TWINS are making a splash at a swimming group set up especially for tots.
And swimming instructor Laura Molloy had her hands full at one Huddersfield session as five sets of twins proved they were right little water babies.
The twins, aged six months to two, are all members of Swimbabes, a group set up to introduce children to the water from an early age.
The group, which holds swim sessions in Huddersfield and Brighouse, has babies as young as four weeks old taking part with their parents.
And mum Laura says she has seen an increasing number of twins coming to the classes since she set up the group five years ago.
She decided to get together some of the sets for a special swimming session at Momentum Leisure Pool at Aspley Hall, one of the pools at which Swimbabes regularly has classes.
Laura said: "We do seem to be getting an increasing number of twins coming to the classes, so I thought it would be nice to bring them all together for a one-off session.
"It’s lovely seeing them all together – it’s also nice for the parents to get together as they share something in common.
"With twins, I think swimming can help them be a bit more independent and develop their individual personalities more – they tend to splash about by themselves in the pool rather than stick together like they probably would on dry land."
One of the sets of twins enjoying making a splash at the swim session were six-month-olds Daisy and Imogen Hawkins-Swaffer.
Parents Charlie and Jane, from Brighouse, have been taking their daughters to the Swimbabes classes since they were just six weeks.
Jane said: "We started taking the girls after a family friend introduced us.
"The classes are great because it helps them to be confident in the water, which is great for our peace of mind, especially when we’re on holiday, and makes bathtimes much more fun because they can’t wait to get in the water and splash around.
"It’s also sociable for the babies and it gives the parents a chance to get together and socialise. I would definitely recommend it to other parents thinking of introducing their babies to the water."
Laura said: "The classes are great fun for the babies as well as being really important for their physical development and confidence.
"They help bring along their development because there’s lots of things babies can do in the pool that they can’t do on dry land; for example, they can move more in water.
"Also, research suggests that if you start children swimming young, they become much better co-ordinated from an early age.
"The babies who take part in the classes tend to become confident in the water very quickly. This is also great for the parents, who can be confident when they’re around water, especially around pools on holidays, that their child will be safe because they’ve been introduced to water from such a young age."
To join Swimbabes classes or to find out more, visit www.swimbabes.co.uk
