Swim Lessons: Preschool
Ages: 3.6 years - 5 years

The Preschool Program is for children ages 3 ½ to 5 years old. Each class is 30 minutes in duration. Children participate without a parent in the water. The student-teacher ratio is 5:1. Preschoolers are evaluated and placed in the appropriate level of the American Red Cross Preschool Aquatic Program which has three levels.

• Please try to arrive early to allow your child to use the restroom and to shower before lessons. Children may not enter the water prior to class. This policy keeps your child from becoming fatigued or chilled.
• During the preschool program, children are not allowed to wear goggles, unless permission is given by the instructor. This is for safety purposes.
• After class, your child may stay in the water (with your permission), provided that he/she is not wearing a floatation device and pool space is available.
• If your child passes level III, and is at least 5 years old, he/she may go into the youth program.

An important note for parents of first time enrollees:

Although the majority of preschoolers experience success in our program, some young children are not yet ready to participate in a swimming class on their own. They often express their fear and anxiety by crying and behaving in an uncooperative manner. If your child exhibits any of these signs during the first lesson, you have several options that you may consider. The Program Manager will discuss these options with you.

Bubbles are personal floatation devices that we utilize with preschoolers who are not yet water safe. They are used for both instructional and safety purposes. Our pool is 4 feet deep and most preschoolers cannot touch the bottom. The device has 1- 2 foam pieces strung on a belt. Bubbles help the child to stay afloat. The device is worn around the waist. This allows the child to learn proper arm movement and kicking. The device also allows the preschooler, when ready, to “level off” in the water.

The main key to leveling off (an important prelude to swimming) is putting the face in the water. As the student becomes more comfortable in doing this, the instructor will begin to cut down the number of bubbles that the student is wearing. How quickly your child progresses from 2, to 1, to 0 bubbles, depends on his/her comfort and skill levels. We have been using bubbles at our facility for many years and we have found them to be quite beneficial to the preschool learning experience.

NOTE: If your child is new to our program and does not require the use of a floatation device, please inform the Program Manager on the first day of class.