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New water safety songs help keep children safe
Freya Lucas
Jun 08, 2023
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Many families elect to stop swimming lessons in winter, something which Kids Alive-Do the Five is aiming to combat by launching a new collection of water safety songs and toddler books to keep the issue top of mind.
Marking the event with a free live concert , Kids Alive Managing Director Emma Lawrence, said the timing of the launch coincided with the winter months when swimming lesson attendance drops by an average 20 per cent.“It’s important to keep water safety messaging top of mind for both kids and their parents right throughout the year and these new resources reinforce what kids learn at swimming lessons,” Ms Lawrence said.
“The concert is the biggest event we’ve ever hosted and it sold out in three weeks and we’re excited to share the new songs and toddler books with kids and their parents.”
It’s been over 11 years since the first Kids Alive songs were created, and the Kids Alive team has been spreading the word on water safety for over 20 years now.
“It’s now time to freshen things up and spread our message to a new beat,” Ms Lawrence said.
“With the shift to listening online, we now have the opportunity to reach even more families. We released the first album onto Spotify a few years ago and we are excited to add to our music collection.”
Kids Alive Founder Laurie Lawrence encouraged parents to keep their kids in swimming lessons all year round.
“There is a misconception that kids have an increased chance of catching colds if they attend swimming lessons during winter,” he said. “However, with pools heated through winter, it’s really no different to a child having a bath during winter and just getting them straight out of the water, changed and warmed up.”
The launch of the songs corresponds with the release of a new range of water safety books targeted to toddlers, with 55,000 books distributed to early education centres across the country.
“The toddler age is the most dangerous for drownings so we wanted some new books that they can engage with,” Mr Lawrence said. “The books have new cute ‘baby’ characters and are simple rhyming style perfect for little ones. As with all Kids Alive resources, the books and songs were assessed by water safety and early education experts.”
Popular singer Ryan Gittoes has written the eight new catchy songs for Kids Alive, based around water safety scenarios at the beach, in the pool, in the bathtub and at the farm. He said it was an extra special experience to write and record the songs, as along with other young backup singers, including his eight-year-old daughter Cedar performs harmonies with him.
“The songs are really fun and catchy and teach kids to be aware around water in a variety of settings,” Mr Gittoes said. “They’re also a celebration of water and that special connection we have with it and also how water activities are often a special, shared experience between parents and their kids.”
Access the new songs here.
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