Parent and tot swimming lessons
Parent and tot swimming lessons
Swimming lessons for young children and their parents or guardians, focusing on structured in-water interactions, the importance of play and helping to develop water-positive attitudes and comfortability.
Benefits of parent and tot lessons
- Parents and guardians learn how to keep their child safe in aquatic settings.
- Children develop water-positive attitudes and become comfortable in water environments.
- Reduce fear of water.
- Increase motor skills.
- Heart and lung development.
- Gain some independence with parental supervision.
2024 spring & summer registration dates
Registration for spring & summer swimming lessons, lifesaving and first-aid certification courses:
- March 14 - Swimming lesson schedule preview
- Certification registration is open
- Swimming lesson registration dates by facility:
- April 2 - Shouldice and Thornhill Aquatic Centres
- April 3 - Village Square Leisure Centre
- April 4 - Renfrew and Inglewood Aquatic Centres
- April 9 - Killarney and Glenmore Aquatic Centres
- April 10 - Southland Leisure Centre and Canyon Meadows and Acadia Aquatic Centres
- April 11 - Churchill and Foothills Aquatic Centres
Ensure your Live and Play account is ready on registration day by logging in and verifying your information is up to date. Get ready to register.
Registration will open:
- 6 a.m. — Online (virtual waiting room opens at 5:30 a.m.).
- 8:30 a.m. — By calling the Customer Service Centre at 403-268-3800 (option 1).
- During business hours — At any City-operated Aquatic & Recreation or Arts facility.
Upcoming facility closures
Programs, classes and swimming lessons will not be offered at the following facilities while they undergo repairs:
- Bob Bahan Aquatic & Fitness Centre: closed this spring and summer.
- Canyon Meadows Aquatic & Fitness Centre: closed this summer.
- Sir Winston Churchill Aquatic & Recreation Centre: closed this summer.
Types of parent and tot lessons
You can register online, in person at our Recreation facilities, or by calling 403-268-3800 (option 1).
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An opportunity for parents and children to enjoy in-water interaction in a fun and social setting, focusing on the importance of play and developing water positive attitudes
Age: 6 - 24 months + Adult
Prerequisite: None
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Parents help toddlers learn basic water safety, including assisted entries and exits. Children learn how to get their face wet, blow bubbles, float and kick.
Ages: 6 months - 3 years + Adult
Prerequisite: None
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Under the watchful eye of a parent and instructor, your child explores safely getting in and out of the water, as well as going under and floating.
Age: 12 months - 3 years
Prerequisite: Swim for Life® - Parent & Tot 1
About our swim instructors
Our instructors have Bronze Cross or higher certification. They are qualified to teach and evaluate Swim for Life® programs, Canadian Swim Patrol, Bronze Star, Bronze Medallion and Bronze Cross.
What are lessons like?
Parents and tots can expect to play in the water and learn to enter and exit safely. Play is important for developing postive views of aquatic settings.
Parent & Tot lessons have up to 10 swimmers per class. Our swimming lessons typically contain five to eight classes, depending on scheduling. The length of each class varies depending on scheduling requirements and the typical age of the swimmers participating in each lesson level.
Come prepared
All participants must wear swim wear and bring a towel. Swim goggles are optional.
All children 35 months and under must wear plastic pants over their swim diapers. If you don’t have plastic pants, they can be purchased at the pool.
All other required equipment and lifejackets are provided. Lifeguard on duty on pool deck.
Non-Traditional Bathing Wear Policy
The City of Calgary Recreation is committed to providing an aquatic environment where individuals from all ethnic and religious backgrounds are comfortable participating in activities in and around the water. We want all customers to feel safe and welcome at our facilities, and have therefore adopted a non-traditional bathing wear policy as outlined below.
In addition to conventional swim wear, participants may wear:
- Long-sleeved pants and shirts, tee-shirts and shorts with undergarments or a swim suit worn underneath.
- Traditional ethnic clothing (e.g. saris and hijabs) with a swim suit or undergarments worn underneath. For safety reasons, patrons wearing traditional garments such as saris are asked to remain in the shallow end of the pool and to refrain from using the dive tank.
In order to ensure that our aquatic environments are safe and free from any external contaminants, all participants are required to:
- Wear clothing that is different from the clothing worn to the facility
- Take a complete and cleansing shower (while clothed in the swim attire that will be worn in the water) before entering the pool
Through this policy, Recreation affirms its commitment to recognizing and valuing the diversity of our customers.
More swimming lessons
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Preschoolers learn to enter and exit shallow water safely and gain comfort with floats and back glides while wearing lifejackets.
Ages: 3 - 5 years
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Swim programs designed to challenge endurance and help develop swimming strokes and skills for those that can already swim independently.
Ages: 6 - 17 years
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Swim programs for beginners who want to gain confidence in the water or improve their technique and endurance while learning to swim.
Ages: 13 + years
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A customized, one-on-one swim program designed to focus on specific goals and for individuals who require additional support.
Ages: 3+ years.
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Become a lifeguard or swim instructor by taking Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross, National Lifeguard, Lifesaving/Swim for Life® Instructor and Standard First Aid courses.
Ages: 8+ years