Learn to swim at the Y
Everyone should know how to swim! YMCA swim lessons are designed to teach this lifelong skill to children and adults of all skill levels in a safe environment.
Develop confidence around water as you learn water safety skills and stroke technique, and discover the health benefits of swimming when integrated into your workout plan.
Our swim lessons are about more than just the techniques and skills. They are about nurturing swimming skills, developing self-esteem and creating positive experiences that will last a lifetime.
When it comes to swimming and water safety, no one is trusted more than the YMCA, America's Swim Instructor. In fact, group swim instruction was developed by the YMCA in 1906.
Sign up online today or stop by the membership desk at your nearest Y. Financial assistance is available.
Explore swim lesson stages for children ages 6 months-12 years below.
Parent/child classes are also available for children, ages 6 months to 3 years with a parent or guardian in the water.
Curriculum for Swim Lessons
The Y's curriculum for youth swim lessons allows for both standardization and flexibility. The swim lessons program now looks and sounds the same at every Y across the country, but the way students move through the stages can be adapted to meet the needs of all Ys in all communities.
There are three general categories of lessons for children ages 6 months-12 years:
Swim Starters
Accompanied by a parent, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water and develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences, while parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision.
Swim Basics
Students learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skills: Swim, float, swim - sequencing front glide, roll, back float, roll, front glide, and exit - jump, push, turn, grab.
Swim Strokes
Having mastered the fundamentals, students learn additional water safety skills and build stroke technique, developing skills that prevent chronic disease, increase social-emotional and cognitive well-being, and foster a lifetime of physical activity.
To discover which lesson is best for your child, to learn more about the new curriculum, or to sign up, choose one of these options:
Swim Lesson Selector Seleccionador De Clases
Program Cancellations/Credits/Refunds
The Y will offer full refunds for programs it cancels. Programs may be canceled if minimum enrollment is not met. Every effort is made to address the program status three business days before the start. Please check your email for updates.
If a participant is unable to complete a session due to medical reasons, the Y will issue a prorated refund if a doctor’s note is provided before the end of the session. Participants who withdraw at least 48 hours before the start of the program may receive a full credit to their Y account to be applied to future programs. Credit is valid for one calendar year.
A participant may withdraw from a program by midsession and receive a credit of 50% on their account to be applied to future programs. Credit is valid for one calendar year. No refunds or credits will be issued after the midway point of a program.
For one-day programs, withdrawal at least 48 hours before the start of the program will result in a system credit to be applied to future programs. Cancellation less than 48 hours before the program will not receive a credit.
Weather-related cancellations: For weather-related program closings, the YMCA will make every effort to make up lost time/missed classes. If the participant is unable to attend the make-up, no individual refunds will be offered. If a make-up is not offered, a prorated credit will be issued to the participant’s Y account and can be applied to future programs. Credit is valid for one calendar year.