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Are you looking for an exciting learning experience for your toddler? Consider putting your child in swim lessons! We placed both our 2.5 year old & 18 month old at the time in group swim classes with Blue Swim School located in Orem, Utah. Keep reading to hear more about our experience.
Our two kids have a ton of energy and, like most parents, we were searching for ways to help them burn some of that. We immediately thought of sports, but the problem we ran into was that most organized activities weren’t catered toward children under at least 3 years old. Desperate to find a way to socialize them more frequently with peers in a structured environment, we decided on group swim classes.
Swim lessons are a great option for a number of reasons, including that they are offered to young children, even as young as infants. We also loved the idea of them receiving formal swim lessons from an early age since per the CDC, fatal drowning is the leading cause of death for children ages 1 through 4. Our kids already loved being in the water, so they were already excited to participate.
We searched for swim schools near us and found Big Blue Swim School, which offers a variety of programs and classes based on skill-level. This means that children aren’t divided into classes based on age, but rather by their swimming capabilities (at the discretion of the parent/guardian). Since our children are young and haven’t had any formal training, we placed them in the “Baby Blue Swim Classes” (recommended for ages 3 months – 3 years old). These classes require a parent or caregiver to accompany the child in the pool and are led by an instructor, teaching various techniques such as floating on their back, breath control, and crawling out of the pool with the ultimate goal of gaining more independence in the water. The maximum capacity for each of these classes is 6 children per group. Reassured by the incredible reviews we read online, we enrolled our daughter in Sunday morning classes which last 30 minutes long.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by the manager at the Orem location, Conner, who was incredibly kind and helpful in assisting us with our daughter’s first visit. He gave us a tour of the facility which is large, clean, and inviting for not only those swimming, but family members who may want to come along to watch. The pool is separated by a large viewing glass where on the other side are several seats and even a small padded play area for your other children who may not be participating.
My daughter and I got changed into our swimsuits and headed out to the pool where you are allowed into the swimming area 5 minutes prior to your class’s start time. The pool is divided into 14 different lanes, occupied by different group classes. We headed to the end of the pool where the baby swim classes are held to meet her instructor. I, unfortunately, do not recall her name, but she was incredibly helpful and knowledgable, and my daughter warmed up to her quickly. Three other children along with their parents joined us for our group class and we began by singing songs together as a group to introduce everyone before separating to various stations to practice different techniques individually.
The following week we took my son in place of my daughter and he seemed to really thrive in the class. He’s a year younger than his sister and had an easier time acclamating. There was definitely an adjustment period since both my children were unused to group activities with strangers, but all in all, it was a great experience. I appreciated that I was able to expose them to a new structured activity all the while being there alongside them for support. So if you haven’t gotten the chance yet, or are on the fence about swim lessons, I say give it a try at a Big Blue Swim School near you.
https://bigblueswimschool.com/referrals/302421
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