The holidays are all about making memories with the people you love, and for many families, that means packing up and heading somewhere new! 

Whether you’re escaping the cold for a sunny beach vacation, visiting family, or checking into a hotel or vacation rental, following a few simple holiday travel safety tips can help your family spend less time worrying about the details and more time enjoying the adventure. 

Before you zip up those suitcases, add these five things to your holiday travel checklist!

Holiday Travel Tip #1: Research the Destination Before You Go

You probably already know where you’re staying and how you’re getting there, but what will the environment actually look like when you arrive?

If your hotel, resort, or vacation rental has a pool, start by researching pool safety for kids before you arrive. Find out whether the pool is fenced, gated, and staffed by a lifeguard. If you’re heading to the beach, lake or another natural body of water, research the conditions and designated swimming areas ahead of time. 

Once you arrive, take a few minutes to explore the environment as a family. Look for pool depths, ladders and exits, posted rules and potential hazards. At beaches and lakes, pay attention to swimming boundaries, changing depths and local conditions. 

Knowing your surroundings before the fun begins can help everyone feel more prepared!

Holiday Travel Tip #2: Talk to Your Kids About Vacation Water Safety

Before you leave home, talk to your kiddos about what water safety while traveling will look like on your trip, especially if your family plans to spend time around pools, beaches, or lakes. Remind them that the rules they follow at home or during swim lessons still apply when they’re somewhere new. That means never entering the water without an adult, following posted pool or beach rules and listening to lifeguards when they’re present. 

It’s especially important to reinforce these expectations when you’re traveling with extended family or a larger group. More adults around doesn’t automatically mean more supervision, and some adults don’t understand the dangers or safety precautions that come with being around water! Share your expectations and reinforce the importance of water safety with all adults that will be nearby, so everyone is on the same page!

Holiday Travel Tip #3: Choose a Designated Water Watcher

Holiday vacations are meant for spending time together, and there’s nothing better than watching your kiddos make memories with grandparents, cousins, siblings and friends. But when everyone is together, it can be easy to assume someone else is keeping an eye on the kids. 

Before children enter or play near the water, designate a responsible adult as your family’s Water Watcher. This simple water safety practice helps ensure someone is actively supervising the kiddos at all times. That person’s job is to keep their attention on the swimmers, not their phone, a book or the conversation happening nearby. 

If you’re spending a long afternoon at the pool or beach, adults can take turns so everyone gets a chance to relax while making active supervision a priority.

Holiday Travel Tip #4: Keep Your Swim Skills Fresh Before You Travel

Swimming is a skill, and like any skill, consistency matters! If your holiday travel plans include a pool, beach, cruise, or other water activities, keeping up with swimming lessons for kids before your trip can help kiddos continue building the water safety skills and confidence they’ve been practicing all year long. 

At Goldfish Swim School, every lesson has a purpose, from helping children become more comfortable in the water to practicing skills like floating, treading water and safely getting out of the pool. 

Holiday travel can even give kiddos an opportunity to put those skills into practice in a new environment!

Holiday Travel Tip #5: Make Memories… Safely! 

Family vacations are about so much more than where you go. They’re about the moments you create when you get there. Jumping into the hotel pool with cousins. Building sandcastles on the beach. Taking your first family cruise. Watching your little swimmer proudly show grandma and grandpa the skills they’ve been practicing at swim lessons. Those are the moments that make holiday travel so special! 

Before your family heads out on its holiday adventure, make sure water safety is part of the plan! Download our Vacation Water Safety Checklist before your next getaway, and keep building your child’s confidence and skills with year-round swim lessons at Goldfish Swim School.