Water Safety
Practical guidance on keeping children safe around water, from garden ponds to open water and swimming pools.
What is this?
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.
How it works
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.
Warning signs
In your child's behaviour
- • Playing near water unsupervised or venturing closer to edges than agreed
- • Overconfidence in their swimming abilities relative to the conditions
- • Peer pressure to swim in or enter open water that is not designated for swimming
Prevention steps
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.
What to do if it happens
- 1Call 999 immediately. If at the coast, ask for the Coastguard.
- 2If it is safe to do so, reach out to the child with a long object rather than entering the water yourself.
- 3If the child is out of the water and not breathing, begin CPR immediately while waiting for emergency services.
Related topics
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.
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Last reviewed: 2025-06-15