Water fun for children: Mobile swimming pool opens in Asperg!

Water fun for children: Mobile swimming pool opens in Asperg!

The mobile swimming pool “Wundine on Wheels” has opened its doors in Asperg and will be on Lurer Platz until August 22, 2025. At a time when swimming skills are becoming increasingly important, Mayor Christian Eiberger and Heinke-Gesa Schlien, the deputy principal of the Friedrich Hölderlin School, are setting an example. Their goal is to teach children who have never been in water how to use this element safely. The project is supported by the Joseph Wund Foundation, which has already launched similar initiatives in Baden-Württemberg. [Stuttgarter Nachrichten](https://www.stuttgarter-nachrichten.de/content.asperg-lurer-platz-schwimm Becken-auf-raedern-kinder-gewoehnen-sich-in-wundine-ans-wasser.662ccb2d-96be-4896-ad3a-e2fd120a2ad6.html) reports that the pool is aimed at first and second graders as well as children daycare centers and kindergartens.

The “Wundine on Wheels” is a 6 meter long truck trailer that is equipped with changing rooms, showers and toilets. The depth of the pool is 1.10 meters, with various elevations in the water. Here the children should above all learn safety - swimming comes later. The city of Asperg has taken over the closing and opening service and ensures that everything runs smoothly. The water quality is also checked regularly.

A proven concept

The “Wundine on Wheels” initiative is not an isolated case. According to the Joseph Wund Foundation, the first mobile teaching swimming pool has been very popular since September 2022 - around 1,000 children have already been able to enjoy swimming lessons on their own doorstep. At the end of 2024, three more mobile swimming pools are scheduled to go into operation. Due to high demand, work is currently underway on a second swimming vehicle, which is scheduled to begin operation in mid-May 2024, initially in Ötigheim, followed by the municipality of Hellenthal in North Rhine-Westphalia, which has been severely affected by flooding. jw-stiftung.de reports on the technical innovations that the second mobile will offer, such as automated monitoring of technical data and a modern ventilation system.

The foundation's aim is to promote the swimming skills of children in Baden-Württemberg and beyond. Learning to swim is not only an important part of education, but also protection against drowning accidents, as the DLRG emphasizes. The initiative therefore has not only local but also social significance. DLRG emphasizes how important it is that children have real water experiences and find fear-free access to water.

Progress for the future

This mobile swimming initiative is extremely important, especially in a year in which the Asperger Bädle was closed and will soon be demolished. Given the city's tense financial situation, renovation or new construction is currently not possible for those responsible. This makes it all the more important that projects like “Wundine on Wheels” create solutions that help children learn how to use water.

The courses cost 122.50 euros for parents and registration takes place via the German Children's Sports Academy. Those responsible are confident that many families will use this unique opportunity to introduce their children to the element of water and accompany them on their way to becoming safe swimmers.