Our instructors make learning to swim FUN!!
Pop-up Private Swimming Lessons | Ages 3 through adult.
- An à la carte experience
- No session dates to worry about (great if you travel a lot)
- One, 30-minute swim lesson with private one-on-one attention
- Hand select your swim instructors to match their teaching strengths with your goals. Perfect for: a preschooler who might prefer either a boy or girl teacher, supplement to swim team, or the beginner adult.
- Sign up for one - or sign up for 10!
- Tell your instructor what you want to work on and we'll make it happen
- Keep checking back if you don't find a time that works for you. We load more classes each week as we review our instructors' personal availability.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OPTIONS AND SIGN UP
What should I sign up for?
Teen/Adult Group Lessons – Advanced. 13 yrs and up. 6:1 ratio. 30 min. This class is for the teen or adult swimmer who can swim at least one length of a 25-yard pool. You’re signing up for this class because you want work on: being more efficient with breathing, endurance tips, learn a new stroke, or maybe you want to compete in a Triathlon but you're not confident with the swimming leg of the race. This is a group class and we will utilize the diving well and lap pool. This class is taught by Margaret, who won her age group of the 2022 Chicago Triathlon.
Teen/Adult Group Lessons – Beginner. 13 yrs and up. 6:1 ratio. 30 min. It’s never too late to learn basic water safety and survival skills. Swimming is a life skill. This class is for the teen or adult who is not comfortable in water. Flotation belts can be used to relax your muscles if you tense up in water. We will work on floating, breathing, kicking with a kickboard, elementary backstroke, and treading water (a basic survival skill). We will utilize a combination of our warm water pool, lap pool, and diving well. This is a group. There will be a total of 6 people.
Water Babies + Water Toddlers
6mo-3yrs.
30 min.
Parent(s) in water with child.
New this Spring and Summer!! We will integrate our Water Babies and Water Toddlers classes into one class to accommodate 6 months to 3 years. All classes will have the title Water Babies. This will allow you to pick from a wider selection of times. And also allow families with two children at different ages in this age range to participate at the same time as a family with both parents or caregivers in water.
Class flow:
- Everyone begins class together with an opening song.
- Instructor will divide class in half based on age and size of baby/child.
- Instructor introduces/demos a skill for each group.
- Parents work on skills and instructor will move about class and offer tips/corrections to parents.
- We will come together as one group for songs several times in class.
Water Babies - Start exposing your baby to a body of water bigger than the kitchen sink now! This will help them better adjust to swimming lessons in a few years. We use songs and games to relax your baby and hopefully squeeze out a smile. We introduce holding positions so you are comfortable holding your baby in water.
Water Toddlers. We add on to our Water Babies class format by introducing skills that will take place in our Junior Swim School classes. If your 2-1/2 to 3-year-old is comfortable/happy in a pool, consider signing them up for Junior Swim School which is with no parent in water to give them that extra push of independence in water.
These classes are very popular and always a great way to meet new pool buddies in your neighborhood.
Junior Swim School (JSS). 3-6 yrs. 3:1 ratio. No parent in water. 30 min. For most – it’s the first time a child enters a pool without a parent so we begin by making your child feel comfortable. This may look like simply focusing on getting the face and hair wet at first, which can be scary for some. Then progressing through supported floats, bobs, kick board use, and eventually swimming 3 yards with no assistance under water. No goggles. See below why we recommend no goggles at this level. There are three levels in JSS – Snails, Turtles, Jellyfish. If your child completes all Jellyfish skills, we can move them to our Swim School Program if that works for your schedule. Our instructors DO play games to relax your child and hopefully squeeze out a smile. This class is in our Family Activity Pool (the pool with the yellow slide).
Swim School. 5-12 yrs. 6:1 ratio. 30 min. A group environment to motivate your child. Children are evaluated on the first day and grouped with kids of a similar skill set. Our first level begins with correct face and body position, floats, and opening eyes underwater without goggles. Your child will then progress through levels where all the swim strokes are introduced and eventually working towards treading in deep water, dives, and flip turns. The instructor typically plays a game using swim school skills for the last 4 minutes. This class is in our lap pool. Diving well is used to complete some skills in our higher levels.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS.
Q
My child would like specifically either a boy or girl instructor.
A
We recommend considering “Pop-up” Private Swim Lessons which give you the option to hand select your child’s teacher. It is not possible to select a specific instructor for group lessons.
Q
Why doesn’t my child have the same teacher each week?
A
Our goal is to pair your child with the same teacher for the entire session.
Your child may have a different teacher for one of two reasons: an instructor calls in sick and there’s a substitute or an instructor has put in a day off request. Instructors are usually putting in a day off request for studying or because they have a game or meet for their high-school sport or club.
Click here to register for Swim School + Sport Camp on Tuesday April 4 at 10am.
We want your child to associate learning to swim with having fun - to eliminate any fears associated with water. At the end of every Junior Swim School lesson our instructors have some fun playing with their kids.
LEVELS
Snails – Junior Swim School
-enter the pool.
-be comfortable when someone splashes their face.
-want to put their face in the water on their own.
-blow bubbles.
-float with assistance.
-stay in water for entire class time.
-pool safety rules.
-kick with kickboard 5yrds w/ assistance
-practice holding breath
-bob up and down
Turtles – Junior Swim School
-push off wall with assistance.
-kick with kickboard.
-float – 10 seconds wo assistance
-swim under water 3yrds.
-jump into water w/ assistance.
-open eyes under water.
-touch bottom of pool 3’ deep.
Jellyfish – Junior Swim School
-hold breath 10 seconds
-jump in water and swim back to wall with no assistance
-willingly go under water and retrieve objects from bottom
-start using arms
Dunkers – Swim School
-Sometimes children begin swimming lessons for the first time at age 6. We keep them in Swim School because of their maturity level, size, and age; however, we may be working on the same skills as Junior Swim School above.
