Which pools in Taipei are suitable (warm, clean, not too crowded) for babies (<1 year)? Anywhere that runs “parents and tot” swimming sessions, or “water babies” classes?
My kid’s all tricked out with trunks, body suit, and a neck float (not too sure if I like that), but has nowhere to go.
Thanks
Judy teaches a baby swim class in English or Chinese amourbabies.com.tw/babyaqua.html
My kids have swam in all of the local pools with no problems, the sports centers all have kiddie pools and in the morning they are usually deserted!
I’m on a sports center swimming pool research mission… so far Wanfang and Nankang swimming pools are winning for best kiddie pools/most family friendly. Hsin-Yi is the loser so far, Chungshan in the middle.
You can read about the pools we go to here:
http://kidzone-tw.blogspot.com/search/label/Swimming%20Pools%20Taipei
I can add that the Beitou sports centre’s kiddie pool is quite crap indeed!
I went their last week with my littlun and was extremely disappointed with their new centre’s level of cleanliness in the pool. The ceiling is rusting and flaking into the toddler pool for one.
The water in the adult pool is actually much warmer than the toddler pool which caused my kid to shiver constantly.
I took him into the larger pool in the end as it was comfortable. Comfortable to do nothing in, but too warm to swim for very long.
Its a shame really as all the other amenities are very nice and seem kept to a high standard.
They do offer swimming lessons in the pool. The lessons being conducted there at the time I visited were for children of around eight years old and were taking place in the deeper, adult pool but within a sectioned area with raised temporary steps on the floor to allow the kids to stand when they got to either end of the short lane.
sulavaca,
Next time you are in Taipei, you should try the Wan-Hua sports center’s pool. Their kiddie pool has very shallow to water 90cm deep, and it has two lanes on the side so kids can practice swimming without going into the “big pool”. We stayed in there for forty-five minutes and didn’t feel cold.
As an aside, Nankang sports center has swimming classes especially for autistic children. One is now running on Thursday afternoons. It looked like a fun class, chaotic and lots of smiles and laughter from the instructor and assisting adults. The kids were getting some good exercise, too. I guess you just ask at the front desk or poolside for more information.
Thanks for that asiababy. I will check those out next time I take him out swimming.
Not that I care a lot but at what age is it usually acceptable for a baby to go into a public pool in Taiwan? And what age is usually acceptable in the western world?
Mine LOVES his paddling pool and I was on the point of taking him to the pool, but now I’m afraid of that bloody enterovirus thing so I don’t know what to do.
Oh my goodness what a cutie!!!
Speaking for the UK end of the Western world, I can report that it’s quite normal to take tiny babies into toddler pools. Anything over about 2 months is quite common. They wear tiny swim nappies, which catch the poo no doubt but the pee must go straight through. :lick:
I try to avoid the baby pools where possible. 
My son’s pee tastes like nectar and is wonderful for the skin, too.
I love my children’s pee too. It just the stuff that comes out of other people’s kids I can’t abide.