X

New Canaan YMCA

Swim Lessons

Swim Lessons

Swim Lessons Program

WHERE STRONG SWIMMERS BECOME CONFIDENT KIDS

The New Canaan YMCA follows the YMCA’s National swim lessons program, designed to teach safety, confidence, and strength in the water in a supportive and nurturing environment. The program is organized into eight levels and your child is assigned to a level at the beginning of each session.  In our bright aquatics center, swim lessons are available as parent/child classes, small group, private, and semi-private lessons.

Summer Swim Lessons at the Steve Benko Pool in Waveny Park

steve benko swim lessons section

The Y and the New Canaan Recreation Department are partnering to offer summer swim lessons at the Steve Benko Pool in Waveny Park! Parent/Child, Preschool, and School-Age swim lessons are available for children ages 6 months to 12 years.*

*Membership to the Steve Benko Pool is required prior to the first day of lessons. Click here or visit: newcanaanct.myrec.com to become a member. Membership at the New Canaan YMCA is not required.

Registration begins Monday, April 8 and will be available online and at the Y’s Member Services Desk.

Parent-Child Swim Lessons (Ages 6 months-3 years)

swim lessons parent child section

Due to the temporary Forese Family Pool closure, Parent/Child swim lessons will not be held on-site for the fall 2023 session.

Accompanied by a parent, infants and toddlers learn to be comfortable in the water and develop swim readiness skills through fun and confidence-building experiences, while parents learn about water safety, drowning prevention, and the importance of supervision. Parent-child aquatic classes are a fun, special time for parents to interact with their children and with each other.

Parent-Child swim lessons ratio: 1:2 – 1:6

Level A: Water Discovery (Ages 6 Months-3 Years)

Parents accompany children in level A, which introduces infants and toddlers to the aquatic environment through exploration and encourages them to enjoy themselves while learning about the water.

Level B: Water Exploration (Ages 16 Months-3 Years)

In level B, parents work with their children to explore body positions, floating, blowing bubbles, and fundamental safety and aquatic skills.

Preschool Swim Lessons (Ages 3-5)

swim lessons preschool section

The most important aspect of preschool swimming is ensuring the child is comfortable in the water and ready to make the advancements to learn to swim independently. Students learn personal water safety and achieve basic swimming competency by learning two benchmark skills:

  • Swim, float, swim—sequencing front glide, roll, back float, roll, front glide, and exit
  • Jump, push, turn, grab

Preschool swim lessons ratio: 1:2 – 1:4

Swimmers will be assigned to one of the following levels after his/her evaluation during the first class:

Level 1: Water Acclimation

Students develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water in level 1. This stage lays the foundation that allows for a student’s future progress in swimming.

Level 2: Water Movement

In level 2, students focus on body position and control, directional change, and forward movement in the water while also continuing to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.

Level 3: Water Stamina

In level 3, students learn how to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm and leg action.

Level 4: Stroke Introduction

Students in level 4 develop stroke technique in front crawl and back crawl and learn the breaststroke kick and butterfly kick. Water safety is reinforced through treading water and elementary backstroke.

*Parents and/or guardians of children who are in 4th grade or younger must remain in Dante’s Café or second floor viewing area during swim lessons.

School-Age Swim Lessons (Ages 5-12)

swim lessons school age section

Available for all swim levels, school-age lessons also continue to build upon fundamentals, learning additional water safety skills and developing stroke techniques.

School-Age swim lessons ratio: 1:2 – 1:4

Swimmers will be assigned to one of the following levels after his/her evaluation during the first class:

Level 1: Water Acclimation

Students develop comfort with underwater exploration and learn to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water in level 1. This stage lays the foundation that allows for a student’s future progress in swimming.

Level 2: Water Movement

In level 2, students focus on body position and control, directional change, and forward movement in the water while also continuing to practice how to safely exit in the event of falling into a body of water.

Level 3: Water Stamina

In level 3, students learn how to swim to safety from a longer distance than in previous stages in the event of falling into a body of water. This stage also introduces rhythmic breathing and integrated arm and leg action.

Level 4: Stroke Introduction

Students in level 4 develop stroke technique in front crawl and back crawl and learn the breaststroke kick and butterfly kick. Water safety is reinforced through treading water and elementary backstroke.

Level 5: Stroke Development

Students in level 5 work on stroke technique and learn all major competitive strokes. The emphasis on water safety continues through treading water and sidestroke.

Level 6: Stroke Mechanics

In level 6, students refine stroke technique on all major competitive strokes, learn about competitive swimming, and discover how to incorporate swimming into a healthy lifestyle.

*Parents and/or guardians of children who are in 4th grade or younger must remain in Dante’s Café or second floor viewing area during swim lessons.

The National Y swim lesson program is designed to teach safety, confidence and strength in the water in a supportive and nurturing environment. The program is organized into 8 levels and your child is assigned to a level at the beginning of each session. Refer to our swim lessons level overview to determine your child’s swim lessons level.

Private & Semi-Private Swim Lessons

In addition to our group lessons, we also offer private and semi-private swim lessons at the Y.  To learn more about private or semi-private swim lessons, please email Emily Daymonde, Aquatics Director.

PRIVATE & SEMI-PRIVATE SWIM LESSON CANCELLATION POLICY

To cancel your Private or Semi-Private lesson, you must contact Emily Daymonde, Aquatics Director, at 203-920-1652 or by email. Cancelling with no notice or “no shows” must be paid for.

For additional information about Private or Semi-Private swim lessons, contact Emily Daymonde at 203-920-1652.

Swim Lessons Refund Policy

  • If the Y cancels a swim lesson program prior to the program commencement date, a full refund will be issued. The YMCA reserves the right to cancel any swim lesson program that fails to meet enrollment requirements.
  • Refund requests after withdrawal from a swim lesson program must be made at least five business days prior to the program commencement date.
  • After a swim lesson program commences, pro-rated refunds will be issued only for participant withdrawal due to medical reasons, verified in writing by a physician. Refund requests must be submitted to the Y no later than the last day of the session.
  • Refunds resulting from participant withdrawal are subject to a $15 processing fee.
  • All outstanding balances including YMCA charges and bank fees must be resolved before refunds will be issued.

Contact

If you have any questions about the swim lessons program or are unsure of the appropriate level for your child, please contact Emily Daymonde, Aquatics Director, at 203-920-1652 to schedule an evaluation. This brief evaluation allows for each child to be placed accordingly to ensure success and growth within the swim lessons program.

Forms & Resources

Online Registration & Program Brochures