Loving Lessons at Goldfish Swim School (St. Charles, IL) {Review} #GoldfishSwim

Disclosure:  I received a few free lessons for my kids to try out Goldfish in exchange for sharing my honest opinion.

So last year I signed my boys up for swimming at the local college.  They were 4 and 5 years old at the time but they loved swimming and since this was during the wintertime I thought they would love the perk of being able to swim while its cold out!  Well I was wrong!  My 5 year old hated it and refused to go in the water after the first class.  It didn’t help that the instructors weren’t helpful or that they water was ice cold.  My 4 year old was a tropper and he toughed it out every week but I could tell he wasn’t thrilled about it.  I knew we had to find a new swim solution.

Then I saw someone post about Goldfish Swim School on Facebook and I was intrigued.  I mean a swim school that has pools at 90 degrees, no more than four children per instructor, and purified water to swim in – yes please!  Goldfish is a swim school for kids ages 4 months and up that uses a proprietary curriculm developed after much research.  They are proud members of the United States Swim School Association and inlcude expierenced staff of Red Cross certitifed swim instructors.  Parents can sit in an air conditioned viewing gallery to watch lessons or for younger kids they get in the water with them.  To complete the swim school there is the decor that screams kid-friendly!

I have taken my kids to four lessons so far at the Goldfish Swim School in St. Charles, IL, and so far I have nothing but good things to say.  My kids look forward to going every week and every week they ask when we are going back, and they have never been excited about anything like this before.  We’ve had other scheduled activities before and while they liked them, there was always whining or begging not to leave their friends to go to it.  They love their teachers, the inviting pool, the changing rooms, the turtle and fish and that they are with kids their own ages.

At Goldfish your child will be put in a class that seems fitting and if they are doing good they will be moved up.  My 5 year old actually was already moved up to the next class!  He is doing amazing!  My 6 year old is always trying his hardest and is making me so proud, he is my scaredy cat and is normally afraid of drowning!  Both my boys are literally flourishing in their swim classes and by next summer I don’t think I will have to be as worried!

Hows my 2 year old liking it?  She absolutely loves it.  The classes are 30 minutes long (for all ages classes) and for her, its a parent-child class.  So I go in the water with her and we sing songs and practice swim techniques.  I can tell she is picking up on the concepts because even at home she will lay on the floor and sing “Kicking, Kicking…” which is a song we song as the kids kick around the pool.  The instrutor is so friendly and when there was kids that were afraid to come in, she tried her best to coax them in but didn’t pressure them.  I don’t know though how any kid could be afraid of the pool there though as it is truley inviting and adorable.  While I can’t wait for my 2 year old to be independent enough to take swim lessons on her own so I can sit out in the viewing gallery, I do love the time I get to spend with her in the class.

Sorry the pics are not the greatest, there were other kids there and I didn’t feel comfortable taking pictures where they could be in them and I used my cell phone:

When class is over, parents get to go over and meet with the instructors to hear about progress or see accomplishments.  For example, the last class I got to see one son swim all on his own and the other finally put his face in the water!  Then the kids got ribbons, which they get after every class and boy are those ribbons like gold to my kids!  We then quickly rinse off in the showers and head off to the changing areas.  There are even private restrooms with showers and a blowdryer/makeup station!  If you want a sweet treat for your child (or reward) or need some swim materials (bathing suit, tube, swim diapers..) you can also purchase those at the front desk.  My kids don’t even ask for that stuff as they are so thrilled over the ribbons and they have a little bowl of prizes kids can pick after each lesson – what kid wouldn’t want to come back!

Now finally whats the catch?  Well Goldfish is a little expensive, like about $20 a class per kid expensive and the class is only 30 minutes long.  There are discounts for multiple kids and packages you can sign up for to help lower the costs too.  There is also Family Swim available where the family can swim during certain times for a maxium of $15 per family each time, or like right now there is a package that includes it.

Is it worth it?  For us, absolutely.  My boys love it, they ask to go, and it gives them a sense of confidence and accomplishment.  For my daughter she loves it as well but I am not sure I can swing three kids in swim lessons right now so I may push signging her up for lessons until next year when she is a little older and more independent in the water.  I will though be taking her to the Family Swim hopefully and practicing with her there.

Stay Connected with Goldfish:

WEBSITE

CHECK IT OUT:  While I can’t speak for other Goldfish locations, we absolutely love and adore the St. Charles, IL Goldfish Swim School.  You can visit though the Goldfish website to see if there is one in your area!