Back in the Water at Goldfish Swim School

Disclaimer: We were provided free swimming lessons by Goldfish Swim School in exchange for collaborating blog posts. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 

After a year and a half hiatus, we are back in the water at Goldfish Swim School – Westerville, with a preschooler and a baby. We originally attended Goldfish – Dublin, so with the move to a new location I found myself wondering how lessons would be the same and/or different from our first experience.

It took only one lesson at Goldfish for my preschooler to be hooked again. The baby was a bit serious during his first swim, but after a few lessons and implementing the strategies provided by the instructor, he is now enjoying his time in the water.

Read on for our experience at Goldfish – Westerville and for a better understanding of what to expect when attending swimming lessons at Goldfish Swim School.

What You Will Need

Bathing suits for everyone who is planning on being in the water, a reusable swim diaper (for those not toilet trained), and a towel. If the stores have already pulled their summer inventory off of the shelves and you are unable to find a reusable swim diaper, don’t worry; Goldfish sells the diapers on site in their swim shop.

What to Expect Upon Arrival

Arrive early on your first day to get yourself situated. We arrived 15 minutes early to sign in at the front desk. At that time we were reminded of our instructors name, given our lane assignments and given an overview of the facility. We had time to change in one of the many family-sized dressing rooms and explore the waiting area, which overlooks the entire pool. The waiting area has a beach vibe with deck chairs and tables with tiki hut umbrellas. For the caregivers who don’t need to be in the water with their child, this is a great place from which to watch lessons. It’s also safe for siblings who aren’t in the water as it is separated from the pool by floor-to-ceiling glass windows and has many activities to keep kids entertained. Activities in the waiting area included: chalkboards, books, and an aquarium containing fish. When it’s time for lessons to begin, an employee will give a “five minutes until the lesson reminder” which gives you plenty of time to head over to the pool entrance.

What to Expect in the Lesson

Mini 1: Our 10-month-old is in the Mini 1 class, which is recommended for children aged 4 to 16 months with a student to instructor ratio no larger than 6:1. In this age group, it is expected for one parent to be in the water with their child and participate in the lesson. The lesson is 30 minutes long and teaches children a combination of water acclimation, beginning swimming skills and swimming safety.

The instructor is well prepared and keeps the lesson moving. She uses songs, rhymes, and props to keep baby and the parent engaged and support baby’s learning in the water. Along with these strategies, the instructor provides clear, helpful directions to parents on how to best support their children.

I was happy that in addition to introducing baby P to the basics of swimming, the lesson also emphasized water safety. He was guided to hold onto the wall, turn back to the wall after falling in, and guided to climb out of the pool. He doesn’t fully understand what he is doing yet, but we are creating muscle memory for him by guiding his body through the motions.

Junior 1: Our 3-year-old is in the Junior 1 swim lesson which is designed for beginning swimmers ages 3 to 4-years-old. During her lesson she is introduced to the basic skills necessary for swimming, including safety awareness.

At the beginning of the lesson, we walk Sis to her lane. With 5 minutes left at the end of the lesson we are invited back to the pool deck to learn about her progress and observe one of the skills she worked on that day.

I am SO glad we have both kids involved in swimming lessons at Goldfish Swim School. Their comfort and safety awareness around water is very important to my husband and me.

The Details: We attend lessons at the Goldfish Swim School in Westerville, Ohio. Check out the link for locations, address/telephone details and how to sign up for lessons.