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RECREATION

Swimming Lessons

The Town of Stouffville offers a range of swimming lessons for all ages and abilities. Explore all of our registered swim programs register for a program through our online registration portal, ActiveNet.

Parent and Tot programs (four months to three years old)

Spend quality time with your child while you both have fun, learn and socialize. We offer three program levels based on your child’s age:

  • Parent and Tot 1 - Designed for four to 12 month old children
  • Parent and Tot 2 - Designed for one to two year old children
  • Parent and Tot 3 - Designed for two to three year old children

Through structured in-water interaction between parent and child, we stress the importance of play in developing water-positive attitudes and skills. We provide Lifesaving Society water smart tips on keeping your child safe in any aquatic setting. Certified instructors provide guidance and answers to your questions.

Preschool programs

Give your child a head start on learning to swim. Based on the Lifesaving Society Preschool Program, our preschool program helps three to five year old children become comfortable in the water and develop foundational water skills. We offer five progressions that build upon the foundations from the previous step. Learn more about the specific skills we work on at each stage in the program. Each class has four children and one instructor.

In this level, we encourage parents to assist their child in feeling confident to be separate from them in the water. Preschoolers will get to:

  • Learning how to get in and out of the water
  • Jump into chest deep water with assistance
  • Try floats and glides on their front and back with assistance
  • Get their face wet and blow bubbles underwater
  • In order to complete this level, children must participate independently by the end of the session.

In this level, preschoolers learn to:

  • Jump into chest deep water by themselves
  • Get in and out of the water wearing a Personal Floatation Device
  • Submerge and exhale underwater
  • Float and glide on their front and back while wearing a Personal Floatation Device
  • Kick on their back

In this level, children will get to try:

  • Both jumping and side entry into deep water wearing a Personal Floatation Device
  • Recovering objects from the bottom in waist deep water
  • Floating, gliding and kicking on their front and back by themselves

Advanced preschoolers will learn to:

  • Do solo jumps into deeper water and get out by themselves
  • Do side entry and open their eyes underwater
  • Master short distance kicking on their front, back and side
  • Front crawl wearing a Personal Floatation Device

In this final level, preschoolers will learn to:

  • Do a forward roll entry wearing a Personal Floatation Device
  • Hold their breath underwater for up to 10 seconds
  • Do longer front and back crawls, interval training and whip kicks

Swimmer programs (six to 15 years old)

Our swimmer programs are designed for children and youth ages six to 15 of all abilities. We offer a total of ten levels based on the skill of participants. Swimmer 7, Swimmer 8, Swimmer 9 and Bronze Star programs are part of the Lifesaving Society’s Swim Patrol program, which provides training for those interested in pursuing lifesaving and leadership programs later.

Learn about the specific skills developed in each level and view the class sizes.

Swimmer 1 classes have six participants. Beginners will learn how to:

  • Become comfortable jumping into water with and without a Personal Flotation Device
  • Open their eyes, exhale and hold their breath under water
  • Do floats, glides and kicking through the water on their front and back

Swimmer 2 classes have six participants. These advanced beginners will learn how to:

  • Jump into deeper water
  • Be comfortable falling sideways into water wearing a Personal Floatation Device
  • Support themselves at the surface without an aid
  • Do a whip kick and swim front crawl and back crawl for 10 m
  • Do flutter kick interval training (four sets of 5 m)

Swimmer 3 classes have eight participants. These junior swimmers will learn how to:

  • Dive and perform forward somersaults
  • Front and back crawl 15 m, whip kick 10 m
  • Do flutter kick interval training (four sets of 15 m)

Swimmer 4 classes have eight participants. These intermediate swimmers will learn how to:

  • Swim 5 m underwater and 25 m of front and back crawl
  • Do front crawl sprints over 25 m, and four by 25 m front or back crawl interval training

They will also complete the Canadian Swim to Survive® Standard.

Swimmer 5 classes have 10 participants. These swimmers will master and refine:

  • Shallow dives, cannonball entries, eggbeater kicks, and in-water backward somersaults
  • Surface dives that take them down to underwater swims
  • Front and back crawl over 50 m and breaststroke over 15 to 25 m
  • 25 m sprints and two interval training bouts: four by 50 m front or back crawl and four by 15 m breaststroke

Swimmer 6 classes have 10 participants. These advanced swimmers will master and refine:

  • Stride entries, compact jumps and lifesaving kicks like eggbeater and scissor kick
  • Head-up breaststroke sprints over 25 m
  • Full lengths of front crawl, back crawl, and breaststroke
  • 300 m workouts

Swimmer 7 classes have 12 participants. Swimmers continue stroke development with 50 m swims of front crawl, back crawl and breaststroke. Lifesaving sport skills include a 25 m obstacle swim and 15 m object carry. First aid focuses on assessment of conscious victims, contacting EMS, and treatment for bleeding. Fitness improves in 350 m workouts and 100 m timed swims.

Swimmer 8 classes have 12 participants. Swimmers develop better strokes over 75 m swims of each stroke. They tackle lifesaving sport skills in a lifesaving medley and timed object support and rescue with a buoyant aid. First aid focuses on assessment of unconscious victims, treatment of victims in shock and obstructed airway procedures. Skill drills develop a strong lifesaving foundation.

Swimmer 9 classes have 12 participants. Swimmers are challenged with 600 m workouts, 300 m timed swims and a 25 m object carry. Strokes are refined over 100 m swims. First aid focuses on treatment of bone or joint injuries and respiratory emergencies including asthma and allergic reactions. Lifesaving skills include defense methods, victim removals and rolling over and supporting a victim face up in shallow water.

Bronze Star classes have 12 participants. This class provides excellent preparation for success in Bronze Medallion. Participants develop problem-solving and decision-making skills individually and in partners. Candidates learn CPR and develop the lifesaving skills needed to be their own lifeguard. This program also includes a timed 400 m swim.

Teen and adult programs

Work towards a 10-15m swim on your front and back. Complete jump entries from the side and recover an object from the bottom of chest-deep water. Improve overall fitness and your flutter kick with 4 x 9-12m interval training.

Kick it up a notch working on two interval training workouts of 4 x 25m kicking and front or back crawl. Perform dive entries and demonstrate breaststroke arms and breathing over 10-15m. Participants support themselves at the surface for 1-2 minutes and complete handstands in shallow water.

Private swim lessons

We offer private swimming lessons for those who need to focus on completing specific skills in order to progress to the next level. All classes are 30 minutes long.

You can also add a second child at an additional cost. To do so, register the first child in a private lesson time slot and then visit the front desk of the Leisure Centre at 2 Park Dr. to add the second child. The second child must be in the same level (or have similar swim abilities) as the first child.

Parent's Day

Parent’s Day allows parents the opportunity to receive their child's progress slip from the instructor in the last 5 minutes of class

If you would like to take a picture with your child, please ask the Deck Supervisor first.

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