Child and youth swimming lessons
Child & youth swimming lessons
Swimming lessons designed for a wide range of abilities and experience. Both for individuals who are new to swimming and for those who want to develop their skills, endurance and strokes.
Benefits of child & youth lessons
- Learn water safety.
- Reduce the risk of drowning.
- Low-impact strength and fitness.
- Improves strength and coordination.
- Build confidence.
- Make new friends.
2024 spring & summer registration dates
Registration for spring & summer swimming lessons, lifesaving and first-aid certification courses is open.
We are adding more swimming lesson times and dates at Southland Leisure Centre, Village Leisure Centre and Glenmore Aquatic Centre.
- Today - Schedules can be previewed online
- June 6 - Registration begins
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 child & youth lessons
You can register online, in person at our Recreation facilities, or by calling 403-268-3800 (option 1).
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This is the foundation for swimming skill development. Swimmers learn safe entries into various depths of water, treading water, breath control, opening eyes under the water, front and back floats, lateral rollovers, front, back and side glides, flutter kick on front and back, and front crawl.
Age: 6 - 17 years
Prerequisite: None
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Have fun with sideways entry into deep water wearing a lifejacket! Enjoy the challenge of interval training introduced at this level. Other swimming skills include flutter kick; back and side, whip kick in a vertical position and distance swims, front and back crawl.
Ages: 6 - 17 years
Prerequisite: Swim for Life® - Swimmer 1
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Swimmers will practice kneeling dives, forward rolls into deep water, handstands and front somersaults in water. They'll also work on front crawl, back crawl, whip kick on their back, and interval training.
Age: 6 - 17 years
Prerequisite: Swim for Life® - Swimmer 2
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New skills include standing dives into deep water, underwater swims of 5m include, whip kicks on front and breaststroke arm drills. Swim to Survive standards include: roll entry into deep water, treading water for one minute, swimming 50m - skills to survive a fall into deep water.
Ages: 6 - 17 years
Prerequisite: Swim for Life® - Swimmer 3
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Shallow dives and tuck jumps (cannonball) are the new entries introduced at this level. Swimmers will master back somersaults in the water, stationary eggbeater kick, head up front crawl and breaststroke. Interval training and sprints for front and back crawl are the fitness components.
Ages: 6 - 17 years
Prerequisite: Swim for Life® - Swimmer 4
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In this combined program, swimmers will work through progressions for entries and exits they've learned so far. They will continue to practice surface support, underwater skills, the Swim to Survive standard skills, movement/swimming skills and fitness. Each participant has the opportunity to focus on skills built for their swim level.
Ages: 6 - 17 years
Prerequisite: Swim for Life® - Swimmer 4
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Swimmers learn deep water stride entry and compact jumps. They'll tread water with legs only, use lifesaving eggbeater and scissor kicks, accomplish a 300m workout with front crawl, back crawl and/or breaststroke. Graduates are prepared for the Canadian Swim Patrol awards.
Ages: 6 - 17 years
Prerequisite: Swim for Life® - Swimmer 5
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This flexible class is designed for youth 12 to 17 years of age. The instructor focusses on meeting individual needs and interests, whether you're just learning or are looking for stroke refinement. Water Safety can be integrated into any of the levels dependent on your interest.
Ages: 12 - 17 years
Prerequisite: None
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?
Early child/youth classes focus on foundational skills like breath control and a variety of swim strokes. As levels progress the focus shifts to strength for distance swimming, rolls and dives, underwater skills and survival techniques. Classes involve group exercises as well as one-on-one teaching where needed.
Swimmer 1 and 2 have up to eight swimmers per class. Swimmer 3, 4, 5 or 6 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
Child/youth must wear swim wear and bring a towel. Swim goggles are optional. All other required equipment and lifejackets are provided. Lifeguard on duty on pool deck.
Note: If a child/youth requires a support staff/aide, they will also require this support in the water.
More swimming lessons
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Parent & Tot programs that focus on structured in-water interactions stressing the importance of play in developing water-positive attitudes and skills.
Ages: over 6 months + adult
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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 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