We love the new suits and I am thrilled to pass on the special gift of a new Hanna Andersson swim suit to a lucky winner! Enter below for your chance to win.  

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#ilovemyhannas

#happyhannas

I was given products in exchange for my review. All opinions remain my own as I don't endorse products that I don't love!