Practical guidance on keeping children safe around water, from garden ponds to open water and swimming pools.
Water Safety is the awareness and precautions that protect children around water such as pools, baths, rivers, and the sea, where drowning can happen quickly and silently.
Drowning is one of the leading causes of accidental death in children. Young children can drown in as little as a few centimetres of water, and it often happens silently. Supervision, education, and environmental awareness are the most effective prevention measures.
Children are drawn to water and may not understand the dangers. Drowning can occur in seconds and is often silent — there is rarely splashing or calling for help. Risks exist in gardens (ponds, paddling pools), at swimming pools, and near open water such as rivers, canals, and the sea.
In your child's behaviour
Supervise constantly around water
Never leave young children unattended near any water — including baths, paddling pools, ponds, and buckets. Active supervision means watching continuously, not checking intermittently.
Invest in swimming lessons
Teach your child to swim as early as is practical. Learning water survival skills — floating, treading water, and getting out safely — is as important as learning strokes.
Teach open water rules
Explain the dangers of cold water shock, hidden currents, and unseen obstacles. Teach the 'float to live' technique promoted by the RNLI and agree that open water is never entered alone.
In immediate danger: call 999. For non-emergency police matters, call 101.
Concerned about a child but it's not an emergency? NSPCC helpline 0808 800 5000. Childline for young people 0800 1111.
This is practical educational content to support families. For case-specific concerns about a child's safety, contact the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or your local safeguarding team.
Was this page helpful?