The Swim Basics program includes three stages for school-age kids: Stage 1 Water Acclimation, Stage 2 Water Movement and Stage 3 Water Stamina. The Swim Strokes program includes three stages for school-age kids: Stage 4 Stroke Introduction, Stage 5 Stroke Development and Stage 6 Stroke Mechanics.

Upcoming Session

The next session for classes and lessons begins the week of March 2—registration opens February 11 for members and February 17 for non-members.

Kids learn to swim, work to refine strokes and advance skills

  • Ages: Five through 12 years
  • Class length: 30 minutes
  • Parent participation: A parent must be in the pool area for all lessons involving children age six years and younger

Group lesson rates

You don't need to be a member of the Y to take swimming lessons, but members receive a discount on lessons. 

  • Members: $70 for seven-class session
  • Non-members: $140 for seven-class session

*Your child must be a Y member to receive the discounted rate

Find Classes and Register

Choosing a level

My child isn’t yet able to swim halfway across the Y pool (12.5 yards) on their front and back without a flotation device.

My child is able to swim halfway across the Y pool (12.5 yards) on their front and back without a flotation device.

Swim Basics

In this program, school-age kids learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skills—swim, float, swim and jump, push, turn, grab.

Kids develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water. This class is for kids who aren’t yet comfortable going underwater voluntarily.

In this class, your child will:

  • Bob to submerge in the water
  • Front and back glide to the wall for five feet with help
  • Front and back float for 10 seconds with help
  • Roll from back to front and front to back with help
  • Jump, push, turn, grab with help
  • Swim, float, swim 10 feet with help
  • Exit the water

Kids focus on body position and control, directional change, forward movement in the water and continue to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water. This class is for kids who aren’t yet able to do a front and back float on their own.

In this class, your child will:

  • Submerge to look at an object on the bottom of the pool
  • Front and back glide to the wall for 10 feet
  • Front and back float for 20 seconds
  • Roll from back to front and front to back
  • Jump, push, turn, grab
  • Swim, float, swim five yards
  • Tread water near the wall for 10 seconds
  • Exit the water

Kids learn how to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages. The class also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm/leg action. This class is for kids who aren’t yet able to swim 10-15 yards on their front and back.

In this class, your child will:

  • Retrieve an object in chest-deep water
  • Swim on their front and back for 15 yards
  • Roll from back to front and front to back
  • Jump, push, turn, grab 10 yards
  • Swim, float, swim 25 yards
  • Tread water for one minute
  • Exit the water

Swim Strokes

Having mastered the fundamentals, school-age kids learn additional water safety skills and build stroke technique.

Kids learn the front crawl, back crawl, breaststroke kick and butterfly kick. This class is for kids who aren’t yet able to swim 15 yards of front and back crawl.

In this class, your child will:

  • Swim the front crawl with rotary breathing for 15 yards
  • Breaststroke kick for 15 yards
  • Butterfly kick for 15 yards
  • Elementary backstroke for 15 yards
  • Dive from a sitting position
  • Tread water using a scissor and whip kick for one minute
  • Swim any combination of strokes for 25 yards

Kids work on stroke technique and learn the major competitive strokes. This class is for kids who aren’t yet able to swim the front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke across the pool.

In this class, your child will:

  • Swim the front crawl with bent-arm recovery for 25 yards
  • Breaststroke for 25 yards
  • Butterfly with simultaneous arm action and kick for 15 yards
  • Back crawl for 25 yards
  • Sidestroke for 25 yards
  • Dive from a kneeling position
  • Tread water using a scissor and whip kick for two minutes
  • Swim any combination of strokes for 50 yards

Kids refine stroke technique on the major competitive strokes, learn about competitive swimming and discover how to incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle. This class is for kids who aren’t yet able to swim the front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke across the pool and back.

In this class, your child will:

  • Swim the front crawl for 50 yards and do a flip turn
  • Breaststroke for 50 yards and do an open turn
  • Butterfly for 25 yards
  • Back crawl for 25 yards and do a flip turn
  • Sidestroke or elementary backstroke for 50 yards
  • Dive from a standing position
  • Tread water for one minute and retrieve an object from the bottom of the pool
  • Swim any combination of strokes for 150 yards

Upcoming Session

The next session for classes and lessons begins the week of March 2—registration opens February 11 for members and February 17 for non-members.