Overview:

We teach children of all ages and abilities. When a child should begin lessons is determined by two things: their physical development and their risk level (essentially, how frequently they are exposed to deep water). If your child has special needs or a physical disability, please let us know in advance. Our talented coaches will be able to create a lesson plan that works for each child.

Our pricing structure looks different from other swim schools. SwimGuru’s program is most successful with 6-8 hours of instruction and require students to purchase the first six hours in bulk to ensure a time commitment. Continuing lesson packages are available for those who need additional time to become independent and for students who want to continue learning new skills in the water.

The cadence and length of lessons is determined by the student’s age, physical ability, and current skill level. Below we describe the suggested lesson program based on age or development.

Skills we teach:

Infants:

  • Brief face-down swimming

  • Independent on-the-back floating

Walking to 3 years:

  • Independent face-down swimming

  • Roll to floating on the back

  • Return to face-down swimming in any water depth

  • Safe exits at walls, ladders, and slopes

3+ years:

  • Independent face-down swimming

  • Roll to floating on the back

  • Return to face-down swimming in any water depth

  • Safe exits at walls, ladders, and slopes

  • Snorkeling basics

  • Treading water

  • Basic swim strokes

  • Competitive strokes

  • Games

  • Water safety activities

  • Drills

  • Free diving

Ages 6 months to walking:

We recommend students this young only enroll in private lessons if they are “high risk” – meaning they are frequently in areas where they have the opportunity to fall into water. For example, they live in a home with a backyard pool, grandparents live on the water, or older siblings are avid swimmers and they are often around pools. In infant lessons, we focus on teaching the baby to orient themselves in the water and float face-up until help can come.

They should attend lessons two or more times a week and lessons should be no longer than 15 minutes. Infants have not developed their temperature regulation systems yet and are particularly susceptible to cold. Our coaches pay close attention to the signs that an infant is getting too cold and may end their lesson early for their safety.

If they are not high risk, we welcome them into our SwimTots program where they can begin adjusting to the water with the added comfort of a familiar adult.

Walking to 4 years old:

Students in this age group should enroll in private lessons with a New Child Starter Package. This includes 6 hours of instruction, broken up into 24 fifteen-minute lessons. We recommend the student attends at least two lessons a week, making this a 12-week program. Some students may need additional lessons beyond the Starter package.

5 years old and up:

Students in this age group start in private lessons with a New Child Starter Package. This includes 6 hours of instruction, broken up into 24 fifteen-minute lessons. If the child has the stamina, skill, and interest, they may be eligible for 30-minute lessons. We recommend beginning with 15-minute lessons. The 1:1 model with a coach allows for the child to learn quite a lot and exert a good amount of energy in 15 minutes. We have found that attention and energy both start to taper off after 15 minutes and longer lessons are less effective for younger students who are just starting to learn.

Clothing Experience:

Towards the end of our introductory program, we encourage all students to participate in a Clothing Experience. Click here to learn more!