What is kidSwim's method of teaching?

This is the key to real learning — meeting each child where they are developmentally. Once they’ve gained confidence and acquired specific water skills, we can push them beyond their comfort zone.

Do you offer intensive classes?

An intensive program offered with a concept that after one week or ten days your child will be swimming and/or water safe goes against a developmental practice of learning and can actually be more detrimental than helpful. If a child is a true beginner or non-swimmer, they need time to explore their new environments, become familiar with routine and learn skills in a very specific order so that they can begin to put concepts together and become a more confident and effective swimmer – one that can truly be water safe through experience and knowledge. One or two weeks is simply not enough time for true learning and can give parents and children a sense of over-confidence that isn’t warranted, putting the child in a position that they may not be ready for and can ultimately create potential drowning situations.

What we do recommend is that if your child has been taking lessons for a month or more and is showing definite signs of being on the verge of a major swim breakthrough, adding extra days for a few weeks will in fact, help facilitate that transition faster. So it is fine to do 5 days in a row if your child is ready for that and enjoys swimming. If there is some resistance, then I recommend staggering the lessons with a day off in between for better results.

Where are kidSwim's pools located?

We have several locations in the Los Angeles area. Our pools are rented from private residences and the addresses to the pools are given upon enrollment. All of the pools are outdoors and heated. Please see our locations page to see where our pools are!

Can you hold my desired time slot?

Yes! If you purchase our Full Season Reservation (FSR) package, you are able to maintain the same day and time for the entire season. Signing up for this package means you give kidSwim permission to charge your credit card on file every 10 lessons per our package rates and the FSR agreement. Slots fill quickly and are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. For more details on this package, please contact the office.

If you do not purchase our FSR package, the MindBody system allows clients to purchase whatever time slots are available at their leisure if they have lessons available for use in their current package. We cannot reserve time slots for any clients without payment and it is suggested that if you have very specific day or time requirements, to purchase our FSR package and reserve your day/time as early as possible.

How are your Parent Child classes designed?

These classes give you the chance to start your baby’s socialization in the water, develop their motor skills, and start good safety habits. As parents, you will get the opportunity to learn how to best handle your baby in the water and how to further their progression. Most importantly, it will be a chance to create positive experiences that you and your baby will share in the water.

Our classes are small. No more than 6 participants (1 participant = 1 parent + 1 baby) in each class. These classes are broken up into age groups; 5-11 months, 12-18 months and 19-30 months.

We offer several six-week sessions between spring and fall at our pool locations. You must enroll in each session you wish to participate in. Contact the office for open enrollment dates for the location you would like to attend.

The 5-11 & 12-18 month Parent Child groups meet once a week for 30 minutes for six weeks. The 19-30 month group meets once a week for 40 minutes for six-weeks. Visit our services page for more details and how to enroll.

What's the difference between being able to swim and being "water safe?"

This is a difficult question to answer in a few sentences, but basically, water safety is a mindset, not a skill set. Water safety takes several years of experience and maturity to cultivate. In the meantime, keep your eyes on your child at all times around the water, thus ensuring their safety.

How long will it take my child to be able to swim independently?

We cannot offer the exact amount of lessons it will take because each child is different and learns at their own speed. It’s like learning to walk and talk or ride a bike; they do it when they’re ready. That being said, in order to move the progression forward, we recommend that you plan on having consistent lessons and suggest a schedule of 2-3 days per week. Even if you are only able to do 1 day per week, that’s still better than none! Our instructors will provide your child with the proper tools in order to move forward and they will make suggestions about what your child can work on in between lessons and in the off-season.

Can an instructor come to my pool?

Yes! Depending on the location of your pool, we can have an instructor come to you. Visit our location page to view our service areas.

What you can expect first depends on where your child starts: are they comfortable in the water; have there been previous positive or negative swim lesson experiences; what is your child’s age and maturity level? Those are just some of the factors that affect the end result.

We focus, in the beginning, on gaining the child’s trust, allowing them to feel relaxed and comfortable, seeing what their type of character is in new situations and how eager they are to try new things. Based on their initial comfort level, skill development may progress quickly. However, if they are tentative in general with new experiences or people they don’t know, we tend to give them time to adjust before pushing them outside their comfort zone. We see this as a long-term relationship and process which is proven to be the best way for a child to truly learn a new set of skills.

Secondly, what you can expect depends on the number of lessons you’ve committed to, and how regularly and consistently your child has been able to attend those lessons. Children who take on average 2-3 lessons a week, do tend to progress faster than children who only take one lesson a week. However, we’d rather see your child once a week than not at all! They still get so much out of the lessons, it just takes longer to make significant advancements.

Who are the kidSwim instructors?

Our instructors are lifelong swimmers, both recreationally and competitively. Many have pursued early childhood education degrees or theater arts degrees and have worked extensively with children of all ages. All are certified in CPR and are trained in the kidSwim developmental method. Visit our About page to meet them.

Who founded kidSwim?

kidSwim was founded in 2001 by Lisa Cook, a lifelong swimmer, and instructor since her teens and mom of two children. Read her Founder’s Letter to learn more.

What can I do about my child being terrified of the water?

Bring them to kidSwim! The terrified child is one of our specialties. We know how to introduce (or reintroduce) your child in a safe, secure and fun way to the water, bringing them to a place where they can enjoy the fun and beauty of swimming. We do not encourage dunking or intensive schedules. We feel this can lead to a stressful environment and may cause the child to become fearful and overwhelmed. We also incorporate games into the lessons that will promote swim skills and safety.

Do you work with adults?

Yes we do. In fact, we work with many parents who have nannies or caregivers who do not know how to swim. We are happy to teach any adult at any level. The pricing is the same.

Do you offer lifeguarding services?

Unfortunately, we do not at this time.

What is your cancellation policy?

To view all of our policies (including cancellations), visit our Policies page.

How do I cancel my lesson?

To cancel a lesson, simply log into your MindBody account and click the “My Schedule” tab. From there, you can view your schedule and cancel any lessons. You can also contact the office to cancel.

I don't remember my login or password / I'm locked out of my account. What should I do?

Contact the office and give us your name. We’ll reset your password for you. If you don’t have a MindBody account, you need to create one.

Where do I see the instructor's schedules / what lessons are available?

All scheduling is done through the office. To inquire about location and availability, please contact our office at 888-579-7946 OR kidswimoffice@gmail.com.

Where can I see my schedule?

Once you log into your MindBody account, click the “My Schedule” tab at the top. This is where you can view your schedule and also cancel any lessons.

Do you offer any promotions?

Yes we do! Make sure you check the box that opts you in to receive promotional emails and our monthly newsletter. The newsletter will provide you with swimming tips, enrollment dates and promotions. We won’t clutter your inbox, we promise 🙂

What do I do when my child outgrows your program?

After several years of lessons, your child will be proficient in at least 3 out of the 4 racing strokes, will be able to dive, do a flip turn and tread water for at least one minute. (This is really addressing children ages 6 and up.) If your child loves to swim and continues to show enthusiasm for it, you have some new options to consider: swim team, group lessons that are structured as swim workouts, or continuing privates but with a more ‘coaching style’ experience where the coach is primarily on the deck watching from above. If you think your child might be ready to move on and your instructor thinks so too, reach out to our office as they can direct you towards a possible swim team that best suits your child’s needs. We do, however, recommend that you don’t continue with the same instructor and routine at that point as your child will most likely become bored.