Babies up to 18 monthsHold your baby while he ‘swims’ in the bath, and let water trickle over his body so he can discover how it feels. Teach him to make a splash by patting your hands on the surface of the water in the bath, or in a washing-up bowl

Water, water everywhere and not a drop is drunk – in many families anyway. They’ll swim in it, wash with it, squirt it at each other, but when it comes to quenching their thirst, a measly 19 per cent of 
children will choose it. And this rejection

1 Use props Tempt your baby with a new bath toy – it is a great way to entice her into the water.2 Share a bathAsk your partner to hold her while you play in the bath with her toys. She will forget her fears and want to join you. 3 Hold off

“I was always a water baby,” says Rebecca. “Every family holiday there would be a big group of us, with the children spending practically every waking moment in the pool. I loved being in the water and was always pleading with my mum, ‘Please can we

Keeping your child hydrated is easy with these adorable Swiss-designed water bottles that have the extra bonus of being lightweight, break-proof and leak-proof. Starting with a handy 0.3-litre size, their green credentials are also second to none

The Sneaking CircleAges five and upGroup size: More than five, less than 30 for most funTime: at least 20 minutesReady This game involves people sneaking into a circle to collect a treasure guarded by a blindfolded person armed with a water pistol

Set in the azure waters of the Caribbean, Aruba is the classic tropical island paradise. Walk along white sandy beaches, take a ride on a catamaran or be pampered in one of the island’s many spas. Children will love Aruba’s newest and wettest

SailingWhere? Club Vounaki, Ionian SeaWhy? You’re never too young to splash around in water and Sunsail’s children’s clubs in Greece introduce children as young as three to swimming and gentle canoeing. Between five and 17 years old, they can try

BabiesWhile not really swimming using the proper technical strokes that we develop as adults (children don’t have the strength and coordination until at least age four), a baby benefits a great deal from an early introduction to water, not least

holiday? Was it (a) a visit to the Roman amphitheatre in Verona; (b) a day spent at a water theme park; (c) a ride on a gondola in Venice; (d) a ferry trip on Lake Garda? The overwhelming winner was – to my surprise – the gondola ride. Even five