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Welcome to the YMCA Swim Lessons!

To register for swim lessons, please use your Member Portal, or visit us in person to connect with our membership team. 

Knowing how to swim can save your life -- or even someone else's. Taught by certified YMCA instructors, our swimming lessons will give you lifelong skills to help you be safe in and around the water. And you just might develop a lifelong passion for swimming!

There's more to YMCA swim lessons than just learning to swim. Our swimming lessons build self-confidence and show children they can achieve their goals with a little hard work and support from others. We've taught tens of thousands of children to swim through our nationally-accredited YMCA swim programs since we offered the very first YMCA swimming lesson in Canada over 100 years ago.

Preschool Swim Lessons

(3 months to 5 years)

The purpose of the L'il Dippers preschool program is to introduce preschoolers to a wide range of water activities in a safe, fun atmosphere.

Learn to Swim Program

(6 to 12 years)

The YMCA Learn to Swim program is a four-level instructional program that introduces your beginner swimmer to foundational aquatic activities. They will improve their body awareness and motor skills as they submerge, kick, roll, and jump in the water. They will be competent swimmers on their front and back when they complete the entire program.

YMCA Star Program

(Completion of the Learn to Swim program or equivalent)

The YMCA Star Program introduces your continuing swimmer to elementary backstroke, breaststroke, side stroke, and increases their swimming distance to 350m by the end of Star 4. The optional items give your child opportunities to explore competitive swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo, and aquatic fitness.

YMCA Star Leadership Program

(Completion of the YMCA Star program or equivalent)

The YMCA Star Leadership Program allows your competent and confident swimmer to build on their strong aquatic skills to learn to safely help others who are in trouble in the water, basic first aid skills, and to improve their physical fitness. Each level has a component of learning how to teach others, and optional items include advanced swim skills, competitive swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo, and aquatic fitness.

	Learn to Swim Conversion Chart
Age  Groups	City of Waterloo	City of Kitchener	Red Cross Program	Lifesaving Society Program	YMCA Program
0-2 years old	Parent & Tot 1	Waterbabies	Starfish	Parent and Tot 1	Splashers
accompanied by	Parent & Tot 2	Adult & Tot	Duck	Parent and Tot 2	Bubblers
parent	Parent & Tot 3	Adult & Tot	Sea Turtle	Parent and Tot 3	Bubblers
3-5 years old	Waterloo Splash 1	Tots/B	Sea Turtle	Preschool 1	Bobbers
accompanied	Waterloo Splash 1	Tots/C	Salamander	Preschool 2	Floaters
by a parent	Waterloo Splash 1	SuperTots/D	Sunfish	Preschool 3	Gliders
or on their	WaterlooSplash 2	SuperTots/E	Crocodile	Preschool 4	Divers
own	Waterloo Splash 3		Whale	Preschool 5	Surfers
6-12 years old	Waterloo Swim 1		Swim Kids 1	Swimmer 1	Otter
	Waterloo Swim 2		I/C Swim Kids 2	I/C Swimmer 2	Seal
	Waterloo Swim 3	E+	Swim Kids 2	Swimmer 2	Seal
	Waterloo Swim 4	F	Swim Kids 2/3	I/C Swimmer 3	Dolphin
	Waterloo Swim 5	G	Swim Kids 4/5	Swimmer 3	Swimmer
	Waterloo Swim 6	H	Swim Kids 6	Swimmer 4	Star 1
	Waterloo Swim 7	I/J	Swim Kids 7	Swimmer 5	Star 2
	Waterloo Swim  9	K	Swim Kids 8	Swimmer 6	Star 3
	Rookie Patrol	Rookie Patrol	Swim Kids 9	Rookie Patrol	Star 4
	Ranger Patrol	Ranger Patrol	Swim Kids 10	Ranger Patrol	Star 5
	Star Patrol	Star Patrol	Swim Kids 10	Star Patrol	Star 6
					Star 7
	Bronze Star			Bronze Star	Bronze Star