Home Activities & Dry Land Practice

The Y is “America’s Swim Instructor” and the most accessible community resource to prevent drowning and encourage a lifelong enjoyment of swimming. Home activities help develop good form or build stamina in a particular skill. When the skill has been mastered on land or in a bathtub, it becomes easier to perform in the water.

Swim Lessons at the Y

Swim Lesson Levels

Not sure which swim lesson stage to choose? Click the link below!

Parent & Child A (Waterbaby)
6 months to 18 months 

Water Discovery and Exploration classes are for beginner parent/child participants (first-time participants) who are hesitant, fearful, or uncomfortable in and around the water or for any first-time participants. It introduces infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment. These classes help the participants learn to float with assistance, and focuses on exploring body position, blowing bubbles, and fundamental safety and aquatic skills.

Parent & Child B, Ages 1-3  

Water Acclimation for toddlers is for participants ages 1 – 3 years that are comfortable in the water. This class introduces basic self-rescue skills performed with assistance from parents and increases comfort with underwater exploration. This class is an introduction to the Preschool Stage 1 skills, with parents in the water, building comfort and helping make the transition to Preschool lessons.

Preschool Swim Lessons – 3 to 5 years

This is a child’s first experience in the pool without parental assistance. They are taught the basic skills that are the building blocks of swimming, pool safety, boating safety and the use of personal floating devices. Class participants are divided into skill levels. Class size is small so the instructor can provide children with individual attention. A minimum of 4 participants is needed for all group swim lessons.

Stage 1 – Water Acclimation

Water Acclimation is for preschool-aged beginners or for children that do not want to get face/head wet or maybe fearful. It increases comfort with underwater exploration and introduces basic self-rescue skills performed with assistance.

Stage 2 – Water Movement

Water Movement is for preschool-aged children comfortable submerging completely underwater, performing a front & back float with assistance, performing front & back glides with assistance and jumping in the pool from the pool deck with assistance. It encourages forward movement in the water and basic self-rescue skills performed independently.

Stage 3 – Water Stamina

Water Stamina is for preschool-aged children comfortable submerging completely underwater, performing front & back float 10 seconds, performing a front & back glide 5 feet and jumping in, floating on the back, swimming 5 feet and returning to the wall without assistance. It develops intermediate self-rescue skills performed at longer distances than in previous stages.

Youth Swim Lessons – 6-12 years

These lessons follow the National Y Youth Swim Lesson format: 5 levels of progressively challenging Y swim classes covering all the strokes and safety skills. Swim placement is required if you have not taken swim lessons in the last year. A minimum of 4 participants is needed for all group swim lessons.

Stage 1 – Water Acclimation

Water Acclimation is for school-aged children that are new to swim lessons and for those that may be hesitant/fearful in the water and for those who do not want to get their head/face wet. It increases comfort with underwater exploration and introduces basic self-rescue skills performed with assistance.

Stage 2 – Water Movement

Water Movement is for school-aged children comfortable submerging completely underwater, performing a front & back float with assistance, performing front & back glides with assistance and jumping in the pool from the pool deck with assistance. It encourages forward movement in the water and basic self-rescue skills performed independently.

Stage 3 – Water Stamina

Water Stamina is for school-aged children comfortable submerging completely underwater, performing a front & back float for 20 seconds, performing a front & back glide 10 feet and jumping in, floating on the back and swimming a distance of 5 yards (All unassisted). It develops intermediate self-rescue skills performed at longer distances than in previous stages.

Stage 4 – Stroke Introduction

Stroke Introduction is for school-aged children comfortable retrieving an underwater object from shallow water, swimming on front & back 15 yards, rolling over to rest, treading water for 1 minute and swimming a distance of 25 yards on front and back (all unassisted). It introduces basic stroke techniques in front crawl and back crawl and reinforces water safety through treading water and elementary backstroke.

Stage 5 – Stroke Development

Stroke Development is for school-aged children comfortable with swimming front crawl with rotary breathing for a distance of 15 yards, breaststroke kick for 15 yards, butterfly kick for 15 yards, elementary backstroke (resting stroke) for 15 yards, treading water for 1 minute and swimming continuously for 25 yards (all unassisted). It introduces breaststroke and butterfly and reinforces water safety through treading water and sidestroke.

Stage 6 – Stroke Mechanics

Stroke Mechanics is for school-aged children able to swim 25 yards of front crawl (with rotary breathing), breaststroke, butterfly, sidestroke and who can tread water for 2 minutes and swim at least 50 yards of any stroke continuously. It refines stroke technique on all major competitive strokes and encourages swimming as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Private Swim Lessons

Students work on basic swimming skills appropriate for their ability and in accordance with their individual goals. Water safety is stressed to all participants. Lessons are arranged to fit your schedule, pool availability, and instructor. Please note that we have a limited amount of instructors available so it may take time to get these lessons set up.

An Official USA Swimming Foundation Swim Lesson Provider!

www.usaswimmingfoundation.org