Our history
Puddle Ducks was founded in 2001 by Tracy Townend and Jo Stone. Tracy and Jo became friends at antenatal classes and this friendship developed as they encouraged their small babies to enjoy the water from a very young age. Inevitably, their enthusiasm spilled over into a business opportunity.
Tracy and Jo both trained with Birthlight, a charitable organisation focusing on an holistic approach to pregnancy, birth and babies. Puddle Ducks continues to bring the same ethos of bonding and confidence for parent and child to all their classes.
Over the last few years, Puddle Ducks has grown significantly and we are continuing to grow the business both locally and through Franchise Networking. Many of our team are parents who have taken their babies through the Puddle Ducks programme. We are all absolutely passionate about the positive benefits that early swimming can offer and especially the carefully structured, musical programme that Puddle Ducks has developed.
It is extremely important that every baby feels at ease in our lessons. All teachers develop a special relationship with their babies and get to know each of them personally. We take real pleasure in seeing them develop in the water.
The module structure has been developed extensively, through observation, research, consultation and training so that we are now extremely proud to be able to offer a programme that takes a baby from birth through to school age. The Swim Academy now takes school children in several locations too. The development of the programme is a result of a tremendous amount of effort and development by the extended Puddle Ducks team and is unique to Puddle Ducks.
We are now extremely pleased to be offering classes across the UK as our first franchisees launch their businesses.
If you are as passionate as we are about the development of babies, toddlers and preschool children in the water, and would like to join us as a teacher or franchisee, please do get in touch!
Why "Puddle Ducks"?
Jo first saw the name "Puddle Ducks" on a barge whilst on holiday and it seemed to encapsulate our approach: aquatic, friendly and fun. A little research into the habits of the puddle duck confirmed that the name was indeed appropriate.
Puddle ducks are our most familiar ducks - the typical waddling, quacking ducks. They can walk and run well on land. Puddle ducks prefer to feed on the surface or close to it; often they stretch their heads underwater, feeding upended with their tails in the air. They are good divers, but usually feed by dabbling or tipping rather than submerging. As a group, they are not accomplished divers, but adults dive occasionally and ducklings do so frequently.
Our Puddle Ducks are babies and toddlers - they are typical waddling, babbling tots. They prefer to swim on the surface or close to it; often dipping their heads underwater to blow bubbles or retrieve something, upending their bottoms in the air. They are good divers, but usually swim by paddling and bobbing rather than submerging. As a group they are not deep-sea divers, but adults dive occasionally and our little Puddle Ducks do so frequently.
Jo and Tracy
Our children are friends too!