Underwater Explorers
-kick with kickboard for 10yrds.
-front crawl arms
-back stroke arms
Floaters
- two backstroke switches wo assistance.
-two front switches in one breath with form.
-elementary backstroke arms with flutter kick
Guppies
-elementary backstroke kick w/ kickboard.
-3 backstroke switches.
-3 front switches in one breath
-elementary backstroke arms w/ flutter kick 10yrds
High Seas
-coordinated elementary backstroke.
-proper front crawl w/ side breathing.
-straight-arm backstroke
Inquisitors
-breaststroke arms w/ flutter kick
-breaststroke kick w/ kickboard
Deep Sea Journeyers
-coordinated breaststroke 1 pool length
-backstroke, front crawl, elementary back stroke 3 pool lengths
-scissor kick w/ kickboard.
-surface dives
-tread water 4 min.
-open turn
-survival float 4 min
Kings of the Ocean
-backstroke and front crawl 4 pool lengths.
-dolphin kick
-dive
-flip turn
Lifesaving Leaders
-all strokes except butterfly 100 yards
-butterfly 15 yards
-tread water 5 min
-throwing assist
Who is teaching my child? Almost all of our instructors are currently high school or college students. Their energy is through the roof and they love their jobs and working with kids. Many are high school and college swimmers and quite a few are interested in a career specializing in early childhood and/or teaching. We aim for our swimming lesson program to be a highlight of your child’s school year. And that is only possible because of our young staff. For many, this is their first job and they are eager to succeed.
To goggle or not? We recommend NO GOGGLES in our Junior Swim School program. Why?
- Becoming dependent on goggles will not help your child adapt and feel comfortable in water as they grow older.
- Opening eyes underwater is a skill in Junior Swim School.
- Goggles are also not allowed on our diving boards or slides. We want your child's first experience going off the diving board to be positive and feel familiar underwater. Often times the child who panics after going of the diving board for the first time has never felt the sensation of being underwater with no goggles.
Cold weather and rain:
Yes - we do run our swim lesson program at our outdoor locations in cool temps and rain. There is no minimum temperature.
Swim caps. We know, we know... swim caps are not pretty. But we're not here to put on a fashion show, we're here to learn proper swim strokes. If your child has long hair please have them wear a swim cap. Even if your child has short hair a swim cap can be very beneficial. Bangs can cover the eyes which throws off proper head alignment. Long hair in a pony tail can get caught under the armpit when swimming front craw and back stroke. This can alter the entire body position which can affect the outcome of a child's stroke for years to come. We can give you one on the first day if you don't have one.
REFUND POLICY. We begin scheduling instructors for work 2-3 weeks in advance to insure we have enough instructors to meet the child/instructor ratios listed in the descriptions, and to provide staff with their work schedule in advance. Most of our instructors are in high-school and/or college and adjust their school and sport schedules to be present for lessons. To receive a full refund (less the $5 processing fee) all refunds need to be requested HERE at least 10 days before the first class. This is the time we also close classes for registration so we can form groups and match kids with teachers. With a few exceptions (such as illness with a doctor's note) refunds will not be provided once the first class of the session begins.
MAKE-UP POLICY. There are no make-ups for missed classes. Sessions run back to back. There is not a week off or break in-between sessions to accommodate make-ups. Make-ups cannot be done on a different day, location, or time than what you signed up for as each class has a maximum capacity aligned with the number of instructors pre-scheduled. Refunds are not provided for the value of one lesson if you miss or don't show up for a day in a session.
TRANSFERRING TO A DIFFERENT CLASS. If your schedule changes after you register and you'd like to transfer from one class code to another - please call Angela 847-577-3029. If there are openings in another day/time/location for the same class format, a transfer can be processed. This would need to be done before the first day of a session.
WINDY CITY DIVING
CLICK HERE to register for Windy City Diving Lessons
Level 1
The beginner diving class is an introduction to the sport of springboard diving and is designated to teach the safe and proper way to use the springboard. Any individual 8-18 years old who has an interest in diving, can swim comfortably in deep water, and dive in head first off the side of the pool deck into deep water can take this class. Students will be taught a forward approach and a back press. They will progress to forward and backward dives as well as other skills based on ability.
Level 2
The intermediate and advanced diving classes are for those divers who already know how to do a proper diving hurdle and back press. The divers will be taught new skills and tricks based on their current skill and ability. *Prerequisite - Must have previously participated in a level 2 lesson or have gymnastics experience. Must also be able to perform a back fall in entry without a spot.
Level 3 Team
Diving club will be offered to those students who have shown the skills necessary to move beyond the intermediate diving lessons, or who have already been on a high school diving team. These divers are looking to learn new tricks to improve their diving list and are willing to compete.
All participants must become a USA Diving Athlete member- $40 plus a small handling fee. Register online at www.usadiving.org Proof of USA Diving registration MUST be show on first day of class.
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In the event that diving or swim lessons cannot run in the water due to mechanical issues or a fecal incident: The Park District swim classes are designed to include out of water instruction and safety procedures which are called a "Rain Day." Each session is allotted 1 Rain Day. Participants should still come prepared to get in the water should the issue become resolved during class.
In the rare case of more than one "Rain Day" per session, the lesson may be canceled. Refunds will be handled by our Guest Services Coordinator and participants need not fill any additional forms or information. A refund will be placed on your household account for future use. Please note that all refunds will not be processed until the end of your class’s session.
Angela Neill
Aquatic Supervisor | Swimming and Diving Lessons, Water Exercise
847-577-3029
aneill@ahpd.org