The jonquils are blooming, we’ve sprung forward and it’s time to start thinking about sunshine and warmer weather. That means it’s also time to start thinking about pools and beaches and water safety for the summer months. Several options for local swim lessons are listed below. Please note that though they are listed here, Smyrna Parent cannot guarantee that there are spaces available.
Cobb County Aquatic Centers
Location: South Cobb, Central & Mountain View locations. West Cobb usually offers lessons too but is currently closed for renovations.
Lessons Available:
Parent / Tot: 6 months – 3 years. Introduces very young children to the water with their caregiver in the pool with them. Includes blowing bubbles, kicking and going under water.
Parent / Tot II: 18 months – 3 years. Introduces very young children to the water with their caregiver in the pool with them. Includes blowing bubbles, kicking and going under water.
Tadpole: 3-5 years old with no swim experience. This class will introduce children to the water as well as basic water skills such as; Blowing Bubbles, Kicking, Floating and Gliding.
Minnow: 3-5 years old with some swim experience. Will work on gliding, jumping into the water and swimming on front and back.
Seals: 3-5 year olds who can already swim. This class will work on alternating arm and leg action, rhythmic breathing and confidence in the water. This is the highest level preschool class and they will advance to Advanced Beginner when they turn 5.
Beginner: 5+ with no swim experience, including those afraid of the water. Will cover floating, blowing bubbles, kicking and going underwater.
Advanced Beginner: 6+ who are comfortable going underwater and can float without assistance. Will introduce front crawl, backstroke and deep water swimming.
Advance Swimmer: 6+ who can swim 25 yards unassisted on their front and 25 yards unassisted on their back. Will work on stroke technique and endurance for all 4 competitive strokes.
Pre Competitor: Must be able to swim 50 yards freestyle and 25 yards backstroke and breaststroke. Will focus on endurance, starts, turns, and overall efficiency and technique of all four competitive strokes.
Per the website, classes here fill up very quickly, so you’ll need to register well in advance.
Sarah’s School of Fish
(recently under new management with Swimmerman Swim School, so classes may be different from what you’re used to.)
Location: 1318 Concord Road, Smyrna
Lessons available:
Swimmer Babies: (0 – 36 months, parents join their children in the pool). Water safety geared to each developmental stage.
Leap Frogs: 1-3 (ages 3 – 5 years). Before teaching arm strokes and kicking, swimmers are taught to control their breathing, control their body position and just connect with the water.
SwimmerKids: 1-3 (ages 6 – 12 years). Same as above but for those starting later.
Goggle 1 & 2: Introduce the mechanics of arm strokes & kicking, freestyle & breaststroke, and teach kids to get themselves to safety.
Flipper 1 & 2: Introduce butterfly and backstroke as well as work below the water’s surface.
Cape: Explore diving, treading water, and preparing kids for the possibility of competitive swimming.
Swim Revolution
Location: 112 Rondak Cir, Smyrna
Lessons available:
Parent & Me: 6 – 28 months. Adult participation with the children. Introduces baby to water and teaches basic swim and safety skills.
Green Level 1 (Beginner): Little to no experience required. Will work on kicking, submersion, breath control, face in kicking and face in swim with breathing.
Blue Level 2 (Intermediate): Must have completed green level or be comfortable in the water, able to swim face in, and show breath control. Will work on unassisted face in kick, back float, front crawl, side breathing, basic backstroke.
Orange Level 3 (Advanced): Must have completed blue level or be able to do basic freestyle and basic backstroke. Teaches advanced freestyle, advanced backstroke, dolphin kick, frog kick, basic butterfly, basic breaststroke.
Private lessons also available.
Atlanta Swim Academy
Location: 732 Johnson Ferry Rd, Marietta
Lessons Available:
Shrimp: 6 months – 3 years. Parent involvement. Entering water safely, kicking and paddling, blowing bubbles, floating, safety roll, unassisted back float, jumping in.
Guppies: 2-3 years old. No parental involvement. Child must be able to stay in water without crying. Enter & exit safely, jumping into water, blowing bubbles, back float, opening eyes, safety roll, treading water.
Barnacles: 3-5 years old. No crying and full cooperation, blowing bubbles with mouth and nose, opening eyes, front and back float, using kickboard, combined arm and leg action, treading
Seahorses: 3-5 years old. Jump in water unassisted, open eyes in water, blow bubbles with mouth and nose, starfish, jellyfish, and tuck floats, combined arm and leg action, back float and recover, front and back glides, grab wall unassisted
Angelfish: 3-5 years old. Blow bubbles while swimming, front crawl with face in water, front glide, backstroke, finning on back, tread water, seated dives, safety roll short swim
Otters: 3-5 years old. Jump in unassisted, blow bubbles with mouth and nose, front crawl, introduce rotary breathing, backstroke arms and legs, open eyes underwater and retrieve objects, safety roll with 30 feet swim, kneeling dive.
Six additional classes for those 6-12 are also available, teaching swim strokes. Use this PDF to best determine your child’s skill level.
The YMCA at Buckhead
Location: 1160 Moores Mill Road, Atlanta
Lessons available:
Parent & Tot: 6 months – 36 months. Includes Beginner 1 & 2 classes. Teaches basic aquatic safety, water orientation and a positive aquatic experience using games and songs. Not intended to teach child to swim. The Beginner 2 class is for those toddlers who are ready to move more independently in the water.
Preschool Swim Lessons: 3 – 5 years. A variety of lessons include beginner, advanced beginner, intermediate, advanced intermediate and advanced.
Youth Swim Lessons: 6 – 12 years. A variety of lessons include beginner, advanced beginner, intermediate, advanced intermediate and advanced.
Atlanta Sacred Living
Location: Katy Jo comes to you! You just need to guarantee a minimum of 3 students and a pool.
This is an excellent option for those with children who are afraid or very hesitant to get into the water. Not only due to her teaching style (explained below) but because you can team up with other children your child is comfortable with and learn in a pool where they are comfortable. From Katy:
Like any skill – there are a multitude of ways to approach teaching swim. Atlanta Sacred Living has developed a unique way of teaching the art of swimming which incorporates the mind, body and spirit of a child. Understanding the basics of swimming and how to teach the skill in a step by step format is step one. The next step is understanding how children operate, think and relate. The third step is a comprehension of how fear affects our bodies. Combining all three components, tenured instructor Katy Jo, teaches the art of swimming to children by connecting with them as unique individuals, helping to bring their fears to the surface in a supportive and playful way and then using creative engagement in water activities to build their confidence without tears. Through this gentle, playful method, children as young as 2 ½ are able to swim short distances unassisted. This method works really well for children who have more fear than excitement of the water.
Katy Jo teaches one-on-one and semi-private lessons and is available in the Smyrna area two days a week (days depend on demand) and is able to meet swimmers at the pool of their choice. For any trip to a private pool there’s a minimum of one hour of lessons required. For individuals the cost for a ½ hour lesson is $35 and a full hour is $70. Half hour lessons are ideal for children 4. Group lessons are ideal for 6-18 month olds with a caretaker. They are $15 per pair with a minimum of 3 participants required per class.
Water Tots (ISR: Infant Swim Resource)
Location: Powder Springs south of Dallas Highway and Lost Mountain Road.
ISR teaches water safety and survival (versus the traditional swim lesson). These water safety classes can begin as early as 6 months (sitting unassisted). Children learn wearing clothes to mimic an emergency situation. Classes are offered mid-April thought end of June. Class frequency and structure is different from traditional lessons as well, so please read up on it here.
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