Learning to swim is a critical skill for all ages. Not only can it keep you safe when you are in and around water, it also allows you to enjoy so many fun activities! But many parents wonder, when should my child start swimming lessons?
The answer may surprise you.
When Should My Child Start Swimming Lessons?
It’s common sense that once kids are walking, it’s a good idea to start thinking about teaching them some swim skills. But, you can actually start lessons as early as 6 months old.
Start During Infancy
Foss Swim School in Fargo offers Backfloat Baby, which is a parent-child class for children ages 6 months to 3 years old (along with a caregiver). There are 4 different levels within the Backfloat Baby program, so you can continue to progress through the class as your child ages.
Bonus: the pool water is a warm 90 degrees!
Backfloat Baby focuses on getting even the littlest kids comfortable in water and builds safety skills they can use for years to come. Kids learn safe entry and exit into the water (you don’t just jump right into the pool!), and learn what to do when they fall into water.
Instructors use fun games and activities to teach these skills, and help kids experience what to do in these situations (even at a very young age).
Plus, swim lessons is such a fun parent-child activity for littles and their caregivers to do together!
Preschool Age
Once a child is 3 to 4 years old, it’s a great time to consider swim lessons without a parent present in the water. Kids in this age group can attend the Littles program at Foss Swim School, geared for ages 3-5 years old.
Kids tend to start showing fear of water around two-and-a-half to three years old, so this is a great age to start swimming lessons if you didn’t start in infancy. The Littles level focuses on getting kids comfortable in the water, continuing to work on water safety, and teaching kids what to do if they fall or jump into water.
It’s normal for kids this age to have some tears and fear of getting into the water. So, Foss instructors take each child at their own pace and comfort level. Plus, instructors know that you know your child best. You are welcome to take a break if you feel at any point that your child isn’t ready for lessons quite yet.
Age 5-10 Years Old
A common misconception is that once your child is into elementary school, they are too old for group swimming lessons. At Foss Swim School, each level is grouped by age. There are up to 6 sub-levels within each age group to accommodate the range of skills swimmers are working on.
The Middle level is for ages 5-7 years old, and the Big level is for ages 7-10 years old. Each child is taught within those levels based on their abilities. Skills can be as simple as learning to put their face in the water, up to learning a front crawl. Instructors look for specific milestones within each level to help move their children up in their swimming skills.
The best part, kids are placed with other swimmers their own age, regardless of their abilities! Each age group has up to 6 levels for kids to progress through as they master specific swim skills.
Free Preview Lesson
Want to learn more about Foss Swim School and determine where your child should be placed? Sign up for a free 30-minute preview lesson and get a tour of the facility in Fargo! Swimmers start at Level 1 (within their age group) to see where they best fit within the Foss program.
Session Dates
Foss Swim School splits up sessions based on Quarters:
- Winter Quarter (early January to mid-March; enrollment starts mid-November)
- Spring Quarter (mid-March to early June; enrollment starts early February)
- Summer Quarter (early June to late August; enrollment starts early May)
- Fall Quarter (early September to mid-December; enrollment starts late July)
Swimmers can join a class up until Progress Updates (which occur at about the mid-way point in each Quarter). Sessions can be done in weekly lessons throughout the whole quarter, or in “camp” style sessions for Littles and up (summer camps are 4 days/week for 2 weeks, school year camps are 2 days/week).
Enroll Today!
Summer is coming up so fast, so we suggest using winter and spring sessions to prepare for summer swimming fun! Why not get that peace of mind before those summer trips and water play?
Enroll Today: www.fossswimschool.com/swimming-lesson-locations/fargo-nd
Call: (701) 809-7946
